EthicsLine
Colgate-Palmolive people around the world live our values everyday by promoting ethical behavior through their actions. This commitment to ethical leadership is further demonstrated when we hold ourselves and others accountable by challenging behavior that conflicts with our Code of Conduct or other policies or by simply asking for guidance when in doubt.
The Colgate-Palmolive Company provides a number of resources to facilitate your ability to seek advice, ask questions or raise concerns. These resources include: your manager, Human Resources, Global Ethics & Compliance, Employee Relations, our Legal organization and the Colgate-Palmolive EthicsLine.
The purpose of the Colgate-Palmolive EthicsLine is to:
Provide Colgate people with advice or to answer questions on how the Code of Conduct might apply to specific situations and provide a way for Colgate people to bring information about suspected conduct, violations of the law, or activities in conflict with the Code of Conduct to the Company's attention.
We encourage you to utilize the Colgate-Palmolive EthicsLine to ask questions, obtain guidance, or report any suspected violations of the Code of Conduct. All communications are reviewed and, if it appears to be a potential violation of the Code, are promptly and thoroughly investigated. It is imperative that reporting persons not conduct their own investigations as such investigations may involve complex legal issues.
We encourage you to identify yourself when communicating via the Colgate-Palmolive EthicsLine. This is especially important should there be a need to facilitate an investigation where additional follow-up is necessary. Where local law permits, you may submit information on an anonymous basis. There are laws in some countries that restrict the type of information you may report through a EthicsLine. If these laws apply to your location, a Global Ethics and Compliance representative will refer you to someone in your business unit who can assist you with your question or concern.
For the purpose of investigating a suspected violation of the Code of Conduct or Business Practices Guidelines, it may be necessary to transfer personal data collected in one country to other countries. Further, any actual or suspected violation of the Code or Business Practices Guidelines might result in a report being made to the Global Ethics and Compliance Department which may contain personal data. In such cases, personal data may be used by Company employees and Colgate entities that participate in the operations of the Global Ethics and Compliance Department to investigate the report, but only for such period as is reasonably necessary for this purpose (and thereafter such personal data will be destroyed or retained as required by Company policy or by law).
Contact Us
To ask questions, to seek advice or counsel, or to report a potential Code of Conduct violation, you can confidentially contact the Colgate-Palmolive EthicsLine from anywhere in the world either by telephone, fax, e-mail, and letter or online as follows:
E-mail: ethics@colpal.com
Scan QR code:
24-hour Colgate-Palmolive EthicsLine: (800) 778-6080 (toll free from U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico)
1-(212) 310-2330 (collect from all other locations)
Facsimile Number: (212) 310-3745
Submit a concern online by clicking here
Postal Address: Global Ethics & Compliance
Colgate-Palmolive Company
300 Park Ave, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Concerns and questions relating to accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters are immediately brought to the attention of the chair of the Audit Committee of Colgate's Board of Directors and are handled in accordance with the procedures established by the Audit Committee. Under these procedures, the Global Ethics & Compliance Department, in conjunction with the Company's Internal Audit and Corporate Legal departments, addresses these concerns in accordance with the directions of the Audit Committee chair. The Audit Committee chair approves recommendations regarding the handling of each matter, oversees any investigations and approves the disposition of each matter. At the Audit Committee chair's discretion, he or she may engage outside counsel and other independent advisors.
Non-Retaliation Policy
No adverse action will be taken against anyone for complaining about, reporting, participating or assisting in the investigation of a suspected violation of the Code of Conduct, unless the allegation made or information is found to be intentionally false. To the maximum extent possible, Colgate will maintain the confidentiality of all communications.