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Do Companies Have an Ethical Responsibility To Employees?

Do Companies have an Ethical Responsibility to their Employees?


  • Total voters
    34
Yes, I believe that companies have ethical responsibility to their employees.
 
I said a wage and safe environment is enough but it really all depends on the extent of the welfare state in the country and whether companies should moralistically fill the place of government if they had the means. I shudder to think there were neither.
 
Other than a fair standard wage, safe working environment, compensation for any on the job or job related injury and extra compensation if that on the job injury resulted in the loss of that persons ability to get a job, the answer is no.
 
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I tend to look at it this way...

Aside from the things jamesrage mentioned, it should be up to the company in question - some companies might offer more to attract a better quality of workers, and some might offer the minimum and get by on those they can attract with such.
 
Do they? If you arent sure maybe you should read this blog: To Whom Does an Ethical Business Owe a Responsibility?

I think they owe ethical conduct to everyone....using the definition of "ethical" as being in accordance with basic principles of right and wrong. Does that mean they have to be fair to their employees? Well, sort of. But is it fair to lay off people? Yeah, I'm afraid it is. Is it right to lay them off just before Christmas?? Depends how close it is to Christmas. If it's a month before, yeah. Better they know they're out the door and plan their holiday accordingly, as an example -- than it is to wait until just after when they may have accumulated debt that wouldn't have had they known. Does it sound fair? Prolly not. But I think it is. (Just couldn't help but give an example.)

Companies need to be ethical. And ethics don't stop at the front door. It's a business model. They should treat everyone ethically -- their employees, their stockholders, their suppliers, their community and their country. (Pay your taxes, damn it!!!!) ;)
 
Jesus.

Define "ethical".

Does it mean providing a safe work environment? Then yes, the company is resonsible for reasonable health and safety precautions and to be knowledgeable of any industry-specific risks.

Does it mean keeping them on the payroll when there's no work to do? Then no. It's a business, not a charity.
 
I said no. They don't have a responsibility, but any good company that wants to be successful and attract the best employees will certainly adopt more ethics policies and stances than a fair wage and safe work environment.

In the public sector, where the employer doesn't have any competition, then the employees are on their own for getting more or they can get a union.
 
I voted no, as long as the company operates with in the law and it abides by OSHA and labor regulations or unions contracts, company's aren't required to do anymore than just that. Now if they wish to keep employees or attract employees, then your question for this topic will play a part. remember no one in this country will hold a gun to anyone's head and force them to work or where they should work.
 
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I voted: No! You do whats best for the share holders, NOT the Emploees!

Competitive for profit companies can’t be responsible or ethical for any period of time. There is no permanent or inherent motivation for them to be responsible or ethical. I haven’t found an exception to this, though there are many document cases that support my position.

The society that has competitive for profit companies has to set the standard for their behavior. The standard must be supported by documents, enforcement, etc. Wait, this is what we are supposed to have now.

I guess that I'm a socialist on this point by the standards of most here, but I think I’m a free market type.
 
They have an ethical responsibility to keep their employees safe, and to be honest with them about their long-term employment/promotion prospects. They don't have an ethical responsibility to provide them an above-market wage or to provide them with a job at all.
 
Yes, they should have ethics and it should have to do with having humanity and not for profit motives.
 
Yes, I believe they do. Not only to their employees, but to society in general. The best companies in my view are those who work the extremely delicate balance between making a decent profit and keeping their employees jobs secure. Laying off workers should always be the very last resort. I would never consider being a shareholder in any company that doesn't share this philosophy.
 
Do they? Of course not, companies are free to do whatever the **** they feel like, as long as they don’t get caught.

Should they? Of course they ought to, but that doesn’t matter because success always goes to the least scrupled bastards who are willing to **** other people over for personal gain.

I think the appropriate clichés are “Nice guys finish last,” and “No good deed goes unpunished.”


...damn, I hadn't realized how cynical I'd become until expressing myself just now. I blame the parsimonious piece of reprocessed excrement that employs me. :(
 
Do they? Of course not, companies are free to do whatever the **** they feel like, as long as they don’t get caught.

