Social Security Investment Unit (SSIU ) aims at: A- Identifying the expected behaviors and conducts of the SSIU's staff and the unacceptable behaviors and conducts that do not comply with the values of SSIU. B- Establishing moral criteria, fundamental rules and principles for work ethics, high professional values and culture for the SSIU's staff and reinforcing commitment to these criteria, rules and values as well as establishing the bases of good practices and wise governance, which are achieved through enlightening the staff of SSIU and directing them towards the appropriate professional ethics and self-discipline frameworks that govern the course of work in SSIU, and harmonize with the applicable laws and regulations. They are also achieved through elucidating their duties, job responsibilities and their role in improving services and enhancing creditability. C- Promoting the citizen's confidence in SSIU's work, and increasing respect and appreciation for its role in providing services in the best possible ways.

First:

This code is called the Code of Professional Conduct and Work Ethics for the staff of the Social Security Investment Unit (SSIU) issued by SSIU Commission pursuant to the provisions of Article (10) of Social Security Corporation Funds Investment bylaw and shall come into force as of the date of their approval by SSIU Commission, and they should not be considered an alternative of the rules, laws and regulations governing the work in SSIU, but they are complementary to them.

Second: Definitions and General Provisions

Unit: The Social Security Investment Unit (SSIU) established pursuant to bylaw No.111 for the year 2001 and its amendments.
Chairman: Chairman of the Social Security Investment Commission (SSIC).
Employee: Every one appointed by a decision of the competent authority to occupy one of the listed vacancies in the staff, including an employee appointed by a contract.
Commission: Social Security SSIU Commission (SSIC).

Third: This Code aims at:

• Identifying the expected behaviors and conducts of SSIU's staff and the unacceptable behaviors and conducts that do not comply with the values of SSIU.

• Establishing moral criteria, fundamental rules and principles for work ethics, high professional values and culture for SSIU's staff and reinforcing commitment to these criteria, rules and values as well as establishing the bases of good practices and the wise governance, which are achieved through enlightening the staff of SSIU and directing them towards the appropriate professional ethics and self-discipline frameworks that govern the course of work in SSIU, and harmonize with the laws and regulations in force. They are also achieved through elucidating their duties, job responsibilities and their role in improving services and enhancing creditability.

• Promoting the citizen's confidence in SSIU's work, and enhancing respect and appreciation for its role in providing services in the best possible ways.
  
  

Fourth: The Values of SSIU:

1- Trust.
2- Empowerment.
3- Rewarding the meritorious.
4- Integrity
5- Focus on beneficiaries.
6- Transparency.
7- Teamwork.
8- Social responsibility.

Fifth: Application Scope:

This code is applied to all employees in SSIU, SSIC Chairman and members and the internal consultants.

Sixth: Application Mechanism:

A. Before initiating work, every new employee has to sign a document in which he pledges to abide by this code. A copy of this pledge is kept in his personnel file. B. This code is based on the fundamentals and principles of justice, equal opportunities, transparency, accountability, professional integrity, impartiality, belongingness to homeland and to SSIU, determination to fulfill its mission and objectives, and holding responsibility. The employee must be committed to the provisions of this code as well as the fundamentals and the principles on which it is based.
C. Any violation of this code's provisions entails accountability, and taking actions and disciplinary punishments in accordance with the provisions of the human resources regulations.

Seventh: Employee Duties and Responsibilities

The employee should :
 

1. Fulfill the job's tasks and duties, and any other work he is tasked with off duty and on official holidays efficiently, honestly and actively.

2. Be fully committed to designate working hours and devoting working hours to fulfilling his job duties.

3. Execute the orders and instructions of his superiors, and taking into account the administrative hierarchy in job-related communications.

4. Apply laws, regulations and instructions related to his work and not to violate them.

5. Contribute to developing the methods of the work he is tasked with and to provide suggestions to raise his level.

6. Inform his superiors about any violation, negligence, manipulation or any action detrimental to the work interest or irregularity in the application of the laws, regulations and rules; and about any deficiency or inaction in accomplishing the work carried out by his subordinates. His direct superior who is informed about such violation, negligence or manipulation should alert the person in charge immediately about this.

7. Behave politely and courteously with his superiors, subordinates and the public, and maintain the honor and the good reputation of the job.

8. Maintain absolute secrecy regarding his work in SSIU or SSIU's work in general.

9. Maintain the interests, funds and all assets of SSIU.

10. In case of financial confusion, he should inform his manager.

11. Not accept a power of attorney or an authorization to collect any amount of money from SSIU's funds to the credit of any other person.
    
