Code of Business Capital One
Code of Business Capital One
Dear Associate
To be known as one of the most successful and trusted financial services companies in the world, we must continue to
conduct ourselves—both as an organization and as individuals—according to the highest standards of honesty and
fairness. Our core Values of Excellence and Do the Right Thing embody our commitment to ethical business practices
and inspire our culture and the decisions we make each day.
Additionally, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics outlines our responsibilities as associates. Each of us has a
role to play in building and maintaining our world-class brand and reputation. By adhering to the Code, you are doing
your part to reinforce our Values and ensure that Capital One is recognized for the highest standards, integrity and
professionalism.
Our Code is more than just a guideline of “do’s and don’ts.” It provides practical information and resources that help us
enhance our relationships with our customers, each other, and all of the people that support Capital One’s success.
Our commitment to living our Values and living up to exacting standards for integrity and professionalism is essential to
building an enduringly great company. All of our stakeholders — our customers, communities, regulators and
shareholders — expect nothing less. I ask for your continued commitment and support in fulfilling all of our ethical
commitments and living our Values every day at Capital One.
Sincerely,
Richard D. Fairbank
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Capital One Financial Corporation
Table of Contents
The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics describes broad principles governing Capital One and our associates’
conduct. It addresses key issues contained in Capital One’s other policies, such as conflicts of interest, corporate
opportunities, confidentiality, fair dealing, protection and proper use of company assets, compliance with rules, laws,
regulations and requirement to report illegal or unethical behavior. Additional information related to this policy, including
Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Bank Bribery Act Compliance Procedures, can be found in the Policy section of
Pulse.
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Resources Available to Assist You
You must immediately report any suspected or potential violation of this Code, other Capital One policies or applicable
laws or regulations. If you are ever unsure about what to do, contact your manager or one of the resources below.
Corporate Ethics and Includes alleged acts of dishonesty, theft or fraud, such as
Investigations misuse of Capital One resources, improper sales practices, or
other unethical behavior
Corporate Ethics Information on Pulse:
https://pulse.kdc.capitalone.com/community/resources/corpora
te-ethics
[email protected]
Global Security Includes any event related to associate safety and security, to
Physical Security Event include theft, vandalism, workplace violence, threatening
calls/emails, or a suspicious person or package
Report concerns to Global Security using the LiveSafe app,
which you can download from the App Store or Google Play
From your desk phone, dial 8978; in the UK call 455-3333
Send an email to [email protected]
Visit Global Security on Pulse:
https://pulse.kdc.capitalone.com/community/resources/global-
security
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Resources Available to Assist You
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Understanding the Code of Conduct
The Code is not intended to be an employment contract and does not alter the terms and conditions of your
employment, which is at-will. It is intended to provide guidance to help you address a variety of situations. However,
the Code cannot address every conceivable situation. The fact that an issue is not specifically addressed in the Code
does not relieve you of your obligation to maintain the highest ethical standards under any and all circumstances.
Nothing in the Code or the referenced policies is intended, nor should be construed, to interfere with or prohibit
associates from discussing their wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment for purposes of
engaging in protected concerted activity, consistent with labor laws.
Applicability:
The Code applies to all employees, executives and members of the Board of Directors.
All directors, officers and associates, including those employed by Capital One's subsidiaries in all businesses,
countries and regions, must comply with the Code. If you engage or manage vendors, agents, contractors, consultants
or temporary workers, please refer to the Third Party Management Policy.
Governance:
The Board of Directors is responsible for approving the Code and any material changes to the Code. The Chief
Compliance and Ethics Officer is responsible for overseeing and managing the Code, including providing guidance on
the implementation and communication of the Code; ensuring consistency in application of the Code; ensuring and
overseeing the establishment of standards and procedures for the Code as necessary or appropriate; providing
advisory input to individual owners of policies referenced in the Code (at the policy owner’s discretion); and identifying
and proposing material changes to the Code as necessary or appropriate, subject to approval by the Board. The Chief
Compliance and Ethics Officer or his or her designee is authorized to make and approve non-material changes to the
Code. Owners of individual policies referenced in the Code may, at their own discretion, bring issues to the Chief
Compliance and Ethics Officer for advisory input.
In carrying out these responsibilities, the Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer may consult with the company’s General
Counsel and Legal function for additional subject matter expertise or when further advice or counsel is warranted, e.g.,
matters raising significant ethics, reputation or legal issues. The Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer and the General
Counsel each have the authority, as either may determine necessary or appropriate, to consult with the Executive
Committee on matters related to the Code.
