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Improving the human condition

UTC is committed to treating employees fairly, respecting their interests and providing safe working conditions and open communication. Our Code of Ethics is our guide to deliver on these commitments, outlining expectations and holding every employee accountable. While an injury-free workplace is our goal, the inherent risk in our industrial settings continues to present challenges. To eliminate occupational fatalities and serious injuries, we investigate each incident for root cause, take corrective action and design safer working conditions. We also support innovative behavior-based approaches, like Otis’ people-based safety process, which encourages employees to actively observe their peers to help them recognize safe and at-risk behaviors.

In 2007, 81 percent of UTC employees participated in our biennial employee survey, our measure of employee engagement. This is the highest participation rate since the worldwide survey began in 2000. Topics concerning ethics, EH&S and our customers were the most favorably rated categories with improvements of 10, 3 and 3 percentage points, respectively. Following our 2005 survey, we focused our efforts on improving management communications and as a result saw a 6 percentage point improvement in this category.

We believe a diverse workforce makes us stronger and more competitive. In 2007, we launched a new diversity web site and held our first diversity leadership conference. UTC also supports INROADS, a national non-profit organization providing career training and internships for minority youth. Since 1986, we have sponsored 1,800 interns and more than 150 have become UTC employees. In 2007, UTC was recognized by INROADS as its top corporate partner for providing internships to 214 students.

UTC’s commitment to education includes employees’ children. Since 1953, UTC’s Dependent Scholarship Program has granted 1,790 scholarships to employee dependents. Our current annual investment is $539,000 for 210 students working toward a four-year degree.