Ethical Dilemma:
Scheduling people to work second and third shifts (evening and graveyard) is a problem in almost every 24-hour company. There can be potentially dangerous issues on the night shift. In addition, ergonomic data indicate the body does not respond well to significant shifts in its natural circadian rhythm of sleep. There are also significant long-run health issues with frequent changes in work and sleep cycles.
Consider yourself the manager of a nonunion steel mill that must operate 24-hour days, and where the physical demands are such that 8-hour days are preferable to 10- or 12-hour days. You and your employees have spent much time and energy developing an employee empowerment work environment. Your empowered employees have decided that they want to work weekly rotating shifts. That is, they want a repeating work cycle of 1 week 7 A.M. to 3 P.M, followed by a second week from 3 P.M. to 11 P.M., and the third week from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M. You are sure this is not a good idea in terms of both productivity and the long-term health of the employees. If you do not accept their decision, you undermine the work empowerment program, generate a morale issue, and perhaps. More significantly, generate a few more votes for a union.
CONCEPTS:
1) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,
2) If an action is not right for everyone to take, it is not right for anyone
3) If an action cannot be taken repeatedly, it is not right to take at all
4) Take the action that achieves the higher order or greater value
5) Take the action that produces the least harm, or the least potential cost
Answer the following questions:
Question 1. Perform an ethical analysis using the concepts listed above.
Question 2. What are the two most critical issues that must be addressed in this Ethical Dilemma?
Question 3. What is the ethical position and what would you do?