Case Study:
Ethics and the Law
What is legal and what is ethical are not always aligned. In fact, ethics are not considered primary when the law is already established. The challenge may be the fact that the law is finite but the definition of what is ethical is a sliding scale-defined differently by different individuals. Right or wrong, this gap between what is ethical and what is legal can leave organizations and individuals unprotected in the eyes of the law.
In this assignment, you will analyze the differences between ethics and law, identifying gaps and determining your stance on the issue.
Tasks:
The following are some employment laws that may raise ethical questions:
1. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
3. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967
4. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
5. The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
From the list, select a law that represents a potential ethical debate and address the following:
1. On the basis of your definition of ethics, explain the law from both technical and ethical perspectives.
2. On the basis of your perspective of what is ethical, identify areas in which the technical requirements of the law could pose an ethical issue.
3. On the basis of your analysis, suggest potential solutions to the issue.
4. How was your definition of ethics different from your classmates'?
5. Did your classmates suggest ethical issues different from or similar to yours? Comment.
Write your initial response in 300-500 words. Your response should be thorough and address all components of the discussion question in detail, include citations of all sources, where needed, according to the APA Style, and demonstrate accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.