Eliminate Reputational Risks to Southland: Gifts and Entertainment

Foundational to Southland’s business model is the pride we place in our external partner relationships as it drives our growth. Protecting the integrity of those relationships is not only fundamental — it is our duty as stewards of the company. While most companies embrace the “do no harm” guardrail when it comes to protecting reputational interests, at Southland, we aim higher. We intend to preserve Southland’s legacy and leave it in an even enhanced state for future leaders of the company.

While general marketing expenditures are common in any relationship-driven industry, every employee must use good judgment regarding expenses or gifts that could be perceived by an outsider as having the potential to impact your ability to make impartial and honest business decisions.

Southland’s golden rule on gifts and entertainment -- if it’s lavish or extravagant, it does not align with our core values. Any uncertainty should be guided by the threshold: Does this business expense or gift seem reasonable and ordinary in the course of our business? The question is not only whether you believe the expense or gift is proper, but whether someone else might consider the expense questionable.