14 Our participation in these associations allows us to stay informed of emerging industry issues that may impact our direct customers and their markets, and therefore impact our business as well. By identifying and proactively addressing risks and opportunities, CMC protects and creates value for all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, customers, regulators and society overall. ACTING ETHICALLY Conducting business ethically, legally, honestly and with integrity has been and will continue to be fundamental to the success of CMC. Complementing our Guiding Principles, CMC’s Code of Conduct and Business Ethics outlines the expected behaviors of all employees, both in terms of how we relate to one another and in our relationship to everyone with whom we do business. CMC’s Code of Conduct and Business Ethics was originally adopted by the Board of Directors in 1978, and to this day continues to serve as a guideline to help all employees make appropriate daily decisions in areas such as conflicts of interest, insider trading, anti-bribery, employment practices and more. The Code of Conduct is available to employees in English, Polish and Spanish. Beginning in 2015, CMC employees were expected to participate in the compliance training program and complete an annual business ethics questionnaire. This ethics training changes each year and focuses on a situational vignette that encourages employees to think about how they should respond to specific situations. Participation is tracked and reported to the highest level of the organization. Tying completion of the ethics questionnaire to the company’s operational objectives – and making it accessible for all employees – demonstrates how seriously CMC’s Executive Leadership Team considers issues of ethics and integrity. We are pleased to report that we achieved our goal of having 100 percent participation completing the ethics questionnaire in 2015, and had more than 99 percent complete it in 2016. In keeping with CMC’s commitment to continual improvement, we are looking at providing ethics training tailored to our specific business units. Due to our diverse population, varied businesses and roles within each business, our employees face different situations in their work days and we are conscious of being flexible to their needs. All CMC employees have access to a confidential, 24-hour Ethics and Compliance hotline, managed by a third-party service provider. Employees are encouraged to use this hotline if they need advice on ethical and lawful behavior or if they suspect unethical behavior. General Counsel and our Internal Audit Group are alerted immediately to any potential non-compliances and respond to these reports accordingly. All reported incidents of non-compliance with the company’s Code of Conduct, Business Ethics and associated outcomes are communicated to the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team. Conducting business ethically, legally, honestly and with integrity has been and will continue to be fundamental to the success of CMC. 100% of CMC employees in 2015 and 99% in 2016 completed the ethics questionnaire.