Ethical Issues

in
Workplace

Submittted By:
Sherwin Franz B. Bugay
Submitted to:
Ms. Marilyn Rubrica

Harassing Behavior

Employees often don't know what to do if they see one of their co-workers harassing another
employee, either mentally, sexually or physically. Employees may worry for their jobs if they
attempt to report a superior for harassment. They may fret that they'll be labeled a troublemaker
if they report co-workers who display inappropriate behavior toward other employees.
The best way to resolve this ethical dilemma rests with the staff members who develop the
company's employee handbook. It is their job to include specific language that spells out that
employees won't be punished for reporting the harassing behavior or inappropriate actions of
their co-workers.

Taking Credit for Others' Work

Employees often work in teams to create marketing campaigns, develop new products or finetune services, yet rarely does everyone in a group contribute equally to the final product. If three
members of a five-person team did all the work, do those three members demand to receive
proper credit while pointing out that two members of the team did not pull their weight?

Abusive behavior

Too many workplaces are filled with managers and supervisors who use their position and power
to mistreat or disrespect others. Unfortunately, unless the situation you're in involves race, gender
or ethnic origin, there is often no legal protection against abusive behavior in the workplace.

Lying to employees

The fastest way to lose the trust of your employees is to lie to them, yet employers do it all the
time. One of out every five employees report that their manager or supervisor has lied to them
within the past year. A lying, dishonest leader is corrupting the company environment and setting
a bad example in the company from the top level. When the employees realize about this trait,
they begin to copy the leader for their own purposes and the sole objective or goal of the
business gets derailed. Sooner or later, the employees lose their trust from the leader and it takes
only a matter of time, when employees even lose trust from each other. This is kind of a chain
reaction, which will reach to the bottom of the company making the whole business environment
corrupt and toxic.
It will also effect on the outside. Dishonesty with partners and customers will make them lose
business and investment and thats a direct hit on the profits and finance. After losing these two
things, the business is set to die, if not taken the right steps before it is too late.

Misusing company time

Whether it is covering for someone who shows up late or altering a time sheet, misusing
company time tops the list. This category includes knowing that one of your co-workers is
conducting personal business on company time. By "personal business" the survey recognizes
the difference between making cold calls to advance your freelance business and calling your
spouse to find out how your sick child is doing.

Employee theft

One out of every 40 employees in 2012 was caught stealing from their employer. Even more
startling is that these employees steal on average 5.5 times more than shoplifters . Employee
fraud is also on the uptick, whether its check tampering, not recording sales in order to skim.

Discrimination

Direct discrimination is when a person treats, or proposes to treat, someone unfavourably

because of a personal characteristic protected by law. Direct discrimination often happens
because people make unfair assumptions about what people with certain personal characteristics
can and cannot do.
For example, refusing to employ someone on the basis of their age because you think they are
too old to learn new skills.
Indirect discrimination occurs when an unreasonable condition is imposed that disadvantages a
person with a personal characteristic protect by law. Indirect discrimination happens when a
workplace policy, practice or behaviour seems to treat all workers the same way, but it actually
unfairly disadvantages someone because of a personal characteristic protected by law.
For example, a requirement for employees to work 12-hour shifts may appear to treat everyone
equally. However, it may disadvantage employees with family or caring responsibilities. If the
requirement is not reasonable, this is indirect discrimination.

Stealing credit in the workplace

In the office there are instances that other replicate your work and they will be the one that will
present even if the idea comes to you first.

Exploiting workers

Some businesses choose to increase the profits for the owners at the expense of their workers.
This is exploitation. Some of the ways that they do this are arguably unethical and some are
blatantly illegal. The may pay their workers low wages, encouraging them to subsidize their
income with foods stomps and welfare at the taxpayers expense.

Side Deals

You're a business manager with an employment contract. The contract

requires you to work solely for your employer and use your talents to attract

new clients to the business. If you begin attracting more clients than you
believe your employer can reasonably handle, you may wonder if there
would be an ethical issue with your diverting that excess business elsewhere
and taking the commission. If you don't, at minimum, disclose the idea to
your employer, you will likely be in breach of both your contractual and
ethical duties.