Ethics In The Workplace: Ethics Game Simulation

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Ethics in the Workplace Briana O'Malley ETH/316 January 25, 2012 Christine Goedhart-Humphries Ethics in the Workplace The Ethics Game simulation begins with a dilemma in which, as a manager, I am placed in a sensitive situation that is difficult to solve in a way that meets everyone’s needs. I learn that an employee, Bill, at my company has been sending one of my subordinates flowers on a frequent basis. The flowers are sent anonymously, but Bill has admitted to me directly that he is the sender and others are starting to assume the truth. I also receive an email from the recipient, Gayle, in which she requests a one-on-one meeting with me. She says she must speak to me about something and it must remain confidential. My objective in…show more content…
In order to uphold her request, I must agree to confidentiality before she meets with me since it is a stipulation put forth by her. Although I suspect she wants to discuss the flowers that are being anonymously sent to her, I do not know this for sure. If I mention beforehand the issue with the flowers, I run the risk of being wrong and causing her to think others are gossiping about her, and I give her one more thing to worry about. Alternatively, if I promise her confidentiality, and then discover that her issue is indeed related to harassment in the workplace, I am handicapping myself from taking the necessary steps to reconcile the issue in a way that suits the Gayle, the harasser, and the…show more content…
Being in the business office, I am privy to almost every company employee’s complaints, gossip, and inappropriate behavior. I believe my office is often viewed as a safe haven because it used to belong to the Human Resources Director, and while I am not her replacement, I do take on a few of her old responsibilities. I am often faced with having to promise confidentiality, and then be told a story that I feel guilty not reporting. An alternative action on my part may be to warn my visitor that if he or she tells me something that should be reported per our company handbook, I cannot promise not to make the report. This way I do not have to bear any guilt, and I will hopefully still get to hear stories about my coworkers’ crazy parents and cheating

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