The most successful people and companies are those who behave
ethically. The leaders of a corporation set the tone for ethical behavior, and this
determines how employees, customers and competitors are treated. Ethical problems in
business are not just a matter of knowing right from wrong but involve looking at
business questions from a reasonable, responsible and consistent point of view.
Legality Versus Morality
The legality of an action is determined by law. The morality of
an action is determined by ethical rules of right and wrong. Ethical behavior requires
following the spirit as well as the letter of the law. An ethical business follows rules and
trusts that other businesses and their employees will do the same, despite the fact that
some unscrupulous business people take advantage of this trust.
Corporate Image
The reputation of a company is judged by its image in the public eye.
One factor of a corporation’s image is the care and upkeep of its building, grounds and
offices. Its logo and letterhead also communicate a message about the company.
Business vs. Personal Phone Calls
Each company sets its own policy, either formally in
writing or informally by example, regarding personal phone calls at work. Charging
personal long distance calls to the company or tying up company phones with personal
calls are commonly unacceptable practices. Some companies scrutinize phone bills more
closely than others and confront employees about questionable calls. It is best to tell new
employees about the company policy when they are hired to avoid embarrassment or
questions about your personal integrity. Just because “everybody else is doing it” does
not make it right.
Business vs. Personal Office Supplies
Is it permissible to take home paper, pens and
staplers? These questions should be answered at the time of hiring.
Sexual Harassment
In 1980 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
declared harassment such as offensive jokes, leering, ogling, unwanted touches and
outright propositions to be a form of sexual discrimination that is forbidden by law. The
victim of sexual harassment has a responsibility to complain. You, the employer, must
establish a procedure to handle such complaints.
Corporations are held responsible for sexual harassment by their employees (even if top
management was not aware of the problem) and could be forced to pay damages. An
employer is legally responsible for preventing sexual harassment and providing a
harassment-free environment.
Sometimes men are harassed by women and sometimes a person is harassed by someone
of the same sex, but most frequently women are harassed by men. There are no objective
criteria for determining what is or is not sexual harassment. Some situations are more
obvious than others (i.e., “If you don’t have sex with me, you don’t get the promotion or
get to keep your job”).
Legally there are two kinds of sexual harassment: (1) unwelcome verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature that implies having sex is a condition for advancement or
employment, and (2) a hostile or intimidating work environment created by sexual jokes,
teasing, comments or suggestive posters.
To determine whether sexual harassment is present, ask the following questions:
• Is the action unwelcome?
• Does the behavior continue on a regular basis?
• Is a person’s job at stake if they do not go along with
propositions?
• Does it affect an employee’s ability to function at work?
If the answers indicate harassment, there are steps that employees may take:
1. Tell the harasser that the behavior is offensive and that you want it to stop. Be
specific about the behavior.
2. Keep a record of the behavior with dates, times and detailed circumstances
including names of witnesses.
3. Write a letter to the harasser specifying what is objectionable and why. Keep a
copy.
4. Keep copies of positive work evaluations and memos or letters of praise. These
records can refute allegations by the harasser that your work was poor.
5. If the behavior does not stop, discuss the harassment with another colleague.
6. Follow the company’s complaint procedure, which usually means reporting the
problem to your supervisor. If the person is your supervisor, go to the harasser’s
supervisor.
7. If these steps fail, file a formal complaint with the state’s department of labor or
human resources, the local human rights commission or the local EEOC office. It is
illegal for the harasser to retaliate by firing or demoting you for these reasons.
8. Consider conciliation, such as a transfer to another department. If there is a solid
case, the employee may deserve financial
compensation.
9. If conciliation fails, they must decide whether it is worth suing. The court case
may take years to settle, though, so this should be only a final step.
