Introduction
Companies are promoted to provide customers with high-quality service. Unfortunately, some cases of inappropriate work performed by employees and even chiefs occur from time to time. Numerous issues that affect the work of the company act as a reason to implement various ethical codes containing recommendations for the employees (Ethics training 2009, 2009). These codes appear to be really useful as they provide employees with information that helps them to evaluate their actions from an ethical point of view and define if some behavior damages the reputation of a company. The use of working time and the company’s property in order to achieve personal goals, and committing violations leading to the conflict of interests belong to the number of ethical issues that are quite common.
Outside Business as an Ethical Issue
There is a rule that is considered to be very important: all employees should use information, working hours, and the company’s property only to follow their service instructions. All kinds of misuse of office are regarded as inappropriate, and employees are prohibited from using commercially sensitive information in order to get a benefit helping them to run a business or to conduct other kinds of personal business. In the educational video that we were supposed to watch, the issue was illustrated by a public employee who was using her working time and her office computer in order to provide her own customers with the information on property and its current price. Such behavior is absolutely inappropriate for an employee as she fails to follow the service instructions that require her to use working hours and all the equipment only for the convenience of the company. During the phone talk with her customers, the employee arranges the meeting around lunchtime. Thus, she expects to gain profit using her company’s phone, computer, and access to particular data.
Demonstrating such behavior, the employee violates “The Code of Ethics for Public Officials and Employees”. The latter prescribes public employees to use all the resources related to working only to be helpful for the company. Besides, such behavior is also a violation of “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics For Directors, Officers and Employees”; according to its rules, being involved in business activities that may require employee’s assistance during the working hours is prohibited. The consequences would be even worse if an employee collaborated with the company’s corporate competitor. In the end, she violates the code of her particular company that expresses management’s zero tolerance towards outside business practices distracting employees from fulfilling their official duties. To resolve the issue applying the ethical principles, the employer has to encourage the subordinates to behave in accordance with the rules prescribed by the code of the company. As for the employees themselves, they have to be more responsible and avoid addressing their personal problems during their shift.
Conflict of Interests in a Company
Sometimes employees’ ignorance or unwillingness to follow the ethical code can lead to the conflict of interests within the company. According to the rules, employees should act only in accordance with their company’s interests; if they violate this rule, the company may have a significant loss, and its relations to its business partners may be frayed. What is more, employee’s behavior that can be regarded as one disrupting ethical norms very often has a negative influence on the company’s reputation.
Conflict of interest occurs when employee uses any information or company’s property in order to get a gain for himself or for other people. Besides, it takes place if employee ignores the rules and accepts gifts or help from the customers or partners in return of rendering them a service on special terms. Conflict of interest may also occur if employee helps another company using his position. If one of the company’s partners or business rivals is headed or managed by its employee’s close relative, spouse or friend, it can also be regarded as a violation of ethical code. In the case that we are supposed to discuss, one employee had to collaborate with another company but he did not inform ethics advisor about his high position in this company.
When it came to his chief’s knowledge, he had to escape in order to avoid the consequences of his action. Locking up the truth about his connection to another company, the employee violated the code of ethics of his company. Thus, he could act for the benefit of the company that he headed, and it could result in negative consequences for another company. Furthermore, employee’s actions violate the rules of “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Directors, Officers and Employees”. According to them, gaining a position in another company is inappropriate for the employee if these companies collaborate with each other. What is more, this man violates “Code of Ethics for Employees”. As it is clear from this document, employees should not keep such an important information a secret from their chiefs. In order to address the issue and prevent a conflict of interests, employees should be aware of the rules from the employee’s ethical code, and they should also consult with ethics advisors before making a questionable decision.
Reference
Ethics training 2009. (2009). Web.