Assignment task:
1. Conducting Personal Business on Company Time - Because employees tend to spend so much of their weekday hours on the job, they often are tempted to conduct personal business on company time. This can include setting up doctor's appointments on company phone lines, making vacation reservations using their employer's computers and Internet connections or even making phone calls for a freelance side business while on company time.
2. Taking Credit for Others' Work - Employees often work in teams to create marketing campaigns, develop new products, or fine-tune 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?
3. Inappropriate and 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.
4. Stealing on the Job - We all know embezzling from the company - taking money and hiding it by altering the records is against the law. But what about taking home an occasional box of staples? Just because the supply room is well stocked with boxes of everyone's favorite pens doesn't mean it's okay for employees to help themselves to a pack for home. It may seem like a small thing, but when every employee takes something, it does add up against company profits. It is stealing, and an astute office manager will notice things going missing too fast.
Assignment:
Using one of the four examples listed above, how would you handle it if you were a manager and came across this issue? How would you balance your own ethics with those of the company?