Code of Conduct & Workplace Expectations

47G expects employees to conduct themselves with professionalism in every setting where they represent the organization. This includes internal meetings, member engagements, public-sector conversations, events, travel, digital communication, and informal workplace interactions.

Professionalism at 47G means being prepared, respectful, responsive, and accountable. Employees are expected to communicate clearly, meet commitments, protect the organization’s reputation, and contribute to a workplace where serious work can move forward with trust and discipline.

Employees should remember that 47G operates in an ecosystem connected to aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, national security, public leadership, and frontier technology. The standard is high because the work carries weight.

Employees are expected to be truthful in all work-related matters.

Honesty includes accurate communication, complete reporting, responsible documentation, and transparency when mistakes occur. Employees must not falsify records, misrepresent information, conceal material facts, exaggerate credentials, misuse organizational data, or provide misleading statements to coworkers, leaders, members, vendors, public officials, partners, or the public.

When an employee makes an error, the expectation is to raise it promptly, help correct it, and learn from it. Trust is strengthened when issues are addressed early and directly.

47G expects employees to treat coworkers, members, partners, vendors, public officials, visitors, and community stakeholders with dignity and respect.

Respect does not require agreement. It requires disciplined communication, good faith, and the ability to work through differences without personal attacks, hostility, intimidation, or dismissive conduct.

Employees are expected to listen carefully, communicate with precision, and maintain professional boundaries. Respect is a baseline standard for how 47G builds trust across its team and across the broader ecosystem.

Employees are expected to take ownership of their roles, responsibilities, decisions, and results.

Accountability includes meeting deadlines, following through on commitments, communicating obstacles early, using resources responsibly, and taking initiative to solve problems within the scope of the employee’s role.

Employees should not wait for avoidable issues to become operational failures. When priorities shift, timelines change, or risks emerge, employees are expected to communicate clearly and help move the organization toward resolution.

47G expects employees to act ethically in all business activities.

Ethical behavior includes compliance with law, respect for confidentiality, responsible stewardship of organizational resources, avoidance of conflicts of interest, accurate reporting, fair dealing, and good-faith representation of the organization.

Employees must not use their position at 47G for improper personal gain, misuse confidential information, manipulate relationships for private advantage, or engage in conduct that compromises the organization’s credibility.

When employees are uncertain whether a decision or action is appropriate, they are expected to ask for guidance before proceeding.

47G conducts business honestly, ethically, and responsibly wherever its operations and relationships extend.

Employees are expected to protect the trust placed in 47G by members, partners, public officials, funders, investors, educational institutions, military-connected organizations, and fellow employees. This trust is earned through consistent conduct, accurate communication, responsible use of resources, and disciplined follow-through.

Employees must comply with applicable laws, policies, contracts, grant requirements, event obligations, and organizational procedures. Employees may not knowingly participate in fraud, bribery, corruption, misuse of funds, improper influence, false reporting, or any other unethical conduct.

Employees may represent 47G at member sites, manufacturing facilities, laboratories, military-connected installations, public-sector offices, universities, conferences, and other partner locations.

When visiting or working at another site, employees are expected to respect the host organization’s rules, safety requirements, security procedures, confidentiality expectations, and professional standards.

Employees must not access restricted areas, photograph or record sensitive information, disclose proprietary information, interfere with operations, or speak on behalf of the host organization unless authorized.

47G employees are guests and representatives in these environments. The standard is respect, preparedness, discretion, and operational awareness.

Employees are expected to report suspected unethical conduct, illegal activity, fraud, misuse of resources, conflicts of interest, confidentiality violations, safety concerns, or policy violations. These ethics and business-conduct concerns follow the same reporting channels and review process described in Sections 4.5 and 4.6.

47G’s non-retaliation policy (Section 4.7) protects employees who, in good faith, report suspected legal violations, financial misconduct, fraud, waste, abuse, or other serious misconduct. Nothing in this handbook prevents employees from reporting possible legal violations to government agencies, cooperating with lawful investigations, filing administrative charges, or exercising rights protected by federal, state, or local law.

Employees may have access to confidential information belonging to 47G. This information must be protected and used only for legitimate business purposes.

Confidential information may include strategic plans, financial information, budgets, contracts, grant information, board materials, internal reports, membership data, event plans, sponsorship information, program designs, operational processes, communications strategies, personnel information, and other nonpublic information.

