Essay Sample on Rights and Responsibilities of Employees

Introduction

Employees are entitled to right and responsibility to safety in any organization they are involved with. According to Relman (2018), Serene Environment at the workplace is ideal in every organization which aspires to prosper and to compete favorably in the market. For example, in the scenario, the company has illustrated the importance of employee's safety by setting up sessions which are meant to equip employees on their rights and responsibilities in the company.

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It is the right of employees to receive fair treatment from their employer. Discrimination of some of the employees would result in chaos in an organization leading to its downfall. For example, in the scenario, every employee must attend an ethics seminar regardless of one being new or has experience in the issues to be addressed. This act promotes equity and fair treatment in the workforce.

It is the responsibility and obligation of every worker to show and acquire respect from their workmates and managers. For example, in the scenario, the older employees should show respect to the newcomers and vice versa. Harassment of one being may result in the poor performance of an individual which in turn may lead to the downfall of the organization.

Ethical Responsibilities of the Employer

It is an ethical obligation for the employer to look for the welfare of his employees. It is the company's objective to ensure that managers do not misuse their power by mistreating the subordinate staff. Breakey (2017) argues that in an ethically based organization employee has the freedom to raise issues affecting them without fear of reprisal. Both the management and workers should be guided by ethical principles such as respect, candor, and honesty for the firm prosperity.

It is the responsibility of the employer to own good moral behavior. For example, in the scenario, the employees are expected not to embezzle and loot company property for personal gain that is why the company provides annual training sessions for ethical issues to their staff. This promotes openness and portrays a good image of the company to both internal and external environment.

The employer should have an ethical responsibility of openness to his employees. To have glad and self-motivated employee stakeholders and they should not feel intimidated by the board of management. Thus, it should exist the openness the bond the employers and employers together thus improving their rapport in the firm.

Ethical Business Dilemma

According to Gentile et al. (2016), states that an ethical dilemma is a scenario where one must choose between two undesirable equal alternatives which may arise due to the failure of personal charisma, conflict of organization and personal values or organization objectives against social values. A business dilemma exists when a decision-making body in an organization faces a choice between more than two options that have various effects on a firm's profitability, competition with its shareholders.

Carrying out private business on company time is a common dilemma in many organizations practiced by its employees. For example, setting up reservation and doctor's appointment using the company's phone lines is a common dilemma. This ethical dilemma is an abuse of one's employer to conduct personal activities on company spell. The other example of ethical dilemma in corporations includes information access and professional life versus family life. The corporation can face a difficulty in the advent of email which arises as a result of the dissemination of information in the corporation within the world which will surely develop a new ground for moral dilemmas especially on the access and privacy of information.

Pressure from the management has contributed to the ethical dilemmas in business. The firms have a diverse culture, but some business emphasizes profits and positive results above anything carried out in the firm. Therefore, in this environment, the management of a company may turn a blind eye on the existing ethical breaches if a worker produces desirable results. Hence, ethical dilemmas can arise when people feel pressured to do immoral activities to give pleasure to their senior managers.

Evaluate the Dilemma From a Utilitarian and Relativistic Perspective

According to Brunon (2015), utilitarian theory states that to some degree something can be described as moral when the outcome produced is the highest amount of good for the larger number of populations. It is a concept of normative ethics that explain whether a particular action is good or immoral. Furthermore, relativism is a theory that embraces morality to the norm of one's culture. That is action is wrong or precise it depends on the moral standards of the culture in which it is practiced. For example, an act can be morally upright in one society but erroneous in another culture.

In the scenario, setting up doctors' appointment may align with the utilitarian point of view since the employee of that company tries to save life by seeking medication which is morally upright since the health of an individual is more important, and additionally one cannot perform his duties as expected when he is not in good health condition.

Moreover, in relativistic perspective employee using the company's time and resources may be a mean person who tries to use public resources for personal gain which is ethically wrong. This act may raise debate in a different business environment, and this is whereby the theory of relativism states that one action can be recognized as a worthy deed in one society and different in another.

Ethical Decisions That Reflect Corporate Ethics and Responsibility

Fraud is a deliberate ethical breach in a working environment. An employee who is conscious of fraudulent actions within the working environment is required to write a statement to the appropriate authorities within the organization. This decision of reporting and fighting fraud within the workplace promotes the honest and fair working environment. It is the ethical responsibility of every employee in various firms to be involved in a war of fighting fraud since it is an enemy to the prosperity of a business.

Cases of discrimination are high in different working places. These discriminations can be based on gender, race, ethnic origin which many individuals have been affected. Employees are advised to make an effort in curbing this erroneous deed by reporting the incidents and applying lawsuits against the individuals who are involved in the crime. Punishing people involved in discrimination act reflect corporate ethics and responsibility since it promotes equity and makes every employee feel appreciated.

How Ethical Decisions Presents an Ethical Dilemma and How Unethical Behavior Can Be Justified

In the above discussion ethical decision may present an ethical dilemma if the authorities in an organization are the one involved in immoral norms in an organization. The board of management of a specific company may be in a dilemma to whether belief their manager or the plaintiff who happens to be an employee of the same company. This may result in an argument which may lead to an investigation that aim would be to find a solution which is best for the organization.

There are different ways to justify unethical behavior. For example, displacement of responsibility this is whereby an individual blame another for the mistake that one was involved with. Additionally, minimizing can be used to justify unethical behavior of an individual; this is whereby the offending individual makes unethical decision to seem less important or less consequential.

References

Breakey, H., & Sampford, C. (2017). Employed professionals' ethical responsibilities in public service and private enterprise: Dilemma, priority, and synthesis. UNSWLJ, 40, 262. Brunon-Ernst, A. (2015). Utilitarian biopolitics: Bentham, Foucault and modern power. Routledge.

Capaldi, N. (2016). The Ashgate research companion to corporate social responsibility. Routledge. Gentile, I., Maraolo, A. E., Niola, M., Graziano, V., Borgia, G., & Paternoster, M. (2016). Limiting the access to direct-acting antivirals against HCV: an ethical dilemma. Expert review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 10(11), 1227-1234.

Lewis, C. S. (2017). Childhood Obesity: Physiological and Psychological Implications and Ethical Responsibilities. Online Journal of Health Ethics, 13(1), 5.

Quarshie, A. M., Salmi, A., & Leuschner, R. (2016). Sustainability and corporate social responsibility in supply chains: The state of research in supply chain management and business ethics journals. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 22(2), 82-97.

Relman, D. A. (2018). The moral and societal responsibilities of biologists during times of revolution.