SpareBank 1 Østlandet’s operations are dependent on the confidence of customers, public authorities and society at large. The Bank’s employees should be recognised for their high ethical standards.
Ethics
Employees should be competent, honest, fair, and inspire confidence. A necessary professional distance should be maintained in all interactions with others.
Value should be created in accordance with good advisory practices and within a framework that does not require any employee to violate the Code of Conduct in order to meet financial targets.
SpareBank 1 Østlandet has a Code of Conduct that was last revised in 2016. The Code of Conduct also applies to the Bank's board members and all the Group’s subsidiaries. The Group's Code of Conduct describes how employees should act in relation to gifts, customers and hospitality, as well as in other situations. The Bank also has procedures for reporting unacceptable situations and breaches of security.
A review and discussion of the Code of Conduct is part of the mandatory onboarding programme for new employees. Financial advisors and customer service representatives in the Private Market Division have authorizations and approvals which necessitate an annual updating of knowledge in the ethics area. In addition, investment advisers and brokers undergo annual ethics updating in connection with the Authorization Scheme for Financial Advisers (AFR).
All employees in the Group must confirm each year that they have reviewed and understood the contents of the Code of Conduct. This is how the Bank ensures that ethics, impartiality, loyalty, anti-corruption and integrity remain on the agenda. In addition, the Bank carries out an annual Ethics Week that involves employees throughout the organisation and ensures that the Code of Conduct is firmly grounded. Different themes are highlighted, such as anti-corruption, ethical dilemmas, loyalty/integrity, and organizational culture. This includes seminars, activities and discussions at both central and local levels.