    

Eighth: Dealing With the Others

A- In dealing with his superiors, the employee should:

1. Abide to the implementation of his superiors' orders, directions and instructions according to administrative hierarchy. In case these orders and instructions are in contradiction to the legislations in force, the employee should inform his superior about the violation done in writing, and should not commit to the implementation of these orders and instructions unless his superior confirmed them. The employee should refuse implementing the instructions if violating them constitutes a violation, a misdemeanor, or a felony punishable by the Penal Code or any other legislation in force.

2. Deal with his superiors with respect and tactfulness and not try to gain any preferential treatment through adulation, deception or through nepotism or favoritism.

3. Not deceive or mislead his superiors, and refrain from concealing any information related to his work for influencing the decisions taken or for obstructing the course of the work. He should cooperate with his superiors with objectivity and honesty and provide them with his opinion, advice and expertise and to put the information he has at their disposal for the favor of work interest.

4. Inform his superior about any violation, offence or difficulties he may encounter in the work.

5. Fully and accurately inform his direct new superior about the issues and documents including suspended issues to ensure the continuity of work.

6. Inform his superiors about any violation, negligence, manipulation, or any action detrimental to the work interest, or any violation in the application of laws, regulations and instructions and any deficiency or inaction in accomplishing the work carried out by his subordinates. His direct superior who is informed about such violation, negligence or manipulation should alert the person in charge immediately about this.

7. Report cases of initiating acts which might harm SSIU's interest, or violate laws and instructions through sending a complaint to the suggestions box, or inform the SSIC Chairman directly, or the Director of Control and Internal Auditing Department, or the Director of Risk Management and performance Measurement Department.
   
   

B. In dealing with colleagues, the employee should:.
 

1. Treat his colleagues with respect, tactfulness and honesty, maintain sound and friendly relations with them without discrimination, and be careful as to respecting their privacy and never exploit any information related to their private life with the intention of abusing them.

2. Cooperate with his colleagues and share his views with them with high professionalism and objectivity, offer assistance to them where possible in order to solve problems they confront in work, and make sure of disseminating the positive tendencies among his colleagues so as to help in promoting job performance, improve work environment and stabilizing the appropriate institutional culture in SSIU.

3. Abstain from any immoral behaviors, practices or acts that may encroach on public morals and decent conduct. Men should be committed to respect women as colleagues and partners in work.

C. In dealing with his subordinates, the employee should:

1. Develop his subordinates potentials, help and motivate them to improve their performance, and be a good example for them in complying with the laws, regulations and instructions in force.

2. Convey the knowledge and experiences he has acquired to his subordinates, and encourage them to increase information exchange and circulate knowledge among them.

3. Supervise his subordinates, question them about their work, evaluate their performance objectively and impartially, and seek to make training and development opportunities available for them in accordance with the related regulations and instructions in force.

4. Reject any pressures from a third party aiming at preferential treatment with certain subordinate.

5. Respect his subordinates rights and deal with them in a highly professional manner, without any favoritism or discrimination.

6. In case he receives a written note from his subordinates stating that the orders or directives he issued are against legislations in force, then he should be committed that his directives to his subordinates be in writing.

7. Behave with his subordinates politely and courteously and maintain the honor and good reputation of the job.
   
   

D. In dealing with external parties, the employee should:

1. Respect the rights and the interests of the others without exception, deal with them in a respectful, tactful, courteous, impartial, abstract and objective manner without discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religious or political beliefs, social status, age, physical appearance or any form of discrimination.

2. Seek to gain the external parties' confidence through his appropriate integrity, responsiveness and proper conduct in all of his acts in accordance with the laws, regulations and instructions in force.

3. Accomplish required transactions in the proper speed and precision, and within his competence scope, as well as answering the external parties inquiries and complaints accurately, objectively and without delay. In case of disapproval or delay in their transactions, he should clarify the reasons.

4. Deal with all documents and personal information regarding individuals he deals with in absolute secrecy, in accordance with laws and regulations in force, and not to exploit this information for personal purposes.

5. Abstain from any action that adversely affects the citizens confidence in SSIU.

6. Declare about any illegal offer presented to him by an external party
   
   

Ninth: Maintaining Secrecy and the Mechanisms for Disclosure of Information

The employee should:

1. Maintain the secrecy of information and decisions that are taken in SSIU. Official information and documents he received or reviewed while performing his duty, whether that was in writing, orally or electronically, and which special instructions, decisions or legislations were issued with respect to its confidentiality, or should remain, by its nature, uncovered even after the expiry of his service unless he gets a written approval from the SSIC Chairman about this.

