IT Ethical Issues in Business
Harassment and Discrimination
Sexism and bigotry can crop up anywhere. In
the working world, they're particularly toxic because of the power some
employees have over others. Harassment not only makes employees miserable, it
can affect their pay and their career. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, for
example, has been accused of harassing and assaulting dozens of women. Women
who resisted say Weinstein worked to blacklist them and ruin their careers.
Protecting Client Privacy
It seems every week another company
announces that customers' confidential data has been exposed or hacked.
Sometimes it can't be helped: hackers are very good at what they do. Other
hacks are preventable and only happen because of corporate negligence. For
example, some security experts told Wired magazine in 2017 that Equifax could
probably have prevented its massive data breach with better security.
https://bizfluent.com/list-6850278-list-ethical-issues-business.html?fbclid=IwAR2HvUsKRgL1Hj0mNIY5p7wkx37BW8pi8-aNoy3twQQPuMNUOwlV5nGLjJE
Whistleblowing or Social Media Rants
Business owners must respect and not
penalize employees who are deemed whistleblowers to either regulatory
authorities or on social media. Essentially, employees are encouraged and
cannot be penalized for raising awareness of workplace violations.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-ethical-issues-business-24464.html?fbclid=IwAR2XAlG9VL0gLQhX5rHGccJzE7vDRjFQegrC-JYvBKDAEdwtpn_qRgJOPSo
A useful method for exploring ethical
dilemmas and identifying ethical courses of action includes collecting the
facts, evaluating any alternative actions, making a decision, testing the
decision for fairness and reflecting on the outcome. Ethical decision-making
processes should center on protecting employee and customer rights, making sure
all business operations are fair and just, protecting the common good, and
making sure the individual values and beliefs of workers are protected.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/list-ethical-issues-business-55223.html?fbclid=IwAR2HvUsKRgL1Hj0mNIY5p7wkx37BW8pi8-aNoy3twQQPuMNUOwlV5nGLjJE
Compliance and Governance Issues
Businesses are expected to fully comply
with environmental laws, federal and state safety regulations, fiscal and
monetary reporting statutes and all applicable civil rights laws. For example,
the Aluminum Company of America's (ALCOA) approach to compliance ensures no one
at the company may ask any employee to break the law or go against company
values, policies and procedures. The company's commitment to compliance is
shored up by its approach to corporate governance: the company expects all
ALCOA directors, officers and executives to conduct business in accordance with
its business conduct policies.
Health and Safety
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
states that 6,300 people die every day from occupational accidents or
work-related diseases. This results in more than 2.3 million deaths per year.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the top 10
most frequently cited violations of 2015 were:
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/lang--en/index.htm
Technology/Privacy
With developments in technological security
capability, employers can now monitor their employees’ activity on their
computers and other company-provided electronic devices. Electronic
surveillance is supposed to ensure efficiency and productivity, but when does
it cross the line and become spying? Companies can legally monitor your company
email and internet browser history; in fact, 66% of companies monitor internet
connections, according to 2014 data from the American Management Association.
45% of employers track content, keystrokes and time spent on the keyboard, and
43% store and review computer files as well as monitor email. Overall,
companies aren’t keeping this a secret: 84% told employees that they are
reviewing computer activity. Employees should review the privacy policy to see
how they are being monitored and consider if it can indicate a record of their
job performance.
https://www.floridatechonline.com/blog/business/the-5-biggest-ethical-issues-facing-businesses/?fbclid=IwAR2CUzHpg-AwECRBNLLC3ihPt8oJaV2TO-hMH0HvZYSoDme5R5ag_CHPQYM
Keeping Employees Safe
There are millions of workplace accidents
and illnesses reported each year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
there were 2.9 million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2016. Some
of those accidents were due to negligence with employers ignoring the legal
requirements for keeping the workplace safe. Common problems often include not
using guards on sharp cutting equipment, and not taking steps to prevent falls
or electrical accidents.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-ethical-issues-business-24464.html
Diversity and the Respectful Workplace
Your current and potential employees are a diverse pool of people
who deserve to have their differences respected when they choose to work at
your business. An ethical response to diversity begins with recruiting a
diverse workforce, enforces equal opportunity in all training programs and is
fulfilled when every employee is able to enjoy a respectful workplace environment
that values their contributions. Maximizing the value of each employees'
contribution is a key element in your business's success.
https://bizfluent.com/list-6850278-list-ethical-issues-business.html
Ethics in Accounting Practices
A business must maintain accurate bookkeeping practices. The oil
giant, Enron was exposed in 2001 for "cooking the books" to
misrepresent profits. The deception affected stockholder prices, and many
public shareholders lost huge amounts of money because of the ethics violation.
