Ethics

To develop good ethics in the work environment today, one must first look at ethics as a whole. Ethical beliefs and business very rarely mix. Business must protect the bottom line. Profit is the sole driving force behind any successful business. The Power of Ethical Management, Authors Kenneth Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale put forth questions that you should ask yourself when you are faced with an ethical dilemma regarding any action that you are considering: Is it legal? Will you be violating any laws by taking this action? Is it balanced? Is it fair to all parties concerned both in the long and short terms? Would you be happy with this action if you were in the other party's shoes? Is it right? Are you proud of yourself for the course of action you are taking? Would you be proud to let others know of your decision? They also discuss the company ethics only apply to its product. Is it Safe? Are employees being treated fairly? You will find ethics vary from company to company but the question still remains is this ethical correct.

The Miniature Guide to Ethical Reasoning (Paul and Elder, 2003) states, "Human behavior has consequences for the welfare of others. We are capable of acting toward others in such a way as to increase or decrease the quality of their lives." The behavior of an employer has much further reaching effects, as they are dealing with large numbers of individuals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a series of laws and guidelines that seek to regulate employers' behavior in relation to employees who are disabled.

Law and ethics do not always walk hand in hand, but the ADA does require employers to cooperate with employees who qualify as disabled under the law. Much of the work is left to the employee, who must inform the employer of their condition, and submit a list of accommodations that would allow them to continue working, including transfer to another position within the company or a more flexible work schedule. The employer must make an effort to institute these accommodations, provided they do not constitute an "undue hardship". (Employee Relations Law Journal, Vol. 31, No. 1, Summer 2005, p4, p7).

Ethical treatment of employees reaches far beyond the ADA requirements, however.

According to the Miniature Guide to Ethical Reasoning (Paul and Elder, 2003), "The proper role of ethical reasoning is to highlight acts of two kinds: those which enhance the well being of others - that warrant our praise - and those that harm or diminish the well being of others - and thus warrant our criticism." The workplace is rife with examples of both sides of this coin. It is a particularly touchy subject when employee illness is involved. Which side prevails: the wellness of the individual or the bottom line of the company? Here we discuss two such cases resulting in opposite outcomes.

Scenario 1:

John* was an employee performing Help Desk duties for an IT company. His internal clients provided positive feedback and John was asked to take on additional duties at remote client sites. He received positive feedback from them as well. In 2000, after several years of employment with the company, John was diagnosed with cancer, and took disability time off for a series of surgeries. He returned to work after his disability time ran out, while still recovering from radiation treatment. Fatigue takes its toll, and he was often late, or had trouble completing his work.

John was put on probation for failing to meet his performance objectives. Management was not willing to consider changing his schedule, reassigning his off-site duties, allowing for flex time, or adapting his duties for a short time until he recovered. When confronted with the question of whether or not he could reliably perform his duties, he was forced to answer "no." John's illness was not taken into account when making this assessment; he was labeled as a chronically late employee, and subsequently fired.

Scenario 2:

Mary* and Julie* work at another company in the area. Mary has been an administrative assistant for over fifteen years and Julie has been the company's payroll specialist for over ten years. Both were diagnosed with cancer at about the same time and had to use their disability time to recuperate from surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. They both had to return to work while still undergoing chemotherapy because their disability leave time had run out.

Their employer allowed the women to have a flexible schedule to accommodate appointments and their ever-changing health status. They were also