Should they? Of course they ought to, but that doesn’t matter because success always goes to the least scrupled bastards who are willing to **** other people over for personal gain.

I think the appropriate clichés are “Nice guys finish last,” and “No good deed goes unpunished.”


...damn, I hadn't realized how cynical I'd become until expressing myself just now. I blame the parsimonious piece of reprocessed excrement that employs me. :(
LMAO...you sound like me.
Ya know we all feel like this even the ones that employ us feel like this, non the less we can find another job but then again we are not happy unless we bitch. It seems to me I am always dropping the f-b and WTF's just not in front of the boss.
 
Companies should have ethical standards beyond that required under the law to their employees, however should only means should here. Meaning, from a moral standard, thats my opinion. A business doesn't have a life of its own, it doesn't make decisions for itself, its people who do that, the bosses, CEOs, managers etc who I'm referring to as "business" or "company." And as all people they should have ethical standards which of course would vary from person to person, business to business, and I don't think they should be legally enforced.

So for example if a CEO pulled in hundreds of millions a year in salary, plus perks, and told me he was going to fire a hundred people without warning and use a legal loophole to also cut them out of any severance. I'd say, "Hey its legal, but you're still an unethical ass."
 
I wonder if employees have an ethical responsibility to their employers. You know, to not call in sick and go skiing instead of working for example. For not padding their expense accounts. For not threatening to shut down the business if they don't get their way. Little things like that. An obligation to not sabotage work so they can get more hours in. An obligation to not assault workers who want to work.

I wonder if employees have an ethical responsibility to the customers. You know, to make a product that works. Or, to show up in the classroom and teach instead of parading around collecting bogus sick slips. When it's a public employee I think they have an even greater responsibility to the "customers".

I think everyone has ethical responsiblities to most others, except liberals. Liberals live in a world without real responsibilities.
 
I think everyone has ethical responsiblities to most others, except liberals. Liberals live in a world without real responsibilities.

I got you a T-shirt.

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...damn, I hadn't realized how cynical I'd become until expressing myself just now. I blame the parsimonious piece of reprocessed excrement that employs me. :(

If I were that parsimonious piece of reprocessed excrement, I'd fire your ass immediately.

(And don't tell me "You are," 'cause I'll cry.)
 
I wonder if employees have an ethical responsibility to their employers. You know, to not call in sick and go skiing instead of working for example. For not padding their expense accounts. For not threatening to shut down the business if they don't get their way. Little things like that. An obligation to not sabotage work so they can get more hours in. An obligation to not assault workers who want to work.

I wonder if employees have an ethical responsibility to the customers. You know, to make a product that works. Or, to show up in the classroom and teach instead of parading around collecting bogus sick slips. When it's a public employee I think they have an even greater responsibility to the "customers".

^^^ I love this post.
 
Of course companies have ethical responsibilities to their employees. We ALL have ethical responsibilities to everyone. Companies are made of up people, all of whom have this ethical duty.
 
I said no. They don't have a responsibility, but any good company that wants to be successful and attract the best employees will certainly adopt more ethics policies and stances than a fair wage and safe work environment.
This is basically Choice 2.

In the public sector, where the employer doesn't have any competition, then the employees are on their own for getting more or they can get a union.
This statement is completely wrong. The govt has plenty of competition getting good employees.
 
I wonder if employees have an ethical responsibility to their employers. You know, to not call in sick and go skiing instead of working for example. For not padding their expense accounts. For not threatening to shut down the business if they don't get their way. Little things like that. An obligation to not sabotage work so they can get more hours in. An obligation to not assault workers who want to work.

I wonder if employees have an ethical responsibility to the customers. You know, to make a product that works. Or, to show up in the classroom and teach instead of parading around collecting bogus sick slips. When it's a public employee I think they have an even greater responsibility to the "customers".

I think everyone has ethical responsiblities to most others, except liberals. Liberals live in a world without real responsibilities.

Federal employees actually have to take periodic training in ethics. Not sure about elected officials.
 
I voted 'no', because I live in a world without real responsibilities. The company is not responsible for me, neither I for them.
 
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