Essay Example on Employees' Rights: Equal & Just Treatment, Safer Workplace, Liberty from Retaliation

Introduction

Employees have several rights that are enshrined in the constitution to protect them from mistreatment and discrimination. The rights that this essay will emphasize on, which are fundamental for every employee, include the right to equal and just treatment, a safer working environment and liberty from retaliation (Emma, 2019). The right to equal and just treatment is elementary for a better workplace and strong relationships between the employer and the employee. The right to equal treatment is in itself an umbrella right that protects the employees from being discriminated against based on their race, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, and gender. The punishment for violating this right is in the Title VII amendment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The right bases on the basic concept that all humans are equal and therefore, should be treated equally. The right for a safer working environment is yet another fundamental right that has been in existence since industrial revolution. According to the law, a worker is entitled to a secure, neat as well as guestfriendly work setting (Rafner, 2019). Employers have a sole duty to ensure that their workers are always protected by ensuring the workplace upholds high standards of health and safety and that no employee will be harmed while performing their duties. A safe working environment protects the employees from both physical dangers like hazardous substances and slippery floors, as well as psychosocial dangers like aggression and bullying at the workplace (Josephson, 2016). The employers is mandated to alert the employees about all hazards associated with their work, the best approach to solve safety related issues, what to do in an emergency and the compensation plan when harmed at the workplace. The other principal right that all ethical organizations give to their employees is liberty from retaliation. The employee should be free to raise any ethical or other concerns in the organization without dread of retaliation. The employee should be at liberty to complain about unfair pay, broken promises and unfair promotions and demotion.

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Ethical Responsibilities of the Employer in Employer-Employee Relationship

The employers first responsibilities in the development session is to inform the employees what is expected of them regarding to ethical conduct. The employee should be informed about what ethical behavior is acceptable at the workplace and which one is unacceptable. In the case that the employer fails to provide this information, then the employee will be in limbo, not knowing how to carry themselves to the employers standards. The withholding of information is considered unethical since the employee is left in dilemma concerning their conduct. Additionally, the employer has an ethical obligation to permit the employee to partake personal development and do duties that are self-fulfilling to the worker. Personal development is something that many would like to have, and therefore, the employer should not come in between workers and their personal development. The period people spend on this planet is limited, and it will be significantly unfair to prohibit a person from doing something that gives them fulfillment. The employer and the employee should, therefore, enter into an agreement where the employee is allowed personal development but keeps in line with their work responsibilities. Neither the employer or the worker is allowed to take advantage of each other. Both parties are required to empathize with each other and realize that they both want self-fulfilling lives that meet up their expectations and thus desist from frustrating each other. The employers should also review the duties they assign to employees to ensure they do not compromise their personal development and fulfillment. It would be unethical for any employer to prevent an employee from performing duties that makes them happy and contented.

Ethical Dilemma

I have had the privilege to work in two organizations before this job. At one of my past organization I witnessed a number of my co-workers being harassed either psychologically, physically and even some of the junior employees being sexually harassed. I worried about my job and did not know how to go about reporting the cases, especially those that involved superior names at the company. Those that were being harassed in one way or the other were hesitant to report the claims. When I approached a lady worker whom I had observed being sexually molested, she said she feared reporting since she would be labeled a troublemaker, and also dreaded losing her job, especially since she was a new entrant. Considering that I was an intern at this organization, I decided I would observe in silence. After a week I became a victim, as my immediate co-worker started making sexual advances to me. I was brave enough to explain myself that I was not ready for the drama and that my focus was doing my assigned duties. After turning down many offers from this particular co-worker who was trying to allure me to a trap, the co-worker decided to overwork me by giving me extra duties. I was bold enough to perform them, but then when I minor error occur, the co-worker would rudely reprimand me and throw me all kinds of abuses.