2. He should not state or publicize any information, or have interviews with the media (print, visual, auditory or on line) for any information concerning SSIU, only through the official spokesperson authorized by SSIU. In addition, it is also prohibited to provide these parties with the data or the information which are not available for the general public without an official approval. If there are official approvals for carrying out interviews with the media, the employee must show the utmost caution in issues affecting the work of SSIU.

3. Abstain from making any comment, statement or interposition on issues still under consideration or deliberation in SSIU.

4. Inform the SSIC Chairman in case he is called upon to testify in a competent court, unless the testimony is related to information banned by the law from being disclosed, in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.

5. Disclose all official information, completely and precisely, which are deemed necessary to be disclosed by virtue of his job.

6. Disclose, directly or in advance, (if possible) any business relations, he participates in, works on or intends to engage in the business within their scope, and which may cause actual or implicit conflict of interests.

Tenth: Accepting or Asking For Presents, Privileges or Other Benefits

The employee should:

A- Not, directly or indirectly, accept or ask for presents, hospitality or any other benefits, whatsoever, which their value exceeds the 25 JD, whether directly or by mediation, that may have a direct or indirect influence on his objectivity in executing his functional tasks, or would influence his decisions or may force him to be committed to something in return for accepting them.
B- When the employee cannot refuse the presents, hospitality or the other benefits which do not apply to the cases mentioned in paragraph (A) hereof, or when the employee believes that accepting certain kinds of hospitality will benefit SSIU well, then he should inform his direct superior about this in writing, and the direct superior should inform the employee, in writing, whether to reject such presents, hospitality or other benefits, to be kept by the department, to be donated to a charity, to be disposed of or to be retained by the concerned employee.
C- The Administrative Affairs & Operations Department will open a register specific for the presents given to SSIU, and in which it records the presents mentioned in paragraph (B) of this article, and the way of dealing with them, whether by keeping them in SSIU, donating them, or keeping them by the employee.

Eleventh: Avoidance of Conflict of Interest

A- Abstain from any act that could lead to the emergence of actual, apparent or probable conflict between his personal interests, on the one hand, and his responsibilities and duties on the other.
B- Abstention from any activity that is not commensurate with the objective and impartial performance of his tasks, or may lead to a preferential treatment to natural or considerable people in their dealings with SSIU, or defame SSIU.
C- Immediately inform his direct superior, in writing, when his interests contradict with the interests of any other person in his dealings with SSIU; there is a conflict between the personal interest and the public interest; or if the conflict was between the personal interest and the public interest, or if the employee was under pressures incompatible with his official tasks or cast doubts on the objectivity in which he should deal, in addition to explaining the nature of the relationship and the kind of conflict. The direct superior should take the necessary procedures for that. In all cases, the public interest should be taken into consideration when dealing with this conflict.
D- Not use his job, directly or indirectly, to obtain financial gains or get anything of value for a private interest of his or his family, of first and second class.
E- Should not exploit or employ information obtained while performing his official tasks and after the termination of his service in SSIU as a means of achieving personal benefits for himself or for others, whether directly or indirectly, or of abusing the others. And he should not diclose information so as to give other parties an unfair or unreasonable advantage.
F- If he wishes to participate in collecting donations, prizes or in kind contributions to charities, approvals and authorizations must be obtained in accordance with the laws and regulations in force. His direct superior may ask the employee to reduce, modify or terminate the activities, when he sees they would result in an emergence of real, apparent or potential conflict of interests.
G- Should disclose any personal relation with any external party before participating in making a decision or recommendation regarding a decision concerning this party.
H- Should not accept any job in any institution and/or company which had important official dealings with SSIU, within one year from the date of quitting the work in SSIU, except under a written approval from the SSIC Chairman. He is also not allowed, after leaving work, to give advice to the clients of these institutions and/or companies, based on information not available to the public regarding the programs and the policies of SSIU.
I - The direct superior should inform the employee, who intends to quit work, about the commitments stated in paragraph (H).
J- Should not trade directly or indirectly, or accept any work in his off duty time with any person or party, whether paid or not, unless this work concerns taking care of his personal properties.
K- Should not practice any commercial speculations or receive commissions in return.
L- He should not trade with shares or any kind of securities in the local market or any markets SSIU has business in, without diclosure of buying or selling decision before executing it.
M- Should not buy or sell land or real estate without previously informing SSIU and before executing the selling or buying process.
N- Should not engage as a party in SSIU's dealings.
O- Should not personally keep any official document concerning SSIU, or a copy of it, or allow persons from outside SSIU to learn about it.

