Social Responsibility

• Policies, Beliefs and Expectations
• Emergency Preparedness
• Governance
• Environmental Stewardship
• Socio-Economic
• Workforce
• Reporting
  • 2010 CSR Report
  • 2009 CSR Report
    • About This Report
    • Marathon-At-A-Glance
    • 2009 CEO's Message
    • CSR in Context
    • Governance, 2009
      • Anti-Corruption
      • Board Independence
      • Business Ethics
      • Political Engagement
      • Shareholder Resolutions
      • Transparency
      • 2009 Issues Report
    • Environmental Stewardship, 2009
    • Socio-Economic, 2009
    • Workforce, 2009
    • 2009 IPIECA/API Index
    • Report Glossary

Business Ethics

Ethics and integrity underpin everything we do. Our goal is to conduct business under high ethical standards and promote the rule of law and accountability. Marathon invests in education, training and infrastructure to encourage awareness of, and compliance with, applicable laws, regulations and policies.

Our challenge is to keep ethics and integrity top of mind with employees and prevent unintentional reputational issues and other risks.

Marathon's Vice President of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (functioning as our chief compliance officer) is a member of the internal Business Integrity (BI) Advisory Committee, which influences integrity policies and provides strategic direction to the BI Group. An academic expert in ethics provides guidance to the committee.

BI Partners offer a support structure to help employees make sound choices and ethical decisions. Approximately 60 employees worldwide serve as partners who raise awareness among coworkers about our commitment to ethics and how to access related resources.

Ethics Training

Employees must complete computer-based training (CBT) on ethics during their first 60 days of employment and, effective in 2010, bi-annual ethics training offered live or via CBT thereafter. To deliver consistent ethics messages we have increased the frequency of mandatory ethics training to every other year and eliminated voluntary training in alternate years.

Code of Business Conduct

To ensure compliance with our Code of Business Conduct, employees must disclose conflicts of interest or other Code-related situations or concerns. The Law and Audit organizations review all responses to the annual Code questionnaire and certification statement.

Approximately 8,000 Marathon and SSA employees received and completed the disclosure questionnaire covering 2009. In addition, we surveyed approximately 3,000 Downstream hourly employees in 2009 for the first time. Their responses were voluntary and approximately 700 completed the questionnaire. From all employees completing the questionnaire, approximately 500 disclosures were made. The BI Office and SSA addressed relevant disclosures that required follow-up or response. 

Ethics Resources

Employees, contractors and the general public may report suspected unethical or illegal activity and seek guidance for Code of Business Conduct compliance by contacting Marathon's Integrity Helpline. The confidential, 24-hour global resource may be accessed by telephone or online.

In 2009, Marathon distributed our first internal report on disciplinary actions resulting from substantiated concerns and allegations raised through the Integrity Helpline and other channels. We received positive feedback from employees who appreciated seeing that Marathon takes action when violations of our corporate policies or the law occur.

Ombudsman

Marathon's ombudsman is one of several avenues available to employees when they need confidential assistance resolving concerns. The ombudsman can offer a neutral opinion, responsible options and constructive, honest feedback. As an additional means of conflict and dispute resolution, the ombudsman can refer employees to other resources and channels for help to resolve issues.

In 2009, 105 employees sought assistance from the ombudsman. Issues were primarily related to policies, procedures and practices, performance management and worker morale/satisfaction.