Evaluation of the Ethical Business Dilemma

Cases concerning harassment are critical, and one needs to analyze the case before making any advance. Workers are shielded from any form of harassment at the workplace. Based on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), any occasional comments are not classified as harassment unless they are serious (Josephson, 2016). Harassment varies when looked at in either a relativistic or utilitarian manner. When we look at the co-workers' behavior in the above case in a utilitarian manner, the behaviour interfered with those who were being harassed negatively. Being harassed either physically or mentally harms the bearer in one way or the other. According to utilitarianism, behaviour is measured by its ability to enhance happiness and pleasure and reduce pain. Seducing co-workers is not deemed harmful as it may only affect mental wellness, which is not quantifiable according to utilitarianism. Utilitarianism only condemns physical abuse, which may cause harm to others. Looking at the cases in a relativistic manner, those who harassed co-workers by either physical, sexual or mental abuse saw it rightful in their. Relativism states that the morality of one's actions is based on their beliefs and consideration. The abuse perpetrators considered any form of harassment justifiable in their views and, in some cases, benefitted by getting sexual favors or having their duties done for them. The co-worker who overworked me had more free time since I did most of the duties. The dilemma can be solved better by those that develop the organization's employee handbook. The handbook should contain information that clearly describes what entails harassment and what should be done when it is suspected. The book should assure the workers that they are allowed to report any harassment and inappropriate behavior as fast as they suspect it.

Common ethical decisions reflecting corporate ethics and responsibilities that Employees can face while working in a corporate setting

Among the decisions that employees may find themselves at crossroads include how much company time they may spend transacting their businesses. There are some businesses that employees may decide to do them during company time, like booking an appointment with a physician via phone calls. There are special cases that may arise and need the employee to attend to them urgently, like when a relative gets into accident or such. Such occurrences may force the employee to compromise the company's working hours. Though it may seem that the employee is abusing company time, some consideration should be made. However, the best thing to do when emergencies occur would be the employee to explain the case to the employer first. There are, nonetheless, some emergencies that do not allow time for explanations. In this case the employee should make an explanation as early as possible after attending to the emergency. Another decision that employees could make include taking things from the company to their homes. An employee may be tempted to take company note books or pens with them, and this may result to occasional losses and misappropriation in procurement. It would be important that everyone asks for permission if they can carry any company belonging, however small it is, to their homes. Such habits should be condemned since they are unethical and are theft of company property.

Explanations of why the decisions in A5 are ethical dilemmas and common excuses made

The first decision I pointed at was using company time to book an appointment with a doctor during an emergency or during an accident. These decisions are ethical dilemmas since using company time for other businesses is wrong. However, failure to transact these businesses would mean that the person involved in the accident or the child needing urgent care are at risk of losing their lives if you do not attend to them. The employee's best action in such cases would be to explain the case to the employer so that in case their duties delay, the employer already knows why. Some employees may make excuses of doctor appointment on illnesses that do not require emergency treatment. Such cases are unethical and should be rebuked. The other decision that presents a dilemma is taking company property without permission. In this case a worker is presented a new notebook, yet the previous one is not yet full. The employee decides that using the new one before filling the other one would be wasting resources and takes it home and gives it to a person in need. The dilemma here is if there was a problem with the action. The common excuses employees use for taking home company properties vary and may include that the thing in question was in excess.

References

Emma, L. (2019, Jan 31). What Ethical Responsibilities Does an Organization Have to a Different Stakeholder? "https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-responsibilities-organization-different-stakeholder-35595.html#:~:text=As%20an%20employer%2C%20you%20have,providing%20a%20safe%20work%20environment.&text=Whether%20your%20organization%20is%20growing,they%20don't%20feel%20blindsided." \o "https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-responsibilities-organization-different-stakeholder-35595.html#:~:text=As%20an%20employer%2C%20you%20have,providing%20a%20safe%20work%20environment.&text=Whether%20your%20organization%20is%20growing,they%20don't%20feel%20blindsided."https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-responsibilities-organization-different-stakeholder-35595.html#:~:text=As%20an%20employer%2C%20you%20have,providing%20a%20safe%20work%20environment.&text=Whether%20your%20organization%20is%20growing,they%20don't%20feel%20blindsided.

Josephson, M. (2016, Dec 17). Ethical Responsibilities in the Employer-Employee Relationship – Applying Ethical Principles. "https://josephsononbusinessethics.com/2010/12/responsibilities-employer-employee-relationship/#:~:text=Employers%20have%20a%20moral%20obligation,the%20well%2Dbeing%20of%20employees.&text=Companies%20should%20be%20loyal%20to,as%20shareholders%2Fowners%2Fthemselves." \o "https://josephsononbusinessethics.com/2010/12/responsibilities-employer-employee-relationship/#:~:text=Employers%20have%20a%20moral%20obligation,the%20well%2Dbeing%20of%20employees.&text=Companies%20should%20be%20loyal%20to,as%20sha...