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Understanding the Code of Conduct
The Board must approve any waiver of the Code for Directors and Executive Committee members, and any such
waiver will be promptly disclosed to Capital One’s stockholders.
Compliance:
Capital One managers are responsible for ensuring that the individuals they supervise comply with the Code. If you
have a question or do not understand something in the Code, ask your manager or contact Associate Relations (Ask
HR Europe Helpdesk for UK Associates, Onsite HR Representative for India).
If you have any doubt about the answers, stop and seek guidance from your manager or one of the resources listed on
page 2.
Enforcement:
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Understanding the Code of Conduct
Capital One prohibits any retaliatory action against anyone who, in good faith, raises concerns or questions regarding
possible violations of this Code, other Capital One policies or applicable laws or regulations, including but not limited to
concerns related to ethics, discrimination or harassment. Capital One also prohibits retaliation against any individual for
participating or cooperating in good faith in any investigation of such suspected violations.
If you believe that you or someone else is being or has been retaliated against, you are obligated to report it to your
manager or Associate Relations (Ask HR Europe Helpdesk for UK associates, Onsite HR Representative for India).
Capital One takes claims of retaliation seriously. Allegations of retaliation will be investigated and appropriate action will
be taken. Individuals who engage in retaliatory conduct will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including
termination of employment.
Non-Compliance:
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Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
Customer Information:
Accurately record items including, but not limited to, cash records, costs, sales, shipments, time sheets, vouchers,
bills, payroll and benefits records, test data and regulatory data.
Follow all laws, external accounting requirements and internal procedures for reporting financial and other
business information.
Never deliberately make a false or misleading entry in a report or record.
Never establish an unrecorded fund for any purpose.
Never alter or destroy Capital One records, except as authorized by established policies and procedures.
Never sell, purchase, transfer or dispose of Capital One assets without proper authorization and documentation.
Cooperate with our internal and external auditors, and never seek to improperly influence, coerce, manipulate or
mislead them.
Never improperly use, divulge or transmit confidential company business and financial information.
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Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
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Managing Capital One’s Information
If you are authorized to communicate confidential and proprietary information on a selective basis to one or more
individuals, you should make sure that they know the information is confidential and agree to treat the information as
confidential. Following the Information Security Standard and supporting Information Handling Procedure, take
appropriate actions to safeguard the information you send. Depending on the circumstances, disclosure of confidential
information to approved persons outside Capital One, including agents, may require specific contractual language
addressing privacy, confidentiality and data security obligations. Nothing in this section shall be construed to interfere
with or prohibit associates from discussing their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for
purposes of protected concerted activity, consistent with labor laws. Similarly, nothing in this section shall be construed
to interfere with or prohibit any associate from lawfully providing any information or testimony to; communicating with;
or participating in any inquiry, investigation, or proceeding by any governmental or regulatory entity regarding any
allegations of any possible violation of any federal, state, or local law, rule, or regulation.
Refer requests for public comment on behalf of Capital One to Corporate Communications.
Refer all media inquiries for commentary on behalf of Capital One promptly to Corporate Communications. Do not
speak on behalf of Capital One unless you receive approval in advance from Corporate Communications. This
includes public speaking engagements, news articles, blog posts, social media platforms, etc in which an associate
would speak about or on behalf of the Company. Only those individuals specifically authorized to make public
disclosures on behalf of Capital One or its business may do so.
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Managing Capital One’s Information
Do not bring to or use at Capital One any confidential information from your prior employers or other third parties.
Do not load unlicensed or unauthorized software on any Capital One computer.
Do not accept or use anyone else’s confidential information except as authorized under an agreement approved
by the Legal Department.
Know and follow copyright and other laws regarding intellectual property.
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Managing Capital One’s Information
Electronic Communications:
In addition to the privacy statement above, Capital One reserves the right to operate security cameras to monitor
workspace both within our facilities and our building/property perimeter (such as parking lots). Capital One can access
and search all offices and work areas on company property, including but not limited to locked and unlocked desks, file
cabinets, files and lockers, without prior notice, for business or security-related reasons at its sole discretion.
Employees have no expectation of privacy in this regard.
Policy may violate Capital One’s legal obligations, which may lead to serious financial sanctions, negative court rulings
and reputational harm, among other adverse consequences.
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
General Principles:
Various Capital One business units have specific policies regarding potential conflicts of interest. Directors and
executive officers are subject to additional requirements. You are responsible for knowing and complying with all
policies that apply to you. Because it is impossible to describe every potential conflict, Capital One also relies on your
commitment to exercise sound judgment, to seek advice when appropriate, and to adhere to the highest ethical
standards as you conduct your personal and professional affairs.
