Ethical issues in Business | Types, Handling & Examples | Study.com

Ethical Issues in the Workplace

As part of developing a workplace code of ethics, the company must first identify potential ethical issues that should be addressed, such as developing a sense of professionalism. One should make an effort to be friendly and upbeat, ensure not to spread rumors, and be considerate of others. Moreover, it is advisable to maintain a reputation of honesty, fairness, and consistency. This is the best way to build trust with others. Another way to manifest ethical issues in the workplace is through a person’s level of dedication. A company can boost its total productivity by ensuring that employees are punctual and motivated.

Most ethical businesses aim to develop their employees’ moral courage, beliefs, and efficacy. There are a number of workplace elements that must be present in order to maximize productivity. Unfortunately, workplaces still have ethical problems. A company may also face legal repercussions if it does not take these threats seriously. It is critical that a company identifies and addresses these issues early and effectively.

Examples of Ethical Issues in the Workplace

There is a multitude of examples of ethical issues in the workplace. Obeying the company’s Codes of Conduct is an example of appropriate workplace behavior. As part of their employment contract, employees may be asked to sign a variety of documents, including the company’s rules and regulations. Employees could also receive a manual for reference purposes. The most common rules include inappropriate clothes, disrespectful language, and being on time.

Employees who are excited to begin a new position may fail to study company policies and procedures, which could cause issues in the future. Effective communication is an ethical issue to minimize misunderstandings when dealing with workplace concerns. In addition, good professional relationships assist in building teamwork among employees and aid in the growth of each employee’s personal and professional career. Developing professional relationships with coworkers and colleagues outside of the workplace can also have a positive impact on productivity.

Types of Ethical Issues

There are five main types of ethical issues in the workplace:

• Unethical accounting — In order to make themselves appear more profitable than they are, publicly-traded corporations may engage in unethical accounting practices.
• Harassment — It creates a hostile work environment and leads to early departures for employees.
• Health and safety — Work-related stress can result from a lack of consideration for workers’ safety and physical injuries.
• Technology, privacy, and social media — Using social media in an improper manner can have serious consequences for privacy and security, both online and offline. Outside of the job, it is easy to abuse power. Managers have the ability to enrich themselves by manipulating reports, taking credit for others’ work, wasting money, and accepting gifts from vendors and clients.
• Discrimination — Discrimination is defined as any activity that results in the treatment of a worker in a less favorable manner.

Accounting

The temptation to manipulate statistics, sins of omission, information access, and the confidentiality of personal information are only some of the ethical dilemmas that accountants have to deal with. Clients and employers should know that they can rely on accountants with financial information. If an individual wants to work as an accountant, that person will need to be trustworthy and dependable. This portrays accountants as trustworthy and reliable. For example, a company may purposefully overstate its assets while concealing its debt or other liabilities to obtain financing or sell a business.

Harassment

Harassment can take many forms, including unwelcome behavior and policies based on an employee’s race, national origin, gender identity, or sex such as pregnancy and motherhood, age, physical or mental handicap, or genetic information. Abhorrent humor and insulting or degrading remarks, name-calling, insulting or degrading words, offensive imagery or items, bullying, physical assault, threats, and intimidation are some of the characteristics of harassment. Examples of harassment in the workplace include the reality of tolerating an offensive behavior making it a requirement for work or the behavior is severe or widespread enough to warrant termination.

Health and Safety

Health and safety ethics state that all employers are morally obligated to provide their employees with a safe and healthy workplace. The government punishes those who disregard safety standards, but workers are only afforded a limited right to decline hazardous work. The most significant health and ethical safety issues are confidentiality of medical records, discrimination against minorities and women, and “blaming the victim” versus decreasing exposures.

Technology, Privacy, and Social Media

The responsiveness and manipulation of data are the major ethical implications of technology, not its impact on data collection, storage, retrieval, and transmission. It opens the door to more people having access to more information simultaneously. An increase in the use of technology has led to an increase in ethical boundaries that appear to violate employees’ privacy and communication rights.

People’s freedoms, privacy, and well-being can all be threatened by technology. Technology can also be morally problematic as it provokes contemplation on personal beliefs and societal standards. Discrimination, unsafe working conditions, poor working circumstances, and the disclosure of proprietary information are all examples of ethical lapses. Situations like bribery, forgery, and theft, while morally wrong, are generally dealt with outside of the corporation since they cross over into criminal behavior. A person breaks the law when violating confidentiality by sharing identifiable information about their clients or research subjects on social media. Another example of a social media violation is when one misrepresents their expertise or the products one sells.

Discrimination

Discrimination in the workplace occurs when a person’s or group’s traits dictate how they are treated. Discrimination, therefore, lies on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender identity, age, physical or mental impairment, sexual orientation, or national origin is illegal in the United States.

Employment discrimination includes denying salary or benefits to particular employees. This includes discrepancies in pay for similarly competent workers in the same position and discrimination in the allocation of time off for medical reasons like pregnancy, parental leave, and retirement.

How to Handle Ethical Issues in the Workplace

The easiest method to deal with ethical concerns in the workplace is to avoid them altogether. As a result, procedures such as creating codes of ethics and behavior standards are critical. Employees develop a greater awareness of ethical issues as they mature, which minimizes the likelihood of unethical action occurring in the first place. Additional mechanisms include the implementation of policies, the provision of education and resources, and the establishment of a confidential system.

There are strategies to fight ethical difficulties in employment:

• Having Ground Rules — Corporations must have established norms and rules governing worker ethics.
• Accepting Insight — This makes it easier for employees to submit feedback or protest in cases of workplace harassment, violence, or other unethical acts.
• List Ramifications for Unethical Habits — In critical areas of the organization, consequences for unethical conduct should be provided alongside the regulations.
• Disciplinary Action/Quick Justice — When the perpetrator is a high-ranking employee of the organization, certain companies often cover up incidences of rape and sexual harassment. A company must hold every employee to the same standards to uphold company policies.

Lesson Summary

Ethical issues in the workplace are defined as instances in which a moral quandary arises and must be resolved within an organization. Unethical accounting, harassment, health and safety, technology, privacy, social media, and discrimination are the five primary types of ethical issues in the workplace. Resolving an ethical issue may necessitate dismissing an employee, warning an employee, or sending an employee for more training. It is possible that either or all of this may happen. A third option is to do nothing having found out the problem does not pose an ethical dilemma.

A company should hold everyone to the same accountability standards. In order to correctly settle an ethical dilemma, one should detail all of the viable solutions and the possible consequences of each. Ethical issues in the workplace include bribes, harassment, and whistleblowers. Identifying the type of ethical issue being dealt with is critical since it will allow someone to better analyze and resolve each one in accordance with appropriate business policies, laws, and personal experience. After determining the ethical issue, the following stage is to examine it. What appears to be an ethical issue may not be. This is crucial. Moreover, consult a supervisor if there is an ethical problem at work. Read the manual to learn more about the company’s policies and procedures. Understanding the issue’s complexities and hence its best path of action can be gained by doing an evaluation.