Our Customers / Market Place
Conducting Business with Integrity, Fairness and Respect
Our operating philosophy is that all of us, employees and management alike, share in the responsibility to ensure Magna’s success.
To live up to this responsibility, we must all act with integrity. This means that we must obey the letter and spirit of laws that apply to us, uphold this Code, and honour our commitments.
We must also be fair in our dealings with other employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders.
It is also essential that we respect others who may have different thoughts and opinions, act with sensitivity and concern toward the cultures and customs of countries in which we operate and strive to consider our impact on the communities and environments where we conduct business.
Compliance with Antitrust and Competition Laws
We compete vigorously, but with respect for free and fair competition. As a result, we must comply with all applicable antitrust and competition laws. We will not engage in any activities that violate these laws such as agreeing with our competitors to fix prices, discounts, or terms of sale, limit production, divide markets, coordinate bidding activities, boycott customers or suppliers, fix employee compensation or agreeing not to hire each other’s employees.
Our Policy on Antitrust and Competition provides a more complete explanation on how we uphold this commitment.
Q
At Auto Shanghai, I ran into a former sales colleague who now works for a competitor. Over lunch, he asked if we could come up with a joint strategy to deal with a difficult new buyer. I told him I would get back to him. What should I have done?
While having lunch with a former colleague is not a problem, any attempt to coordinate strategy with a competitor about a customer is strictly prohibited. In this situation, immediately end the conversation about strategy coordination and tell the former colleague not to discuss the topic. Then promptly inform Legal or Compliance.
Compliance with Anti-Bribery Laws
We do not offer or accept bribes, or kickbacks, either directly or through third parties. In giving or accepting anything of value, we must think about whether doing so could influence a business decision or cause others to perceive such influence. We must also ensure that the records of all payments we make are always accurate and complete. These obligations apply in all cases but are especially strict in matters involving government officials.
Our commitment to anti-bribery applies, without exception, to all of our operations, no matter what the local laws or cultural practices may be. We also expect third parties acting on our behalf to uphold this commitment.
To find out more about our commitment to conducting business free of bribery, see our Policy on Bribery & Improper Payments.
Q
In my country, it is common to give government workers a small payment (typically under $100) so that permits get issued more quickly. Am I allowed to make these payments under our Code and Policies?
No. Our Code and Policy on Bribery & Improper Payments prohibit these payments, which are often referred to as “facilitation” (or “grease”) payments. Although these payments are legal and common in some countries, they are illegal in many others.
A government official who oversees our safety compliance gave me her nephew’s résumé and asked that I consider him for any positions that might be open in my department. I’ve reviewed the résumé and he has strong credentials. What should I do?
Immediately let a supervisor, Legal, or Compliance know about this request. As a qualified applicant, he should be treated the same as other qualified applicants for the position. Requests like this need to be handled with care to ensure that we respect the law and our values while preserving our relationships.
Lobbying and Political Participation
Because laws governing lobbying and political contributions can be very complex and vary greatly across the locations where we do business, we need to approach our lobbying and political participation efforts, including funding and support, with great care.
We must not engage in lobbying with any level of government or make political contributions (including monetary donations, goods, or services) on Magna’s behalf without written permission from a corporate office representative specifically authorized to handle these issues. For more information, contact a member of the Government Affairs team (visit the Government Affairs page on MagNET for more information), Legal, or Compliance.
Q
We are having difficulty obtaining city approval for the building design of our new plant. I happen to know one of the city councilors well and would like to invite her to coffee to explain why she should support it. Can I do so?
No. Since this type of meeting with an elected government official would be for the purpose of influencing public decision making, it is likely to constitute lobbying under local law. We should not engage in any act of lobbying without written permission from a corporate office representative specifically authorized to handle these issues.
Our operating philosophy is that all of us, employees and management alike, share in the responsibility to ensure Magna’s success.
To live up to this responsibility, we must all act with integrity. This means that we must obey the letter and spirit of the laws that apply to us, uphold this Code, and honour our commitments.