Ethics

Code of Ethics of Banco do Brasil is a conducting instrument of the principles, values, vision and mission, which presents the Company commitments and guidelines with regard to their stakeholders (customers, workers and employees, suppliers, shareholders, investors and creditors, partners, competitors, government, community and regulatory bodies).

It also governs the duties and indicate the behaviors considered desirable in the workplace. The document includes specific guidelines related to conflict of interest; gifts and favors; workplace; good relationships practives; assets and resources of Banco do Brasil; community involvement and sustainability; responsible use of digital media; decision making; responsibility of the managerial segment and responsibility of the senior management.

The main function of these directors is to promote ethical principles and guide the actions of senior management, employees (in Brazil and abroad), collaborators, and those who are acting or providing services on behalf of or for Banco do Brasil. They are responsible for know and care for the precepts contained in the documents. These are, therefore, references that must be complied with by all.

The Code of Ethics is revised on a regular basis so that they can provide guidelines on how the Company should act upon the challenges of our time. In addition, they are part of the program content of the external selections, and pre-employment procedures. The document has versions in English, Spanish, German, Japanese and Mandarin. All employees in Brazil and abroad, trainees and apprentices are encouraged to read it annually.

Click here to access the Code of Ethics.

Click here to access the BB Complainant Protection Commitment and Non–Retaliation Commitment

Click here to access the BB’s Ethics website and the Code of Ethics in other languages

The standards and principles of the Banco do Brasil are contained in the current legislation, in the customs, BB Policies, in the Corporate Governance Code, the internal regulations and especially in the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Conduct.

Institutionally, the ethics and discipline management is centered on the Human Resources Directorship (Dipes), through two divisions, Ethics and Disciplinary Control Division (Dedip) and Internal Ombudsman’s Office.

The Ethics and Disciplinary Control Division (Dedip) proposes policies and rules for matters associated with ethics, promotes a culture of ethics, coordinates activities to disseminate rules of conduct in the Company, and articulates preventive and educational activities.

The Internal Ombudsman’s Office is a communication channel for employees, trainees, apprentices and workers of contractors, whereby BB seeks to resolve conflicts through dialogue and mediation. The Ombudsman’s Office welcomes compliments, suggestions, complaints and reporting (whether anonymous or identified).

Banco do Brasil corporate ethics management also includes other organizational structures such as: Regional People Management Offices (Gepes), State Ethics Committees, Ethics Executive Committee, Regional Disciplinary Committees and Executive Disciplinary Committee.

Banco do Brasil has State Ethics Committees in each state of the Federation and the Federal District of Brazil, working with the following objectives: disseminating the ethical principles adopted by BB in jurisdictional areas of the State, deciding on the implementation of management measures and sanctions, and proposing improvements in business processes involving corporate ethical principles.

Each State Committee consists of three members, having one representative elected by the employees with powers of temporary job stability and irremovability with a three-year term of office.

There is also the Ethics Executive Committee consists of five members of the Executive Board, with powers to decide on conflicts and ethical dilemmas of institutional character, develop recommendations of conduct to the Organizational Units, propose improvements in business processes involving corporate ethical principles, including other duties.

To curb misconduct, encourage and ensure proper implementation of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, BB acts preventively by providing and promoting capacity-building activities, through classroom and self-instructional courses, available at the Corporate University of Banco do Brasil (UniBB).

Among these stand out the Ethics Trail composed by videos, articles and courses in order to strengthen the implementation of ethical principles in business and relationships. This is a prerequisite for employees to move forward in career.

BB is a founding member of the National Forum for the Management of Ethics in State Companies, which aims to share practices, formulate strategies and establish ethical procedures compatible with the demands of each of the companies represented, as well as implement actions for dissemination of ethical principles in the organizational policies and practices.

BB also participates actively in the Corporate Pact for Integrity and Anti-Corruption, sponsored by the Ethos Institute, created in order to develop strategies to support signatory companies of the Covenant to implement policies to promote integrity and combat corruption.

In 2022, Banco do Brasil was recognized as a company committed to actions and measures aimed at preventing, detecting and remedying acts of corruption and fraud, through the Pro-Ética 2021. The recognition is made every two years and BB has been listed in four editions. Previously, it had been recognized in 2012/2014, 2016 and 2018/2019. Pro-Ética is an initiative of the Controladoria-Geral da União- CGU, together with the Instituto Ethos and invited entities and institutions from the public and private sectors.

Banco do Brasil was also recognized in 2014 and 2015 by the American institute Ethisphere, a global reference in corporate ethics, as the only Latin American financial institution among the most ethical companies in the world. This recognition endorses BB’s management model, which exceeds the minimum legal compliance regarding ethics and compliance programs, reputation, leadership and innovation, governance, social and environmental responsibility and ethical culture.

BB’s Internal Ombudsman was also recognized in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 as one of the top ten ombudsmen in the country by the Brazilian Association of Company-Customer Relationships (Abrarec). Best practices focused on conflict resolution, non-violent communication and prevention of deviations are highlighted in the Internal Ombudsman’s performance.

In 2015, BB’s Internal Ombudsman was also awarded an “Honorable Mention” of the “Conciliar é Legal” award for its Mediation methodology. The recognition was granted by the National Council of Justice (CNJ), which awarded practices of courts, professionals, organizations and companies that encourage and disseminate the culture of conciliation in conflict resolution.

Also in 2015, BB was recognized in the Good Practices in Ethics Management contest, promoted by the Public Ethics Commission, for the educational work developed to disseminate and promote respect for ethics. In 2018, Mediation, based on Restorative Practices and Nonviolent Communication (NVC), was recognized as Good Practices in Ethics Management.

The achievement of these titles contributes to the consolidation of the organization’s image, attests to the entire relationship public that the company values maintaining an environment of integrity, while increasing employee satisfaction and stimulating their protagonism within the company.