Twelfth: Worthiness, Merit, Competitiveness and Justice

The employee should:
A- The procedures related to the staff selection, appointment, promotion, training, rewarding, evaluating, transferring, deputation, secondment or to any of the matters relating to their work, should be carried out with transparency and absolute integrity, and away from any considerations related to kinship, friendship or utilitarian concepts without any discrimination based on gender, race, age or religion, and by following the bases of worthiness, merit and competitiveness, with full compliance with the terms of reference and the adopted work procedures.
B- Inform his direct superior, in writing, about any violation of the laws, regulations and instructions in force he learns about during his work in staff selection, appointment, promoting, training, performance evaluating, etc. The direct superior should verify the information and take necessary actions with the concerned parties to ensure rectifying the situation in accordance with the adopted laws, regulations and procedures.
C- Abstain completely, whether directly or indirectly, from any preferential treatment to any person by means of nepotism and favoritism..

Thirteenth: Preserving the Funds, Properties and Assets of SSIU

A- The employee should preserve the funds, properties and assets of SSIU, not to waste any of its rights, make the effort to ensure that the funds of SSIU are appropriately and not unlawfully used, and to inform his direct superior about any violation of the funds, properties and the assets of SSIU, or any harmful negligence or conduct detrimental to the interest of SSIU.


B-He should not use SSIU's properties to obtain personal gains or promote goods or services for his own interest or for the interest of a third party.

C- The employee who is provided with a computer should consider the followings:

1. Take all necessary procedures in order to maintain his PC.

2. Not to download programs on his PC except after referring to Information Technology Department.

3. Make sure that the PC is switched off before leaving the workplace.

4. Keep the secrecy of information available on his PC by using his own password; and not to disclose them to the others.

5. Not to use the PC for entertainment purposes or to download games and entertainment programs.

6. Not to access to others' PCs and try to obtain information from them.

7. To use the PC for the purposes of developing skills and capabilities in accordance with the interest of work.

8. Not to use the PC for personal matters.

9. Use the printers as economically as possible.
   
   
   

D- Employees, who have access to the internet, should consider the following:

1. Use it for the purposes of work, including the purposes of developing capabilities and skills that are related to the nature of his work and for the interest of work.

2. Commit to the conditions and requirements of the intellectual property rights of the files and programs and take into consideration the conditions of their usage licensing.

3. If he notices unusual things, while using the internet, he should immediately consult the IT Department.

4. He should not download scripts and pictures that contain immoral or racial material, or that contain extreme political views or incite violence, hatred or any illegal activities.

5. He should not download any files that are not related directly to the nature of his work, such as video files and multimedia files as movies, songs, music…etc.

6. He should not use the PC and the internet for entering and infiltrating into other computers and networks. Not to use the internet for sending secretive, political materials or materials that contain threat and harassment for the others.
   
   

E- The employee, who is allocated an e-mail address, should consider the following:

1. He should not use the e-mail to create and distribute messages that contain advertising, personal, immoral materials or those that contain extreme political views or racial comments on faiths, religious practices, social class, age or ethnicity. In case any message was received, in this respect, from any employee, the IT Department must be informed immediately about this.

2. He should not forward the received messages that contain jokes, pictures, movies files and large-size pictures.

3. He should not forward the received messages that may contain viruses or files suspected to be viruses; in this case IT Department should be consulted.

4. Bearing in mind that there is no privacy regarding messages received by any employee, or those he sends via the e-mail system. It is allowed to put the e-mail of any employee under the surveillance of authorized staff without prior notification.

5. He should not open unknown or unexpected received messages, even if they come from someone known to the employee, and not to open or download any suspected source file. 6- Using the e-mail for developing capabilities and skills according to work needs.
   
   

Fourteenth: Rights of the Employee

SSIU should:

A- Clearly, define the tasks , responsibilities and the expected performance of the employee.
B- Deal with the employee in everything related to his job status on the bases of worthiness, merit, competitiveness and equal opportunities.
C- Ensure good and safe work conditions and guarantee that he is not subjected to discriminating acts in the workplace.
D- Provide him with suitable and continuous training opportunities in order to enhance his advancement opportunities in his career course, in accordance with the provisions of the human resources instructions and as appropriate.
E- Ensure him the freedom of speech and opinion within the limits of the legal stipulations and in accordance with the provisions hereby.
F- Guarantee his right of petition or complaint of any wrong decision taken against him, in accordance with the provisions of human resources instruction.

Fifteenth: General Provisions

A- The employee should learn about this code, be cognizant with its contents and commit to its provisions.
B- SSIC Chairman SSIC members, all the employees and the consultants are responsible for implementing this code.