A day at work calls for many actions and decisions to be made on your part. Most of these will certainly be routine responses to daily situations and tasks. But a few may come to challenge your principles. Here we take a look at some situations that may leave you hanging between the devil and the deep blue sea from an ethical perspective.
Counter Offers
You may have a job offer at another company with a better pay and position. If you accept the offer and also confirm the acceptance of your new employer you are under obligation to your new company to join them.
However, it may so happen that your current employer might give you a counteroffer when you resign. In other words, your current company might ask you to stay with them by giving you an offer that is more attractive than the one your new company offers. What’s your next step? If you back out, you need to know that you are harming your reputation with your new employer. Also, even if you stay back, your current employer will mark you as someone who is willing to leave. This will probably make you a dispensible element of the workforce. So, if you plan to negotiate at all, it is best to speak to your current employer before giving your word to your new employer.
Misplaced Credit
Say you are an analyst who has spent several hours to create an impressive report. Unfortunately, your supervisor steals the credit for all your hard work. This is, of course, unacceptable in all organizations. What you could do in such an instance is arrange a meeting with your superior and provide the evidence.
You may face negative vibes and a half-hearted apology, or you may be met with justice. If the culprit is superior and there is nobody above them to discuss it with, you may bring it up during your promotion time. You can also seek recognition for your efforts with the management.
Corruption
There might be times when your boss can ask you to pay for a bribe or indulge in other corrupt acts. There might also be instances where your boss submits false documents or bills and claims funds. This will no doubt make any person with good ethics very uneasy and miserable.
By going against your values you will not be happy and should your actions come under suspicion, you could face serious consequences. This is irrespective of the fact that your actions were on the basis of your boss’ orders. So the best thing to do in such a situation is to express openly to your boss that you feel you aren’t the right person to carry out the task. You can do this without attacking his acts or mentioning of your morals or ethics. It is likely that your boss will get the picture and back off.
Misusing Company Time and Resources
It happens often that employees use the company telephone to make personal calls. In some cases, they indulge in lengthy or expensive calls abroad. It also happens that the employees use company internet for viewing content unrelated to work, downloading movies or games.
Engaging in personal activities during work hours is not acceptable or ethical. That’s because the company pays you for your time at work, and using the company’s resources to do your personal stuff is also unethical. Your employer may sem to throw a blind eye to your activities. But know that when it comes to the appraisal period, all of this will not work in your favor.
Compassion vs Equality
This is possibly one of the most challenging of ethical dilemmas. It has been asked of you to fire two of your colleagues as they have been underperforming. However, your compassion is compelling you to give one of these two employees another chance simply because you know he is a sole breadwinner in his family. Unfortunately, fairness requires that you treat each of these employees fairly. The right thing to do in such a situation s to check with your place of employment whether they are willing to sponsor a compassionate stance against a fair one. If not, your only option is to try to help the employee outside of the working environment. For instance, you can help them find a new reliable source of income.
Of course, there are many different situations in the office that place demands on you to make ethical choices. At times, it can become overwhelming. If you are working for a company where you frequently have your ethics challenged, then it may be time for you to start looking for a new job. A place where they prioritize ethics is important!