Business and Ethics, Where Do You Stand? K. Ponec If you ask Robert Leavitt why ethics are important in business he has plenty to say having practiced good business ethics since he and his father, A. Len Leavitt, purchased his business in 1974. “Ethics and integrity are critical regardless of a company’s size, and they are key to hiring and retaining good employees.” “If every person and every business operated in an ethical manner, think of what a better world it would be.” said Robert Leavitt, Chairman of the Board. “This is a quote of mine that we’ve used for years in marketing materials and I still believe it today. “ Robert, along with his siblings Therese Yakel and Russ Leavitt, own and operate Early Out Services Inc. (EOS) and General Service Bureau, Inc. (GSB). Both companies specialize in healthcare receivables, an industry where good business ethics is critical to their success. “If an employee doesn’t feel like they can trust their employer, they leave in short order. People want to do business with businesses and people they trust and when a business doesn’t keep their promises in terms of level of service, bad word will spread.” Leavitt said. Robert continues to say, “A company’s positive reputation is one of the key factors in business growth, a business with

a poor reputation will struggle and may not be in business for long. Prospective job candidates at EOS/GSB are impressed that the company has a code of ethics and an ethics program, which includes a reporting mechanism. The ethics program has its own branding logo and a tag line and is used in recruitment and marketing materials.”

Both companies have been PPMS certified since 2004, a certification that not only improves the companies’ processes, but aligns with both companies’ Mission Statement, “Enhancing the Financial Well-Being of Others™” and core values:

We will be honest at all times We will always treat every individual with dignity and respect We will strive for continuous improvement

Therese Yakel, Chief Compliance Officer, elaborates on what it means to be certified by PPMS: “The Professional Practices Management System (PPMS) is a management and compliance system based upon developing, implementing and adhering to a set of industry-specific professional practices and policies. Developing and documenting PPMS along with our own internal ethics program is at the core of the how we have always operated our business. We make sure operate ethically and with a high degree of integrity in order to fulfill our mission of ‘Enhancing the Financial Well-Being of Others.’”

EOS and GSB have both been voted Best Places to Work in Collections, and have been proud to have received the BBB Integrity Award in 2007, 2010 and 2011.

In closing, this quote from Russ Leavitt, CEO of Finance and IT, leaves us his view on ethics and business. “Our standing as an ethical company as well as a leader in the receivables industry is a critical asset and we are all responsible for protecting it. We expect this of ourselves; we expect this of our management team; and we expect this of each and every one of our employees.” Ethics and integrity are critical to any company’s success. How does your company practice good business ethics?