Employees must not disclose confidential information to unauthorized individuals inside or outside the organization. Employees must also take reasonable steps to protect confidential information from loss, unauthorized access, accidental disclosure, or misuse.

47G’s work depends on trusted relationships with member companies, public-sector partners, academic institutions, workforce organizations, manufacturers, investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders.

Employees may receive information from or about these partners that is confidential, proprietary, sensitive, or not yet public. Employees must treat such information with care and may use it only for authorized 47G business purposes.

Employees must not disclose member or partner information without proper authorization, even if the information appears useful, interesting, or relevant to another relationship.

When in doubt, employees should treat nonpublic partner information as confidential and seek guidance before sharing it.

Employee information must be handled with confidentiality and respect.

Employees may not access, use, disclose, or discuss another employee’s personal, medical, payroll, benefit, performance, disciplinary, or personnel information unless they are authorized to do so for a legitimate business purpose.

Leaders and employees with access to personnel information must use extra care to protect privacy and comply with applicable law.

Nothing in this policy prohibits employees from discussing their own wages, hours, or working conditions, or from exercising rights protected by law.

Employees may encounter trade secrets, proprietary information, technical information, business strategies, manufacturing processes, product information, software, research, designs, or other sensitive materials belonging to 47G, members, partners, vendors, or other organizations.

Employees must protect trade secrets and proprietary information from unauthorized use or disclosure. This duty applies during employment and continues after employment ends, to the fullest extent permitted by law and any applicable agreement.

Employees must not bring unauthorized confidential information from a prior employer into 47G or use another organization’s proprietary information without permission.

Employees must also return or delete confidential information when instructed by 47G, subject to any legal preservation obligations.

Employees must promptly report suspected or actual confidentiality violations, including unauthorized disclosure, lost devices, misdirected emails, improper access, data exposure, or suspected misuse of confidential information.

Reports should be made to a supervisor, Human Resources, authorized leadership, or the individual responsible for information security or operations.

Employees should not attempt to conceal confidentiality violations. Early reporting allows 47G to assess risk, protect affected parties, comply with legal obligations, and correct the issue.

Employees must avoid actual or perceived conflicts between their personal interests and the interests of 47G.

A conflict of interest may arise when an employee’s outside business relationship, consulting work, financial interest, family relationship, board service, investment, volunteer role, or personal connection could influence, or appear to influence, the employee’s judgment on behalf of 47G.

Employees must disclose potential conflicts of interest promptly to their supervisor, Human Resources, or authorized leadership. Disclosure does not necessarily mean the activity is prohibited. It allows 47G to review the situation and determine whether safeguards are needed.

Employees may not request, accept, offer, or provide gifts, favors, entertainment, travel, meals, payments, or other benefits that could improperly influence business judgment or create the appearance of improper influence.

Modest business courtesies may be acceptable when they are lawful, infrequent, reasonable in value, consistent with professional norms, and not connected to a pending decision, contract, grant, sponsorship, procurement, or other business advantage.

Employees must use sound judgment and seek approval when uncertain. Gifts involving public officials, government employees, procurement processes, or restricted funding sources may be subject to special rules and must be reviewed before acceptance or offer.

Employees must disclose personal financial interests that could affect their work for 47G or create the appearance of divided loyalty.

This may include ownership, investment, compensation, commissions, referral fees, profit-sharing, or other financial interests in a company, vendor, contractor, member, sponsor, applicant, partner, or organization that does or seeks to do business with 47G.

Employees may not use confidential information obtained through 47G for personal financial gain or for the benefit of family members, friends, outside businesses, or other third parties.

Employees involved in selecting, evaluating, managing, or paying vendors must act in the best interest of 47G.

Vendor decisions should be based on legitimate business factors such as quality, cost, reliability, expertise, service, compliance, mission alignment, and organizational need.

Employees must not steer business to a vendor based on personal relationships, undisclosed financial interests, gifts, favors, or private benefit.

Potential vendor conflicts must be disclosed before the employee participates in the decision or relationship.

Employees may engage in outside employment, consulting, board service, freelance work, or business ownership, provided the activity does not interfere with 47G responsibilities, create a conflict of interest, misuse 47G resources, or harm the organization’s reputation.

