Question8.

How ethical and moral Principles can help a business firm to protect its employees
against harassment? 2019\2017\2015
INTRODUCTION:

Unlawful workplace harassment and discrimination occurs when an employer takes unpleasant action against a person who
is an employee or prospective employee because of the following attributes of the person: race, Color, Sex, sexual
preference. This is the uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct directed at an individual because of race, color,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, citizenship and parental status. (Examples
include: bias in assignments, bias in decisions and inappropriate language).

DEFINITION:

Harassment is verbal or physical conduct that denigrates (criticize unfairly) or shows hostility (aggression) or aversion
(dislike) toward an individual because of that person's (or that person's relatives', friends', or associates') race, skin color,
religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability, and that:

has the purpose or effect of creating an threatening, hostile, or unpleasant work environment

has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the individual's work performance

otherwise adversely affects the individual's employment opportunities

11 TYPES OF HARASSMENT

1. DISCRIMINATORY (Racial, Gender, Religious, Sexual-orientation based, Age-based), 2. PERSONAL, 3. PHYSICAL, 4.

POWER, 5. PSYCHOLOGICAL, 6. ONLINE, 7. RETALIATION, 8. SEXUAL, 9. QUID PRO QUO (this for that), 10. THIRD PARTY,
11. VERBAL

1. Discriminatory Harassment:
All unlawful workplace harassment is discriminatory in nature. But, unlike verbal or physical harassment, discriminatory harassment
is defined by its intentions instead of how it’s carried out. In this case, the bully is harassing the victim because, at least in part, they’re a
member of a protected class. The more common and recognizable forms of discriminatory harassment are described in more detail
below.
Racial Harassment:
A victim may experience racial harassment because of their race, skin color, ancestry, origin country or citizenship.
Gender Harassment:
Gender-based harassment is discriminatory behavior towards a person based on their gender.
Religious Harassment:
Religious harassment is often interconnected with racial harassment but narrows in specifically on the victim’s religious beliefs.
Sexual Orientation-Based Harassment:
Sexual orientation-based harassment is starting to gain grip and recognition as a legitimate type of workplace harassment. Victims face
harassment because their sexual orientation is different from those around them.
Age-Based Harassment:
Workers 40 years and older are specifically protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in an attempt to promote the employment of older
people and reduce age-based harassment.

2. Personal Harassment:
Personal harassment is a form of workplace harassment that’s not based on one of the protected classes (such as race, gender or
religion).
Simply, it’s bullying in its most basic form and it’s not illegal but can be damaging nevertheless.

Examples of Personal Harassment

Personal harassment includes:
Inappropriate comments
Offensive jokes
Personal humiliation

3. Physical Harassment:
Physical harassment, also often called workplace violence, refers to a type of workplace harassment that involves physical attacks or
threats. In extreme cases, physical harassment may be classified as assault.

4. Power Harassment:
Power harassment is a common form of workplace harassment that’s characterized by a power disparity between the harasser and the
harassed. The harasser exercises their power by bullying a victim who is lower on the office hierarchy.

5. Psychological Harassment:
Psychological harassment has a negative impact on a person’s psychological well-being. Victims of psychological harassment often feel
put down and belittled on a personal level, a professional level or both.

6. Cyberbullying:
Employers are embracing new technology in order to appeal to younger employees and reap the benefits of a digitally connected world.
Examples of Online Harassment
Share humiliating things about the victim by mass email or mass chat, Spread lies or gossip about the victim on social media, Send
harassing instant messages or text messages directly to the victim

7. Retaliation:
Retaliation harassment occurs when a person harasses someone else to get revenge and to prevent the victim from behaving in such a
way again.
This type of harassment typically has three parts:
Employee A files a complaint about Employee B.
Employee B finds out about the complaint and who made it.
Employee B harasses Employee A to get revenge and deter them from filing further complaints.
Employee B, in this case, would be harassing Employee A as retaliation.

8. Sexual Harassment:
Sexual harassment is, simply, harassment that is sexual in nature and generally includes unwanted sexual advances, conduct or behavior.
Sexual harassment in the workplace is a form of unlawful discrimination and is taken seriously by the courts.

9. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment:

Quid pro quo, translated to “this for that”, is a type of exchange-based sexual harassment.
If job benefits are offered to an employee on the condition that they partake in some form of sexual conduct, it’s typically referred to as
quid pro quo sexual harassment.

10. Third Party Harassment:

Third-party harassment is a type of workplace harassment that’s committing by a “third party” – someone from outside of the
organization. Instead of the perpetrator being a boss, supervisor or colleague, he or she is a vendor, supplier, customer or client of the
company.

11. Verbal Harassment:

Verbal harassment can be the result of personality conflicts in the workplace that have escalated beyond the casual eye roll or something
more serious. Unlike discriminatory types of harassment (such as sexual), verbal abuse is often not illegal. Instead, verbal harassment can
be someone who’s consistently mean or unpleasant.
Examples of Verbal Harassment
Obvious verbal harassment behaviors include things like threatening, yelling, insulting or cursing at a victim in public or in private.

HOW ETHICAL AND MORAL PRINCIPALS PROTECT EMPLOYEES:

Ethics and moral principals refers to standards of conduct, standards that indicate how one should behave based on spiritual and moral
duties and virtues, which themselves are derived from principles of right and wrong. It is a code of values which guide our choices and
actions and determine the purpose and course of our lives. Ethics can also be considered as the moral standards by which people judge
behaviour.

ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR: Nature of moral obligations considered intrinsic to ethical behaviour. The following are obligations which ethical
codes often address and they include: Honesty Objectivity Integrity Carefulness Openness Respect for intellectual property
Confidentiality Responsible publication Responsible mentoring Respect for colleagues Social responsibility Non-discrimination
Competence Legality Human subjects protection

CODE OF ETHICS
a. A high degree of professionalism at all times;
b. Display of loyalty, mutual respect and faith at all times;
c. full cooperation with colleagues;
d. Obedience of the rule of confidentiality (not to reveal any information at his/ her disposal;
e. Acceptable conduct at all times;
f. Display of sympathy, love and fairness to all.
g. Place best on self respect and self discipline as the principle of personal behavior in all relationship with others and in all situations.

ASPECTS OF ETHICS:
There are two aspects to ethics: the first involves the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil, and propriety from impropriety;
the second involves the commitment to do what is right, good and proper. Ethics is an action concept; it is not simply an idea to think
and argue about. It places a demand on people to do the following among other things:
a. Act with integrity.
b. Always be honest.
c. Be open and transparent.
d. Be accountable.
e. Act within your limitations.
f. Be objective at all times.
g. Always treat others with respect.
h. Set a good example.
i. Have the courage to make a stand.