Much of the work of the Open Society Foundations is highly visible to the outside public. All employees should exercise careful, professional judgment when speaking with the public, as well as with grant-seekers and grantees. Employees are prohibited from disclosing confidential or proprietary business information to anyone outside of the Foundations and are responsible for reading and understanding the Open Society policy on disclosure of confidential information.
If it is necessary to discuss Open Society Foundations business in a public place, care should be used to avoid the mention of names or other details that might reveal confidential information. Employees should take special care in communicating by e-mail, as e-mail messages are often saved long after the sender and recipient think them deleted, and are often forwarded widely.
It is the responsibility of all employees to protect the interests and reputation of the Foundations and to promote a positive, professional image at all times. Internal problems or differences in views should be worked out within the Foundations, under the guidelines of the employee complaint procedure (see “Addressing Complaints”).