Employees must disclose outside work when it relates to aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, hard tech, public policy, economic development, government relations, workforce development, member services, event production, fundraising, grants, or any other area that may overlap with 47G’s mission or relationships.

Employees must also disclose outside work that involves a 47G member, partner, vendor, sponsor, public-sector contact, or potential competitor.

Outside work must not interfere with the employee’s ability to perform their 47G responsibilities.

Employees may not conduct outside work during 47G work time, use 47G equipment or systems for outside work, use confidential information for outside purposes, or represent that 47G supports or sponsors an outside activity unless authorized.

Employees must not allow outside work to affect availability, performance, judgment, or loyalty to 47G.

47G may require an employee to discontinue or modify outside work if it creates a conflict of interest, operational concern, reputational risk, or other issue inconsistent with 47G’s standards.

47G values civic engagement, industry service, and community contribution. Employees may volunteer outside of work, provided the activity does not create a conflict of interest or interfere with job responsibilities.

Employees volunteering in a personal capacity must make clear that they are not speaking or acting on behalf of 47G unless authorized.

Employees may not use the 47G name, logo, relationships, title, funds, resources, mailing lists, or influence to support a volunteer activity, campaign, cause, or organization without approval.

When 47G sponsors, organizes, or participates in volunteer activity, employees are expected to represent the organization with professionalism, respect, and care.

47G expects employees to maintain a professional, clean, and appropriate appearance while working or representing the organization.

The standard for most 47G work environments is smart professional or smart casual, depending on the day’s responsibilities. Employees should dress in a way that reflects good judgment, respect for the setting, and awareness of the people they will meet.

Clothing and grooming should be neat, clean, and suitable for the workplace. Employees should avoid attire that is overly casual, revealing, distracting, offensive, unsafe, or inconsistent with the professional image 47G is expected to maintain.

Some roles, meetings, events, or locations may require more formal attire or specific dress standards.

Employees representing 47G at board meetings, legislative meetings, public-sector engagements, national conferences, member meetings, sponsor events, media settings, or formal convenings may be expected to dress in business professional attire.

Employees working at events may be asked to wear branded apparel, event-specific clothing, name badges, or attire that supports a unified public presence.

Supervisors may provide additional guidance based on the role, schedule, audience, and setting.

Employees visiting manufacturing facilities, laboratories, industrial sites, military-connected facilities, construction areas, hangars, test environments, or other operational locations must follow all site-specific safety and dress requirements.

This may include closed-toe shoes, safety glasses, protective clothing, identification badges, personal protective equipment, restricted jewelry, hair restraints, or other requirements established by the host site or 47G.

Employees must comply with all safety instructions and should ask for guidance before entering any facility or area where requirements are unclear.

Employees are often visible representatives of 47G’s mission, members, and ecosystem.

In public-facing settings, employees are expected to present themselves with confidence, professionalism, and restraint. This includes appearance, language, posture, preparedness, responsiveness, and respect for the audience.

Employees should remember that public image is not limited to clothing. It includes how employees communicate, follow through, handle pressure, treat partners, manage information, and represent the organization’s values.

Employees are expected to report to work, meetings, events, calls, and assignments on time and ready to perform.

Punctuality reflects respect for coworkers, partners, members, and the mission. Employees who are late or unprepared can create delays, weaken trust, and shift unnecessary burden to others.

Employees are responsible for understanding their work schedule, meeting obligations, event assignments, travel plans, and deadlines.

Employees who will be absent or late must notify their supervisor as soon as possible and in accordance with departmental expectations.

The notice should include the expected duration of the absence, any urgent work that needs attention, and any information necessary to maintain continuity of operations.

When an absence involves illness, emergency, protected leave, accommodation, or another sensitive matter, employees should provide only the information required for 47G to understand the need for time away and manage the workplace appropriately.

Repeated tardiness, late arrival to meetings, missed deadlines, or failure to communicate delays may result in corrective action.

47G recognizes that unexpected circumstances occur. The issue is not occasional delay when handled responsibly. The concern is a pattern of unreliability, lack of communication, or avoidable disruption to the team.

Employees are expected to plan ahead, communicate early, and take responsibility for recurring issues that affect attendance or punctuality.

An employee who fails to report to work and does not notify their supervisor may be considered a no-call/no-show.

