Neiman Marcus 2002 Annual Report Download - page 144

the Compliance Committee. Any employee who believes the supervisor to whom he or she has reported a violation or suspected
violation has not taken appropriate action should promptly contact his or her designated Compliance Officer, the Legal Department or
the Compliance Committee directly.
The Company will not retaliate against anyone who in good faith reports a violation or suspected violation of the
Code. On the contrary, the Company welcomes and appreciates efforts on the part of its employees to communicate possible
wrongdoing to the Compliance Committee. Any employee responsible for reprisals against coworkers or subordinates for
reporting in good faith known or suspected violations will be subject to disciplinary action. On the other hand, any employee
who submits a report that the employee knows or suspects may be false will be subject to disciplinary action.
While the Company will not retaliate against an employee because of his or her good faith report of a suspected violation of
the Code, an employee who reports a violation or suspected violation of the Code may still be disciplined for misconduct or for any
unrelated reasons. In other words, an employee is not exempt from disciplinary action simply because he or she has made a report
under the Code. For example, an employee who makes a good faith report of a violation of the Code and who is on probation due to
unsatisfactory job performance may still be disciplined based on his or her job performance.
The Company prefers that employees identify themselves when reporting violations or suspected violations because this will
better enable the Compliance Committee to investigate the alleged wrongdoing. However, the Company recognizes that in some cases
employees may feel it desirable to remain anonymous. The Compliance Committee will investigate anonymous reports, but requests
that such reports be described in as much detail as possible with regard to the alleged misconduct, the individuals involved, and the
basis for the allegations so that a thorough investigation can be conducted.
COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND RELATED POLICIES
Certain laws, policies and ethical principles that are of particular importance to the Company are described below. In addition
to the Code, the Company periodically distributes more detailed guidelines regarding compliance with individual policies and laws to
employees for whom such guidelines are particularly relevant. Employees are bound by such guidelines and should retain a copy for
their reference.
GENERAL OBLIGATION TO DEAL FAIRLY
Employees shall endeavor to deal fairly with the Company's customers, suppliers, competitors, and other employees. No
employee shall take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information,
misrepresentation of material facts, or any other unfair dealing practice.
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