For additional information on handling potential conflicts of interest, see the Conflict of Interest Disclosure Procedure.
You must also refrain from communicating material nonpublic information to anyone who might use it to buy or sell
securities. “Tipping” others may violate laws and can result in penalties to all parties involved, including Capital One.
For additional information, see the Securities Law Policy.
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Material information not available to the public may be provided only to colleagues who need the information to
perform their duties. If you have access to such information, you must not use it to buy or sell related securities,
stock or derivatives until the second business day after the information has been made public. Even if public
announcements are made regarding inside information, you may not release information that you know is still
confidential.
The same restrictions apply to trading stock of Capital One business partners; you cannot use any material nonpublic
information you may obtain about their businesses for your own personal advantage or in a way that could hurt the
image or reputation of Capital One. In addition, you may not communicate material, nonpublic information to others
who could then use the information to buy or sell securities.
When in doubt, assume information is material and nonpublic, and do not act upon it. Simply put, you must not take
part in any trading that may appear improper.
Capital One directors and executive officers are subject to additional Securities and Exchange Commission rules and
should review these requirements before engaging in any transactions of Capital One securities.
You must never invest in a supplier if you have any involvement in the selection or assessment of, or negotiations with,
the supplier or if you supervise anyone who has such responsibility. You must never invest in a customer if you are
responsible for dealings with that customer or supervise anyone with such responsibility. When deciding whether any
other investments create similar conflicts of interest, either perceived or actual, ask yourself:
Would the investment affect any decisions I will make for Capital One?
How would the investment look to my coworkers—would they think it could affect how I do my job for Capital
One?
How would it look to someone outside Capital One, such as a customer, supplier, stockholder or the media?
If you made a personal investment that may give rise to these concerns before joining Capital One, or your position at
Capital One changes in such a way as to create a conflict of interest or the appearance of such a conflict, you must
immediately report this information to your manager or Associate Relations (Ask HR Europe Helpdesk for UK
Associates, Onsite HR Representative for India).
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
You must not engage in any business relationship or transaction on behalf of Capital One in which you or a close
relative or friend has a direct or indirect interest, or from which you or they may derive a personal benefit, if such a
relationship or transaction might give rise to the appearance of a conflict of interest. In some cases, your business line
regulations may be more restrictive than the rules outlined in the Code, or vice versa. If so, you are expected to follow
the more restrictive rule.
You must not solicit entertainment or gifts for yourself or others from anyone with whom Capital One does or is seeking
to do business. Nor may you accept entertainment or gifts that could compromise, or appear to compromise, your work
on behalf of Capital One.
You may not accept gifts of cash or cash equivalents from any outside party as a result of your association with Capital
One. Other unsolicited and infrequent gifts and business courtesies, including meals and entertainment, may be
permissible only if the associate follows the requirements specified in the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance
Standard and the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance Procedure. In addition to other requirements specified
within the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance Standard, gifts and business gratuities must be authorized in
accordance with the provisions of the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance Standard and the Bank Bribery
Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance Procedure.
The BBA also makes it a crime for actual or potential Capital One customers or vendors to corruptly offer anything of
value to the group of insiders noted above. You should report any such offer to the Ethics Line. For a full list of
requirements regarding gifts and business courtesies, permissible activities, the required steps for permissibly
receiving things of value from outsiders, and more details, see the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance Standard
and the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery Compliance Procedure. The failure to observe the rules and requirements set
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
forth in the Bank Bribery Act Standard/Anti-Bribery Compliance Standard and the Bank Bribery Act/Anti-Bribery
Compliance Procedure may be viewed by prosecutors and regulators alike as an indication that a thing of value was
accepted corruptly, thereby leaving the door open for criminal prosecution of non-compliant associates.
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Giving of Gifts/Entertainment
When considering the offering of gifts or entertainment, you must not give the gift if it could be seen by others as
engaging in improper or illegal dealings. Gifts should always be reasonable and customary for the circumstance and
should never be cash. Entertainment must be for a valid business purpose. You may not offer gifts or entertainment
unless you are authorized to do so. Various Capital One business units have specific guidelines regarding the giving
of gifts and entertainment; please check with your manager if you have questions. Please reference the Anti-
Corruption Section listed below for additional information.
You may not accept any benefits from Capital One that have not been duly authorized and approved pursuant to
applicable Capital One procedures, including any Capital One loans or guarantees of your personal obligations. In
addition, you should not make loans with the expectation of reciprocity.
Self Dealing:
Do not use your association with Capital One for personal advantage.
