Ethics and integrity

Overview

Our Standards of Business Conduct set the ethical conduct expectations for ExxonMobil and its wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries. Employees are reminded of these Standards of Business Conduct annually.  Business practices training is required for employees every four years.  ExxonMobil requires all employees, officers, directors and those working on our behalf to comply with all applicable laws.

ExxonMobil encourages employees and contractors to ask questions and voice concerns, and we insist on the reporting of any alleged violations of company policies. In addition to our open-door communication procedures, we have several confidential mechanisms for reporting. Employees can submit concerns anonymously through a 24-hour hotline or a mailing address. We respect confidentiality, subject to legal requirements, and have protections in place to prevent retaliation against any employee for submitting concerns. A hotline steering committee reviews reports of suspected violations.

The Board Audit Committee, comprised of four independent, non-employee directors, oversees accounting and internal control matters for the company, including compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The Audit Committee receives a quarterly report summarizing the hotline steering committee’s findings, including any policy violations. Confirmed violations lead to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination. For more information on the Board Audit Committee, please see the company’s annual proxy statement on our Investor Relations webpage.

2021 performance and initiatives

ExxonMobil conducts regular internal audits and self-assessments to verify the effectiveness of our control systems and adherence to our Standards of Business Conduct. Our team of internal auditors annually reviews approximately one-third of ExxonMobil’s activities and processes on a rolling basis. Internal auditors have access to all operations, records, personnel and properties. We thoroughly investigate suspected acts of noncompliance.

Employees in relevant job functions receive online and in-person training on antitrust, anti-corruption, anti-boycott, trade sanctions and export controls soon after entering their positions, as well as every year thereafter. In 2021, more than 17,000 employees and contractors participated in such training.