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, 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:
 Racial Harassment:
race, skin color, ancestry, origin country or citizenship.
Gender Harassment:
based on their gender.
Religious Harassment:
victim’s religious beliefs.
Sexual Orientation-Based Harassment:
Victims face harassment because their sexual orientation is different from those around them.
Age-Based Harassment:
Workers 40 years and older.

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:
workplace violence. 
4. Power Harassment:
The harasser exercises their power by bullying a victim who is lower on the office hierarchy.
5. Psychological Harassment:
Victims of psychological harassment often feel put down and belittled on a personal level, a professional level or both.

6. Cyberbullying:
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 victim to get revenge and to prevent behaving in such a way again.

8. Sexual Harassment:
unwanted sexual advances, conduct or behavior.

9. Quid Pro Quo Sexual Harassment:

Quid pro quo, translated to “this for that”, is a type of exchange-based sexual harassment.

10. Third Party Harassment:

someone from outside of the organization: vendor, supplier, customer or client of the company.
 
11. Verbal Harassment:

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.

Company Commitment
The leaders of a company or organization including the owner’s executives and senior managers, must personally commit to
promoting moral principles and creating environment and culture which does not tolerate discrimination or harassment in
the workplace. When employees see that the leaders of a company or reorganization are committed to such moral
principles they are less likely to engage in such conduct, and if they do, they know they will face potentially serve
consequences for their behavior.

Training
Perhaps the most important element of a strong prevention program is regular training about how to behave ethically for
both employers and managers. The training can be conducted by lawyers, trained human resources professionals or a
recognized online training source. Employers should examine their organization culture and environment to determine what
is best training option for their employees.