Code of Ethics

The code extends the beliefs expressed in the statement of our values to a set of practical guidelines and explanations. They define the way individuals within McEntee Hire carry out their duties in the best interests of the company.

The Code in relation to Customers

Ethical promotion
Measurable facts will not be exaggerated in advertising.
Tasteless or discriminatory references will not be used in advertising or the promotion of products or services
Information about products or services must be truthful and must not conceal details likely to influence customer choices.

Ethical negotiation
No customer will be coerced into purchasing products or services where the purchase is against the customer's best interests.
We must be fully conversant with the products and services we are offering to customers and must explain fully any obligation risks and other implications.
Customers will be given the opportunity to read and understand the conditions before entering into any agreements with McEntee Hire Service Ltd.

Fit for the purpose
Goods or services provided by McEntee Hire must be fit for the purpose for which they are to be used and, where applicable be safe and of acceptable quality and durability.

Value for money
Prices of goods and services will not incorporate unreasonable margins for profit. Customers should be satisfied that they are receiving value for money.

Serving customers
Each customer has a right to individual service.
Attending to the needs of a customer will always take precedence over an internal matter.
All customer complaints must be taken seriously, acknowledged and remedied promptly, i.e. Accident/Incident report forms should be filled out and a Carbon copy is to be handed to the customer. Another copy should be passed on to the Branch Manager or Managing Director.
Disclaimers and notices must not mislead customers into thinking that they have surrendered rights to which they are properly entitled.
No customer will be discriminated against on the basis of age, gender, race, religious affiliation, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or disability.
Threats and intimidation will not be used in any dealings with customers.

Confidentiality
Except where client information is available publicly or where law requires it's disclosure, it is to be regarded as confidential information and is not to be discussed or disclosed to a third party.

The Code in relation to Employees

A fair day's work
No staff member will be expected to do more than is reasonable within the agreed working hours.
All staff will be punctual
The company will not require staff to perform any tasks involving physical danger.

A fair day's pay
Remuneration will be determined by the skills and experience required to do the job, taking into account the relevant award and market rate.
There will be no distinction in remuneration between male and female employees performing the same job.

Performance evaluation
Performance contracts must be fair and achievable within the capabilities of the employees.
All employees will receive feedback on their performance at regular intervals.

Promotion policies
Preference will be given to promoting existing employees when filling positions, rather than recruiting from outside the company.
Employees are encouraged to undertake relevant studies to qualify for promotion within the organisation.

Employee training
The company has an obligation to train and develop staff.
There is an expectation that employees receiving financial and other assistance to acquire qualifications will make a commitment to the company in return.
Employees undertaking further study and training will receive recognition and support for their achievements.

Using company time and assets responsibility
Personal use or consumption of company property is not acceptable except where properly authorised.
Company owned assets must be maintained in safe working condition at all times.
Entertainment of clients or any form of hospitality at the company's expense should be offered only when there is an existing relationship or where there is the potential for one that contributes significantly to McEntee Hire Service Ltd's business.

Conflicts of interest, bribery and inducements
Staff must avoid situations where a conflict of interest could arise or be seen as a possibility.
Staff must not accept expensive or inappropriate gifts or gratuities.
Employees should avoid attending "entertainment" events as guests of suppliers where attendance could raise expectations of a benefit to the suppliers.

Equal opportunity
In interviewing applicants for new positions or promotions, the company will only consider the requirements of the job and the skills of the applicant in meeting the job requirements. In decisions about employment conditions or continued employment of an individual, the company will not discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, race, religious affiliation, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or disability.

Occupational health and safety
A clean, comfortable and safe working environment will be provided for all employees.

Drugs and alcohol in the workplace
Employees will be sober and free from the influence of drugs impairing his or her ability to work. An employee whose performance may be affected by a legally prescribed medication should inform a supervisor.
The consumption of alcohol on the company's premises is not permitted without the express permission of an authorised member of management.

Personal relationships between employees
Personal relationships between employees are private. However the parties involved should acknowledge that they cannot allow the relationship to impinge on the effectiveness with which they perform their work.

The Code in relation to Suppliers

Payment policies
Payment terms will be honoured and account payable processed in terms of agreed arrangements.

Ethical use of others' intellectual property
All staff will abide by copyright provisions covering materials, publications and software used in the workplace.

Tendering processes
No prospective supplier's designs, specifications or ideas, submitted in the tendering process, will be used without due permission and remuneration.
No tenderer will be given information about any other tenderer's offer.
The tendering process will be open to all tenderers, with each having equal access to information and people from McEntee Hire Service Ltd.

Dealings with banks and lenders
All financial information submitted to banks and lenders should be true and fair.
All financial projections should reflect the organisation's prudent, honest opinions of future performance.

Selection of suppliers
The criteria used in the selection of suppliers will be price, quality and reliability.
McEntee Hire staff are not permitted to seek personal favours from suppliers.

The Code in relation to Competitors

Misleading and aggressive advertising
Advertisements which compare McEntee Hire's products and services with those of competitors, will not use false information, or omit material facts, to artificially inflate our claims to superiority. Misleading comparisons are unethical.
Brochures, advertisements and other communications will not disparage competitors or their products and services, either directly or by implication. Such aspersions can belittle the industry as a whole and so reflect poorly on our own standards.

Privileged information
McEntee Hire staff will not attempt to acquire competitors' trade secrets or confidential information by improper means. Improper means include commercial espionage, hiring competitor's employees to exploit their confidential knowledge and any other practice that is not entirely honest.
We will respect a competitor's right to protect the value of it's investment in developing skills and products, even in the absence of formal copyrights, licenses or patents. The creation of better ideas is encouraged; the theft of other people's creativity is not acceptable.

Bribes and improper inducements
The giving of money or gifts of substantial value to gain a business advantage over a competitor is unacceptable and in some cases is a criminal act. Where it deprives a rival company of an opportunity to compete fairly. It is morally reprehensible.

The Code in relation to The Wider Community

Environmental practices
We have a firm commitment to environmentally acceptable practices; not only to standards required by legislation, but also to the highest level the company can achieve without incurring unreasonable financial and administrative costs.

Supporting the local economy
As far as is practicable in terms of cost and availability, McEntee Hire Service Ltd will buy products and services produced in New Zealand.

Charities and Sponsorships
Sponsorship proposals should demonstrate a beneficial correlation between the recipients and our target markets.
Sponsorship packages should contain elements that directly benefit the company, rather than particular individuals in our organisation.
Donations and gifts to charities can only be assessed on their individual merits. The personal interests of the officer making the assessment or decision must not influence them.