Under the Code of Conduct, confidentiality may be breached when which event occurs?

• A. Public release by company policy
• B. Subpoena
• C. If the information is non-sensitive
• D. If the information is already public

Answer: (B)

Confidentiality isn’t absolute; there are legal exceptions that allow disclosure. A subpoena is a formal legal demand that requires the organization to disclose information in response to an investigation or court proceeding. When a subpoena is issued, the Code of Conduct recognizes that disclosure is required, so information must be shared even if it’s normally confidential.

The other options don’t create the same obligation: releasing information by company policy is a controlled decision, not an involuntary disclosure; if the information is non-sensitive, it may not be treated as confidential to begin with; if the information is already public, there’s nothing confidential to breach.