Task: Discuss Moira's situation and her ethical options. Given this information, what do you think that she ought to do?
Moira recently graduated from college and landed her first corporate job. She works as an administrative assistant for a company that manufacturer's home decoration. On the job only four months, Moira feels as though she is already starting to lose her idealism about business. She has heard of many instances of employee theft and has witnessed a couple of occurrences. She has observed employees coming to work intoxicated, even sneaking drinks at work. She has seem employees routinely arrive late for work and sneak out early. Fifteen minute breaks and 30 minute lunches often end up lasting twice as long. Employees routinely use their computers for sending and receiving personal emails, shopping online, checking horoscopes and weather, even gambling. And all of that is happening in just her department.
The department manager is very laid back. Moira has tried to talk with him about the problem, but he seems unable or unwilling to confront the problems. It appears to Moira that he wants the employees to like him, and the employees are taking advantage of that. Moira Is growing more and more frustrated. She prides herself on being dependable, hard worker, and she took this job assuming that the other employees would be that way too.
Moira is tempted to give up and join the other employees, getting paid for doing as little as possible. But she knows she would not respect herself. She is tempted to go over her managers' head to his supervisor and complain about the problem. But that would alienate her supervisor and the other employees. She has not been at the company long enough to request a transfer, and quitting her job after four months does not seem like a wise career move. She is sitting at her desk one afternoon, wondering what she should do.
What do you think?