Recent challenges in ethics

Common Ethical Issues Facing Businesses

Accounting Practices
Environmental Responsibility
Sexual Harassment
Diversity & Discrimination
Social Media
Health & Safety
Data Privacy
 Accounting Practices
• This is one of the more ‘classic’ ethical issues in business and comes
along with some very serious legal implications as well. Manipulating a
business’s financial data to make the company look more successful –
also known as “cooking the books” – is the most well-known form of
accounting misconduct (and is a federal crime). Beyond the legal
boundaries that it crosses, the ethical dilemmas in business related to
bad accounting practices can put innocent people in harm’s way.
 Environmental Responsibility
• There are numerous ways that your business can address
environmental responsibility, some of which can be a bit costly and
others that you can start implementing.
• Assess for areas to improve
• Choose the ways to go green
• Define the goals for your EMS
• Create an EMS team to implement and oversee changes
 Sexual Harassment
• The most important step in addressing sexual harassment as a serious
ethical dilemma in business is to implement employee training. Start
by making sure everybody who works for you is made aware of the
rules, that those rules are posted around the workplace, and by
enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment.
• There should never be any fear of retaliation for reporting sexual
harassment – victims, whether alleged or proven, should get your full
support.
• If sexual harassment does occur at your business, acknowledge the
charge, investigate the case thoroughly, respond with care, and
administer discipline if need be.
 Diversity & Discrimination
• Discrimination in the workplace is essentially any aspect about the job
itself or the duties related to it which are treated differently with
respect to any of the categories listed below.
• Age
• Disability
• Equal Pay/Compensation
• Harassment
• National Origin
• Pregnancy
• Race/Colour
• Religion
 Social Media
• Here are a few questions you’ll want to consider with regards to this
ethical dilemma in business:
• Is it right to punish employees for certain types of social media posts?
• Are you obligated to keep an employee who holds distasteful views
and expresses them online?
• Should you fill the role of a mediator if employees get into a
disagreement with each other on social media?
 Health & Safety
•Regularly inspect your workplace for any potential hazards
•Train your employees so they’re educated on safety protocols
•Promote healthy living (stock kitchens with healthy snacks & drinks)
•Inform employees that help is available
•Recognize and reward hard work
•Create opportunities for employees to grow
•Hold periodic meetings with employees to understand their needs
 Data Privacy

• To avoid the reputational and financial damage of a data breach, you’ll want to
develop a small business cybersecurity plan and put it into action as soon as
possible. The ethical questions arise around the specific aspects that make up
your cybersecurity plan. To be more precise, when does monitoring your
employees’ behaviour on company devices cross the line and become unethical?

• Check out this data from the AMA

• 66% of businesses monitor Internet connections

• 45% track content, keystrokes, and time at keyboard
• 43% save and review files on your computer
• 10% monitor social media