The company went bankrupt as a result, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was
established to protect public shareholders with stricter financial reporting
laws.
https://bizfluent.com/list-6850278-list-ethical-issues-business.html
Harassment and Discrimination
Sexism and bigotry can crop up anywhere. In
the working world, they're particularly toxic because of the power some
employees have over others. Harassment not only makes employees miserable, it
can affect their pay and their career. Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, for
example, has been accused of harassing and assaulting dozens of women. Women
who resisted say Weinstein worked to blacklist them and ruin their careers.
Protecting Client Privacy
It seems every week another company
announces that customers' confidential data has been exposed or hacked.
Sometimes it can't be helped: hackers are very good at what they do. Other
hacks are preventable and only happen because of corporate negligence. For
example, some security experts told Wired magazine in 2017 that Equifax could
probably have prevented its massive data breach with better security.
https://bizfluent.com/list-6850278-list-ethical-issues-business.html?fbclid=IwAR2HvUsKRgL1Hj0mNIY5p7wkx37BW8pi8-aNoy3twQQPuMNUOwlV5nGLjJE
Whistleblowing or Social Media Rants
Business owners must respect and not
penalize employees who are deemed whistleblowers to either regulatory
authorities or on social media. Essentially, employees are encouraged and
cannot be penalized for raising awareness of workplace violations.
Decision-Making Issues
A useful method for exploring ethical
dilemmas and identifying ethical courses of action includes collecting the
facts, evaluating any alternative actions, making a decision, testing the
decision for fairness and reflecting on the outcome. Ethical decision-making
processes should center on protecting employee and customer rights, making sure
all business operations are fair and just, protecting the common good, and
making sure the individual values and beliefs of workers are protected.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/list-ethical-issues-business-55223.html?fbclid=IwAR2HvUsKRgL1Hj0mNIY5p7wkx37BW8pi8-aNoy3twQQPuMNUOwlV5nGLjJE
Compliance and Governance Issues
Businesses are expected to fully comply
with environmental laws, federal and state safety regulations, fiscal and
monetary reporting statutes and all applicable civil rights laws. For example,
the Aluminum Company of America's (ALCOA) approach to compliance ensures no one
at the company may ask any employee to break the law or go against company
values, policies and procedures. The company's commitment to compliance is
shored up by its approach to corporate governance: the company expects all
ALCOA directors, officers and executives to conduct business in accordance with
its business conduct policies.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/list-ethical-issues-business-55223.html?fbclid=IwAR2HvUsKRgL1Hj0mNIY5p7wkx37BW8pi8-aNoy3twQQPuMNUOwlV5nGLjJE
Health and Safety
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
states that 6,300 people die every day from occupational accidents or
work-related diseases. This results in more than 2.3 million deaths per year.
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the top 10
most frequently cited violations of 2015 were:
https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/safety-and-health-at-work/lang--en/index.htm
Technology/Privacy
With developments in technological security
capability, employers can now monitor their employees’ activity on their
computers and other company-provided electronic devices. Electronic
surveillance is supposed to ensure efficiency and productivity, but when does
it cross the line and become spying? Companies can legally monitor your company
email and internet browser history; in fact, 66% of companies monitor internet
connections, according to 2014 data from the American Management Association.
45% of employers track content, keystrokes and time spent on the keyboard, and
43% store and review computer files as well as monitor email. Overall,
companies aren’t keeping this a secret: 84% told employees that they are
reviewing computer activity. Employees should review the privacy policy to see
how they are being monitored and consider if it can indicate a record of their
job performance.
https://www.floridatechonline.com/blog/business/the-5-biggest-ethical-issues-facing-businesses/?fbclid=IwAR2CUzHpg-AwECRBNLLC3ihPt8oJaV2TO-hMH0HvZYSoDme5R5ag_CHPQYM
Keeping Employees Safe
There are millions of workplace accidents
and illnesses reported each year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
there were 2.9 million non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2016. Some
of those accidents were due to negligence with employers ignoring the legal
requirements for keeping the workplace safe. Common problems often include not
using guards on sharp cutting equipment, and not taking steps to prevent falls
or electrical accidents.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-ethical-issues-business-24464.html
Diversity and the Respectful Workplace
Your current and potential employees are a diverse pool of people
who deserve to have their differences respected when they choose to work at
your business. An ethical response to diversity begins with recruiting a
diverse workforce, enforces equal opportunity in all training programs and is
fulfilled when every employee is able to enjoy a respectful workplace environment
that values their contributions. Maximizing the value of each employees'
contribution is a key element in your business's success.
https://bizfluent.com/list-6850278-list-ethical-issues-business.html
Ethics in Accounting Practices
A business must maintain accurate bookkeeping practices. The oil
giant, Enron was exposed in 2001 for "cooking the books" to
misrepresent profits. The deception affected stockholder prices, and many
public shareholders lost huge amounts of money because of the ethics violation.
The company went bankrupt as a result, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was
established to protect public shareholders with stricter financial reporting
laws.
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