Ethics - A Pure & Simple Story

Hello and welcome
Thanks for visiting

Ethics & Conduct

I've been working full-time for almost half my life and this is one of those things, that has never come up as a personnel issue with me as an employee. I take pride in the fact that I do everything "above board", with integrity. I've always put in a honest day's work, no matter which company I have worked for in the past or am currently working for now. It isn't a matter of what I believe the company is worth, it's the value I place on doing a good day's work.

Some people believe their employer "owes" them a job. They believe the company is obligated to pay for services they are doing for the benefit and profit of the company. That may be true, but it's a far different thing to expect a pay-check if you are not being honest and truthful with the effort you are putting in to get that pay-check. This could be the classic case of the long-term employee who has built-up many years of seniority. Their job has changed significantly over the years and there are little cracks of resentment because of those changes (that were forced). They have been there so long and they have seen people come and go over the years, but they have stayed through thick and thin. They have been loyal and think the company should show that same loyalty "no matter what". Unfortunately, most businesses don't have a "human" element to their mission. It's usually run by money and profit. If the company suffers, people will be let go. If a company does well and business grows, a company will hire new people.

Companies don't necessarily think like people do. The long-term employee is one person that should be considered. If they don't feel the employer is treating them like a "spouse", they may fight any changes and start showing poor work habits and questionable ethics. The moral fabric of the employee could start to turn against the very core of the company credo. They feel cheated and abandoned. The classic line is "I remember the good old days, when working here used to be fun". I'm very sceptical of those kind of words and I usually pay special attention to employees who think that. These could be the ones that discredit and cheat the company at any available opportunity, simply out of retribution. The company "owes" them more than just what they are being paid. They will never be caught though. They are very good at it and will cover their "tracks" because they know the workings of the company, better than anyone else.

The only way out of this dilemma is to treat the long-term employee with respect and a little "extra" attention. You have to find a way to make them feel "special" from all the other employees. I've found that granting them vacation preferences and intangible benefits work well. It is a matter of treating seniority as a record that deserves consideration, sometimes independent of anything else. To me it's the right thing to do. They deserve that much.

Conducting business on behalf of the company you work for, has "two faces". One face would be acting as a company representative attending an important convention or 3-day seminar. The other face is the buyer looking for a bargain or trying to negotiate a better price for goods and services, on behalf of the company. Both faces have completely different agendas and a very different "protocol". Believe it or not, many employees have taken advantage of both. It doesn't matter if you're in middle management, a sales agent, or an executive. Opportunities for ethical corruption happen at many levels of business. It's the "icing" that sometimes secures an important contract, or repairs a customer complaint, or "holds" a new promise for business in the future. We have all seen those gifts of appreciation. They range anywhere from free baseball tickets, to golf games, to dinners and lunches, or a weekend at a posh resort. It's referred-to as the "cost of doing business". The "ethical" thing to do, is to scrutinize these gifts and pay careful consideration to the source. Many companies donate prizes for company events and that seems to be a sound business practice. There is no favouritism or biased towards any one employee. It's when one employee gets all the "goodies" and decides to keep it for himself, that personal ethics come into question. As a manager, I get bombarded with promotional things, all the time, because I am considered "influential" in the decision-making process for these vendors. I make it a habit to share "freebies" with all of the department employees when I receive them. It makes good business sense.

Many a sales agent has been accused of falsifying expense reports and running large restaurant tabs on the premise of "satisfying customers". Other employees looking at this, may think of it as "extra money" and unethical. As long as the "meeting" is justified, the sales agent should always be given the benefit of the doubt. You have to trust the employee, that their efforts have good intentions. This is very difficult for some companies, but if net sales have improved as a result of these actions, the conduct can be considered justified.

One of the interesting things I have found dealing with business in the 90's, is that service is everything. Prices and costs are almost non-issues these days. It isn't how much, it's how fast can you do it and how soon can I have it. Isn't it ironic that even in tough economic times, price is really a secondary issue.

Ethics and conduct, seem to be returning to normal standards these days simply because many companies can no longer afford the luxury of large expense accounts and promotional items. I think it's a wonderful thing to rely on a company for its services, based on the character and good-will of the people you have come to know there, rather than the gifts they have given your company over the years. The president and sole owner of a very large, US multi-national company, once told me.. "My company is only as good as the people that work with me". He's a very gentle, soft-spoken, considerate, intelligent, older man. No wonder over 40,000 employees love to work for him and his company.

Pure and simple...

'97 Book
Archives

[Homeworx] [Storyworx] [BMG Strikers] [About Me] [Hobbies] [Awards] [Favorites] [Mail]

- This storyworx page was last updated on January 25th, 1998 -