Question

a.) Describe a time where you witnessed the five second rule or a similar unethical behavior while at work. Do not name the names of those involved or the business; just describe the basic situation.

b.) Did anyone, including yourself, intervene to correct the unethical behavior at the time? Why or why not?

c.) How do you think you should address those unethical behaviors you witness in the future, such as the five second rule?

Answer 1

a) At my workplace, the employees are allowed to bring their cell phones at work but they are not allowed to transfer any business document on their personal cell phone. Usually all members abide by the policy. Recently a new manager was hired to guide the marketing team. The manager was quite nosy and he desired to trouble the employees. The manager wanted to know the gossip or private information about the employees, which he could use to trouble them in future. Once, he asked a female employee of the team, to unlock her phone and give to him. He said it was a routine investigation to check if her phone had any official information. This was a clear violation of the privacy rights of the female employee and hence can be considered quite unethical.

b) The female employee, herself, stood for her rights. She denied giving her phone to the manager and said that it was a violation of her privacy rights. But since the manager persisted to have her phone, she raised her concern with the grievance cell of the company.

c) Every company must have a grievance monitoring cell where whistleblowers can raise their concerns and issues comfortably. The employees must be encouraged to raise their voice against any unethical claim or anti-social activity, which they witness in business. The company will protect the sanctity as well as confidentiality of the whistle blower and will not offer any kind of retaliation to them. If someone is called unethical, the grievance monitoring cell will thoroughly investigate the case, in an unbiased manner. If the subject is found guilty, punitive measures will be taken, based on the severity of the misconduct, performed by him or her.