You must not use Capital One’s name, property, facilities, relationships or other assets for personal benefit or for
outside work. Use of such for charitable or pro bono purposes can be made only with prior authorization from your
manager and only after any other notification and approvals are obtained in accordance with the policies of your
business unit and Capital One.
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Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
During your employment or association with Capital One, except as expressly authorized, you may not directly or
indirectly:
Solicit for a competitor, or divert or attempt to divert from doing business with Capital One, any customer, supplier
or other person or entity with whom Capital One has or had a business relationship or whom, to the best of your
knowledge, Capital One has taken action toward establishing a relationship
Award orders, contracts and commitments to suppliers (for goods and services) based on a personal benefit or
favor to you or anyone with whom you have a personal relationship
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Conducting Our Business
Fair Dealing:
You are prohibited from taking unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged
information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other unfair-dealing practice.
You may not give any gift, favor, entertainment, reward or any other item of monetary value that might influence or
appear to influence the judgment or conduct of the recipient in the performance of his or her job.
No associate or member of an associate’s family may accept fiduciary responsibility under a customer’s will, trust or
other instrument without prior approval. Associates should contact Associate Relations (Ask HR Europe Helpdesk
for UK Associates, Onsite HR Representative for India) for referral of requests to the Code of Conduct’s governing
committee. This does not apply to a will, trust or other instrument established by a member of the associate’s family.
You should not take any action nor should you, or anyone you have a personal relationship with, receive a benefit that
makes it difficult to perform your work responsibilities objectively and effectively. Any personal financial or other
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Conducting Our Business
transaction with anyone having or contemplating having a business relationship with Capital One should be on normal
and customary terms.
Capital One does not limit the employment of relatives or friends of current associates unless:
A supervisor/subordinate relationship is created between two related persons
A real or perceived conflict of interest exists because of the employment of individuals in close, personal
relationships at certain levels of Capital One or in positions where one of the associates exercises or appears to
have influence over the other’s compensation, performance evaluation, job security or other terms and conditions
of employment
The associates will be working in the same department and their job duties could adversely impact the risk management
and control environment of the area resulting from their ability to process or review each other’s work
You may not give special consideration in the employment, promotion or compensation by Capital One of another
individual due to a family or personal relationship with you or with any other director, officer or associate of Capital One.
After you are hired, it is your responsibility to notify management if you find yourself in a relationship with anyone in
your same management team.
It is imperative that you never do anything to prevent others from entering the market or to eliminate competition.
Practices that monopolize, attempt to monopolize, or abuse a dominant position in the market are illegal. Charging
different prices to customers who are competitors may also be illegal. Violations of fair competition and antitrust laws
may lead to criminal penalties including jail terms and large fines for individuals and Capital One.
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Conducting Our Business
All payments for goods or services must be made according to customary trade terms. Payments must reflect the
value of the goods or services, and payments must be fully accounted for in Capital One’s books and records.
Anti-Corruption Requirements:
You should interpret these prohibitions broadly and conduct your relations with public officials in a manner that does
not raise even an appearance of impropriety. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding your dealings
with a public official immediately contact your Compliance Officer or the legal group that supports your business
segment.
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Conducting Our Business
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is a U.S. law which expands on the above requirements and makes it a criminal
offense for Capital One, including its service providers and joint ventures, or its associates, contractors, etc, to give or
offer anything of value to (i) any official of a foreign government or an instrumentality of a foreign government, (ii) any
foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office or (iii) to family members of any of the
foregoing, in order to (a) influence any act or decision of a foreign official in their official capacity, (b) induce a foreign
official to engage or fail to engage in any act in violation of the lawful duty of the official, or (c) secure any improper
business advantage; or induce a foreign official to use his influence with a foreign government to affect or influence any
act or decision of such government. Associates should be mindful that less-than-obvious offers of value like favorable
loan terms, debt forgiveness or cancellation, etc. to above-described individuals or entities are covered by the Act.
Similar prohibitions that can give rise to criminal liability exist in the U.K. and Canada. The U.K. Bribery Act of 2010
also makes it impermissible to provide something of value to another commercial entity, including its employees,
representatives or agents, in order to induce a person to improperly perform a relevant function or activity or to reward
a person for the improper performance of such a function or activity. The bottom line is that no person associated with
Capital One should provide anything of value to someone outside the company to improperly perform an act or to
improperly forgo an act.
