Ethics

There is a special responsibility that comes from being in the business of communicating information and serving the need for knowledge. Every day, millions of people throughout the world make use of The McGraw-Hill Companies’ information products and services. As a result, our work has a major and pervasive impact on a global scale.

Therefore, the basic ethical demand on our employees is to produce the very best, objective and most reliable materials and services possible. Employees must strive toward this goal with the highest standard of ethical behavior, both within the company and the broader marketplace.

Each year, all employees must review and reaffirm in writing their commitment to The McGraw-Hill Companies’ Code of Business Ethics as a condition of employment and a prerequisite for a merit salary increase.

The McGraw-Hill Companies’ Code of Business Ethics covers topics such as conflicts of interest, improper payments, handling confidential information and, crucial for our business, objectivity of reporting and evaluation. A failure to comply with the Code may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Ethical business decision-making is everyone’s responsibility at all levels of the company. To tighten oversight and strengthen our support for frontline managers, we created the Corporate Compliance and Ethics Steering Committee in 2005. The Committee, headed by the General Counsel, reports regularly to the Board of Directors, which increases the visibility and oversight of ethics at The McGraw-Hill Companies.