This We Believe: Our Company Values Have Guided SC Johnson for Five Generations

Goodwill is never negotiable – in family, in business or in products. Since our founding in 1886, SC Johnson has been guided by our commitment to keep earning the goodwill of the people around us. It matters to us that we do right by employees, consumers, the public, our communities and the world at large, and treat everyone with integrity and respect. These are our values and principles.
 
Our core beliefs were first summarised by Herbert F. Johnson, Sr., the second-generation leader of our family company, in a 1927 speech to employees.

In 1976, our fourth-generation family leader, Sam Johnson, formalised our principles in a document known as This We Believe. This was long before companies had values statements or even codes of conduct. Few were thinking about topics like the environment, safety, diversity or corporate social responsibility. But Sam believe that principles are powerful, and should be formalised and celebrated. 
 
Since then, This We Believe has been a guide for the company through both good and challenging times. As our Chairman and CEO Fisk Johnson has explained “This We Believe provides a sounding board against which we can test ideas and consider options, and a true north from which we will not waver. Being a family company enables us to uphold its aspirations as few other organisations can.”
 
It has been translated and shared around the world, and everyone in the company is accountable for upholding its tenets. 

This We Believe states our beliefs about the five groups of people to whom we are responsible and whose trust we must earn...

• Employees: We believe that the fundamental vitality and strength of our worldwide company lies in our people.

• Consumers and Users: We believe in earning the enduring goodwill of consumers and users of our products and services.

• General Public: We believe in being a responsible leader within the free market economy.

• Neighbours and Hosts: We believe in contributing to the well-being of the countries and communities where we conduct business.

• World Community: We believe in improving international understanding.

The sincerity of our beliefs encourages us to act with integrity at all times, to respect the dignity of each person as an individual human being, to assume moral and social responsibilities early as a matter of conscience, to make an extra effort to use our skills and resources where they are most needed, and to strive for excellence in everything we do.
 
We safeguard these beliefs by remaining privately held. We arere not beholden to Wall Street. Rather, we arere fully committed to you – the people who make, use and benefit from our products. We believe we can earn profits and remain true to our principles. This way, we make a positive impact today and for generations to come.  

Respect and Opportunity are Principles of Our Business

We believe that the fundamental vitality and strength of our worldwide company lies in our people, and we commit ourselves to...

Maintain good relations among all employees around the world based on a sense of participation, mutual respect and an understanding of common objectives, by:

• Creating a climate whereby all employees freely air their concerns and express opinions with assurance that these will be fairly considered.

• Attentively responding to employees’ suggestions and problems.

• Fostering open, two-way communications between management and employees.

• Providing employees with opportunities to participate in the process of decision-making.

• Encouraging employees at all levels and in all disciplines to work as a team.

• Respecting the dignity and rights of privacy of every employee*, and treating all people with respect.

* SC Johnson goes to great lengths to respect individuals privacy. Company systems, such as email, however, may be monitored to enforce policy and protect company confidential business information. 

Manage our business in such a way that we can provide security for regular employees and retirees, by:

• Pursuing a long-term policy of planned, orderly growth.

• Retaining regular employees, if at all possible, as conditions change.

• However, this may not always be possible, particularly where major restructuring or reorganisation is required to maintain competitiveness.

• Retraining employees who have acceptable performance records and are in positions no longer needed, provided suitable jobs are available.

Maintain a high level of effectiveness within the organisation, by:

• Establishing clear, high standards of job performance.

• Ensuring that the performance of all employees meets required levels by giving appropriate recognition to those whose performance is good and by terminating those whose performance, despite their managers’ efforts to help, continues below company standards.

Provide equal opportunities in employment and advancement, by:

• Hiring and promoting employees without discrimination, using qualifications, performance and experience as the principal criteria.

 

Remunerate employees at levels that fully reward their performance and recognise their contribution to the success of their company, by:

• Maintaining base pay and benefit programmes both of which are fully competitive with those prevailing within the relevant marketplaces.

• Maintaining, in addition to our fully competitive pay and benefit programmes, our long-standing tradition of sharing profits with employees.

 

Protect the health and safety of all people in SCJ work environments, by:

• Providing a clean and safe work environment.