Associates and other individuals engaging in conduct that violates these anti-corruption rules may incur both civil and
criminal liability, as could Capital One and any individual with oversight responsibilities for the individuals or corporate
efforts in question. Remember, an associate’s reckless disregard for potential criminal activity will be viewed by
external constituents as that associate intentionally performing or permitting the criminal act. Willful blindness is part of
a problem, it is not a solution. Also, as noted above, acts performed by third parties on our behalf or at our request will
be viewed as having been performed by Capital One and can give rise to individual and corporate liability.
Prior to conducting business in a foreign country, lines of business should first contact the Foreign Corrupt Practices
(FCP) Officer for additional guidance. For more detail regarding Capital One’s anti-corruption policies, including a
description of roles and responsibilities associated with Capital One’s FCP Program, see the Foreign Corrupt Practices
Standard (5300.1.022).
Any information you provide to law enforcement or government officials must be completely honest and truthful. If you
receive a subpoena related to Capital One or your work, immediately contact the RFPA Subpoena mailbox. If you
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Conducting Our Business
become aware of pending, imminent or contemplated litigation or a government examination or investigation, you
must immediately contact the Legal Department. Pursuant to the Legal Hold Order Policy, you must also save all
records and documents that may be relevant to the subpoena, litigation or investigation, including any records that may
otherwise be automatically destroyed or erased (such as e-mail and voice mail messages).
In the U.S., Capital One’s political contributions are strictly regulated, as is the use of Capital One facilities for political
activities. Proposed payments by Capital One to government officials, candidates for public office, political parties or
ballot initiatives must be authorized in advance by Government Affairs. You may not make non-cash contributions,
such as the use of corporate facilities, services or other assets or work on a political campaign as a Capital One
representative. You must not use Capital One funds to purchase tickets to political dinners or other functions where
the proceeds are used to support a candidate or political party.
You must be careful not to use corporate funds indirectly to make political contributions and should not seek
reimbursement for any personal contributions. Political contributions or other political activities cannot be taken into
account in determining your bonus, salary or any other compensation. You may not set up a political action committee
on behalf of Capital One without prior authorization from Government Affairs. In some U.S. locations, you may have to
register as a lobbyist if you have contact with government officials or with people trying to influence legislation,
rulemaking or official decisions.
While international letters of credit are the matters most likely to raise issues under the anti-boycott provisions, any
contract could be problematic. In order to help ensure compliance by Capital One with the U.S. Government’s anti-
boycott mandate, Associates should, among other things, look for (i) a requirement for a certification that the goods did
not originate from a boycotted country. (A positive certificate of origin, however, is legal); (ii) a requirement for
certification that the exporter/importer does not do business with a boycotted country; (iii) a requirement for certification
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Conducting Our Business
that the supplier of the goods or the provider of services does not appear on the blacklist of a boycotting country;
and/or the words, “Do not negotiate with blacklisted banks,” or a condition to that effect.
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V Working with Each Other:
Diversity:
Since discrimination and harassment can take many forms, each associate must avoid engaging in conduct that may
be perceived by others as such. Capital One will investigate all allegations of discrimination and harassment and will
take prompt and appropriate corrective action. Reports of discrimination or harassment should be made to your
manager or Associate Relations (Ask HR Europe Helpdesk for UK Associates, Onsite HR Representative for India).
Associates engaged in discrimination, harassment or retaliation against individuals for raising claims of discrimination
or harassment will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. For additional
information, see the Human Resources Policy.
In our commitment to maintain a drug free workplace, Capital One may require a drug test of associates for the
following circumstances:
All information from an employee's drug and alcohol tests will be confidential to the extent required by law.
Criminal Convictions:
To the extent permitted by law, associates are also required to notify Capital One of any pending arrest or charges for
any criminal offenses involving dishonesty, breach of trust, money laundering, drug trafficking, violence (including
violent sex crimes), or hate crimes. Arrests and charges which do not result in a conviction or pretrial diversion shall
not alone be the basis for dismissal or any adverse employment action, but the failure to report such pending arrest or
charge or the facts and circumstances leading to such arrest or charge may be the basis for disciplinary action, up to
and including termination.
Associates in roles subject to additional regulatory requirements (such as FINRA covered roles) are subject to
additional requirements for reporting criminal charges and offenses and must comply with the requirements for such
roles.
Workplace Violence:
You must report all threats or acts of workplace violence whether the violence is directed at you or if you witness
violence directed at others. Capital One will thoroughly investigate all reports.
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Note: This Policy will be translated into French to better support the Canadian affiliates. The translated version will be
approved by the French Translator, attesting that it is an accurate translation of the English version. The French
version will have the same document number, but a separate record to manage future renewals.
Note: This Policy governs all Capital One locations and entities, including subsidiaries, with the exception of the
Philippines which will have an amended version to align with specific country laws.
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