Communications Policy
This policy applies to
All Employees in Vodafone subsidiaries and Joint Ventures with an interest of 50% or more.
Policy Objectives
- To ensure that communication to all media, industry analysts, stockbroker/institutional analysts and shareholders is done in a consistent manner through the specialist departments.
- To prevent Vodafone from any misinterpretation or any legal consequences which could arise from any public statement made by a non authorised person.
- To ensure that Vodafone is communicating a consistent set of messages to ensure clear, effective and efficient communication.
- To set out the core standards and approach for social media communication.
- To ensure Group-wide announcements to all employees are delivered company-wide in a consistent and timely fashion.
The policy
It is the policy of the Board of Vodafone Group Plc that all disclosures and announcements made by the Company or any of its subsidiaries to its shareholders, the investment community and the general public should be materially accurate and complete. They should fairly present, in all material respects, the subject matter of the disclosure. All disclosures and announcements should be made on a timely basis as required by applicable laws and stock exchange requirements.
Only authorised employees can communicate with the media, industry analysts, stockbroker/institutional analysts and shareholders on behalf of Vodafone. In the social media environment employees must identify themselves as Vodafone employees.
In order to ensure that the official announcements, press releases and other public disclosures made by or on behalf of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, whether quoted or not quoted, are recorded, processed, summarised and reported accurately and on a timely basis, the Company has established a Disclosure Committee. The Disclosure Controls and Procedures must be strictly adhered to by the Company or any of its subsidiaries so that prior and proper authorisation is secured for the disclosures set out therein. They also provide, in part, the basis for the annual Certifications required to be made by the Vodafone Group Chief Executive and the Vodafone Chief Financial Officer (the "Certifying Officers") pursuant to Sections 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 ("Sarbanes- Oxley").
No public or media relations activity can be negotiated as part of a third party or supplier contract.
The corporate language is English.