At Snyder Tech, we value building a company with a mission beyond profit. We're committed to our clients, our team, and the broader technology community. Conflicts of interest—whether actual, potential, or perceived—can undermine that commitment and erode trust.
This policy helps us navigate situations where personal interests might conflict with our professional duties. When in doubt, disclose. It's always better to raise a potential conflict than to discover one later.
Gifts & Entertainment
Business relationships should be built on the merits of our work, not on gifts or entertainment. While modest courtesies are part of professional relationships, they should never influence—or appear to influence—business decisions.
Acceptable
- Modest business meals where work is discussed
- Small promotional items (pens, notebooks, etc.)
- Holiday gifts of nominal value (under $100)
- Industry conference passes when attending for work
Requires Disclosure
- Any gift valued over $100
- Travel or accommodations paid by vendors/clients
- Entertainment events (concerts, sporting events)
- Anything that feels uncomfortable to accept
Cash or cash equivalents (gift cards, cryptocurrency) should never be accepted from business contacts.
Outside Activities
We encourage team members to pursue interests outside of work, including advisory roles, board positions, and personal projects. However, these activities shouldn't compete with Snyder Tech or interfere with your job performance.
Generally OK
- Contributing to open-source projects
- Speaking at conferences on your own time
- Advisory roles at non-competing companies
- Personal side projects unrelated to our work
- Teaching or mentoring activities
Not Permitted
- Working for or advising direct competitors
- Using company resources for personal projects
- Activities that interfere with job performance
- Starting a business in our market space
When starting a new outside activity, consider whether a reasonable person might see a conflict. If so, discuss it with your manager first.
Investments
Personal investments are generally your own business. However, significant investments in competitors, clients, or vendors could create conflicts that affect your judgment or create the appearance of impropriety.
No Disclosure Needed
- Diversified mutual funds or index funds
- Public companies where you have no influence
- Small investments in non-competing startups
Requires Disclosure
- Significant investments in competitors
- Investments in current or prospective clients
- Investments in vendors we do business with
- Investments where you have material influence
"Significant" depends on context—a $10,000 investment means different things to different people. When in doubt, disclose.
Personal Relationships
Romantic relationships and family connections at work aren't prohibited, but they require thoughtful management to avoid conflicts of interest and ensure fair treatment for everyone.
Requirements
- Managers cannot supervise family members or romantic partners
- Romantic partners should not work on the same immediate team
- Relationships that develop at work should be disclosed to HR
- Hiring decisions involving relatives require leadership approval
The goal isn't to police relationships—it's to ensure that personal connections don't create unfair advantages or uncomfortable situations for others on the team.
Business Opportunities
When you discover a business opportunity through your work at Snyder Tech, that opportunity belongs to the company first. You shouldn't pursue it personally without explicit approval.
Examples
- A client mentions they need services we could provide—bring it to leadership, don't pursue independently
- You learn about a partnership opportunity through your role—it's a company opportunity first
- Confidential information reveals a market gap—you can't exploit it personally
Reporting & Questions
We want to make it easy to do the right thing. If you have questions or need to report a potential conflict:
The Bottom Line
Conflicts of interest exist in grey areas. What matters is how we handle them. When you're transparent about potential conflicts—and when you prioritize the company's interests and our clients' trust—you're living our values.
When in doubt, speak up. A disclosed conflict that turns out to be nothing is far better than an undisclosed conflict that damages trust.