A no-call/no-show creates operational risk and may be treated as serious misconduct, particularly when the employee is scheduled for an event, partner meeting, public engagement, deadline-driven assignment, or other critical responsibility.

Employees who are unable to report to work must make reasonable efforts to notify 47G as soon as possible. If an emergency prevents immediate notice, the employee should notify 47G as soon as they are able.

An employee who fails to report to work or communicate with 47G for a defined period may be considered to have abandoned their job.

Unless otherwise required by law or approved by 47G, an employee who is absent for three consecutive scheduled workdays without notice may be considered to have voluntarily resigned.

47G may review the circumstances before making a final determination, including whether the absence may involve protected leave, emergency circumstances, disability accommodation, or other legally protected considerations.

47G seeks to maintain a professional, secure, and productive workplace.

Visitors should be received in accordance with office procedures and may be required to check in, wear identification, remain in designated areas, and be accompanied by an employee.

Employees are responsible for the conduct of their visitors and must ensure that visitors do not access confidential information, restricted areas, employee records, technology systems, or nonpublic materials.

Visitors who disrupt work, create safety concerns, violate confidentiality, or act inconsistently with 47G standards may be asked to leave.

47G may limit solicitation in the workplace to protect productivity, professionalism, and employee choice.

Employees may not solicit other employees during working time. Working time does not include meal periods, rest breaks, or other times when both employees are not expected to be working.

Solicitation for outside businesses, political activity, charitable causes, products, services, memberships, or personal ventures must not interfere with work, pressure coworkers, misuse 47G resources, or imply organizational endorsement.

Non-employees may not solicit employees or distribute materials on 47G property without authorization.

Employees may not post, distribute, display, or circulate materials in 47G workspaces, digital systems, event spaces, or communication channels without authorization.

This includes promotional materials, political materials, fundraising requests, commercial advertisements, petitions, personal business materials, or other non-work-related content.

47G may approve certain postings or distributions related to employee resources, benefits, civic engagement, community service, safety, legal notices, events, or organizational initiatives.

Nothing in this policy is intended to restrict employee rights protected by applicable labor law.

Employees are expected to devote working time to 47G responsibilities.

Personal business, outside employment, personal sales, personal projects, or non-work activities must not interfere with job duties, meetings, deadlines, responsiveness, or organizational resources.

Limited personal matters may be handled during breaks or with supervisor approval when needed. Employees should use sound judgment and ensure personal matters do not disrupt the workplace or create conflicts of interest.

47G recognizes that professional and personal relationships may develop in the workplace.

Employees involved in personal relationships are expected to maintain professionalism, avoid favoritism, respect boundaries, and ensure the relationship does not interfere with work performance, decision-making, team trust, or organizational operations.

Employees must disclose a personal relationship when it may create an actual or perceived conflict of interest, especially where one person has influence over the other’s hiring, promotion, compensation, schedule, assignments, evaluation, discipline, or employment status.

47G’s policy on employing relatives and managing workplace relationships is described fully in Section 2.6.4.

Employees are expected to maintain professional boundaries with coworkers, members, vendors, partners, public officials, event participants, and other individuals connected to 47G.

Professional boundaries include appropriate communication, respectful conduct, responsible use of authority, avoidance of pressure or favoritism, and care when personal relationships intersect with work responsibilities.

Employees in leadership roles must be especially attentive to boundaries because their conduct can affect trust, opportunity, and workplace confidence.

Employees should report actual or potential relationship conflicts to their supervisor, Human Resources, or authorized leadership.

A report allows 47G to evaluate the situation and determine whether steps are needed to protect employees, the team, and the organization.

Failure to disclose a relationship conflict may result in corrective action if the undisclosed relationship affects employment decisions, confidentiality, fairness, workplace trust, or organizational operations.

47G may begin with coaching to clarify expectations and help the employee succeed. See Section 12.4.1.

Corrective action may be used when conduct, performance, attendance, judgment, or policy compliance does not meet 47G’s standards. The available measures are described in Section 12.4.

Discipline may be progressive, but 47G is not required to follow a specific sequence of steps, and serious misconduct may result in immediate termination. See Section 12.4 for the full process and examples of conduct that may warrant immediate termination.

Employment with 47G is at will and may be terminated by either the employee or 47G at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable law. 47G will handle separations professionally and in a manner consistent with applicable law and organizational policy.