• Providing appropriate training and occupational health services.

 

Develop the skills and abilities of our people, by:

• Providing on-the-job training and professional development programmes.

• Helping employees qualify for opportunities in the company through educational and development programmes.

 

Create environments that are conducive to self-expression and personal well-being, by:

• Fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, with zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment.

• Fostering and supporting leisure-time programmes for employees and retirees.

• Developing job-enrichment programmes.

• Maintaining the long tradition of high quality and good design in our offices and plants.

Earning Goodwill is Our Commitment to Stakeholders 

Encourage initiative, innovation and entrepreneurism among all employees, thereby providing opportunities for greater job satisfaction while also helping the worldwide company achieve its objectives.

We believe in earning the enduring goodwill of consumers and users of our products and services, and we commit ourselves to... 

Provide useful products and services throughout the world, by:

• Monitoring closely the changing wants and needs of consumers and users.

• Developing and maintaining high standards of quality.

• Developing new products and services that are recognised by consumers and users as being significantly superior overall to major competition.

• Maintaining close and effective business relations with the trade to ensure that our products and services are readily available to consumers and users.

• Continuing our research and development commitment to provide a strong technology base for innovative and superior products and services.

Develop and market products that are environmentally sound and do not endanger the health and safety of consumers and users, by:

• Meeting all regulatory requirements or exceeding them where worldwide company standards are higher.

• Providing clear and adequate directions for safe use, together with cautionary statements and/or symbols.

• Incorporating protection against misuse where this is appropriate.

• Researching new technologies for products that favour an improved environment.
   

Maintain and develop comprehensive education and service programmes for consumers and users, by:

• Disseminating information to consumers and users that promotes full understanding of the correct use of our products and services.

• Handling all inquiries, complaints and service needs for consumers and users quickly, thoroughly and fairly.

Ethical Leadership Upholds our Corporate Values

We believe in being a responsible leader in the free market economy, and we commit ourselves to

Ensure the future vitality of the worldwide company, by:

• Earning sufficient profits to provide new investment for planned growth and progress.

• Maintaining a worldwide organisation of highly competent, motivated and dedicated employees.

• Seeking the counsel and independent judgement of a board of independent directors.
  
  

Conduct our business in a fair and ethical manner, by:

• Not engaging in unfair business practices.

• Treating our suppliers and customers both fairly and reasonably, according to sound commercial practices.

• Packaging and labelling our products so that consumers and users can make informed value judgements.

• Maintaining the highest advertising standards of integrity and good taste.

• Not engaging in bribery

Share the profits of the company with those who have contributed to its success, by:

• Rewarding employees through a profit sharing programme.

• Allocating a share of the profits to enhance the well-being of communities where we operate.

• Developing better products and services for the benefit of consumers and users.

• Providing to shareholders a reasonable return on their investment.

 

Provide the general public with information about our activities so they have a better understanding of our worldwide company.

Good Citizenship is a Guiding Principle around the Globe

We believe in contributing to the well-being of the countries and communities where we conduct business, and we commit ourselves to…

Contribute to the economic well-being of every country and community where we conduct business, by:

• Ensuring that new investment fits constructively into the economic development of each host country and local community.

• Encouraging the use of local suppliers and services where it makes sense strategically.

Global Responsibility Supports Global Understanding

We believe in improving international understanding, and we commit ourselves to

Act with responsible practices in international trade and investment, by:

• Retaining earnings necessary for reinvestment in our local companies and remitting dividends on a consistent basis.

• Making royalty, licensing and service agreements that are fair and reasonable and do not result in any hidden transfer of profits.

• Limiting foreign exchange transactions to normal business requirements and for the protection of our assets.
  
  

Promote the exchange of ideas and techniques, by:

• Encouraging the rapid diffusion of new technology to our local companies and licensees, while protecting our ownership rights and investment in such technology.

• Organising worldwide and regional meetings for the dissemination and exchange of information.

• Providing support and assistance, especially in technical and professional fields, to develop skills throughout the organisation.

• Following a balanced approach between transferring people to new jobs to gain experience and leaving people on the job long enough to make positive contributions in their assignments.

• Participating actively in non-political national and international activities with the objective of improving the global business climate.