What are the ethical principles that are considered

relevant in the workplace?

• That the employer provides good working condition
constitutes one of the basic Employee Right, and
therefore a social responsibility that upholds the dignity
of the employee as a human person. To address this,
experts recommended that Human Resource (HR)
department put up some programs to improve the
psychosocial behavior of the workplace, the aim of
which is to accomplish the preferred employee behavior
(fair, just, and acceptable) and an excellent working
relationship.
• They also recommend that employees themselves be
included in developing and operationalizing such
programs. In all issues that concern the working
conditions, employee participation usually produces
better quality decision through the inclusion of diverse
interests and perspectives.
• Employee participation also increases the
credibility of the decision process and
outcome by reducing suspicion of unfair bias.
It may be stressed therefore that creating good
working condition by pushing for social
responsibility awareness in the workplace,
among others, is a shared responsibility of
both the employer and the employees.
Needless to say, much can be achieved when
both labor and management are mutually
participating in the attainment of this
corporate social responsibility or CSR practice
in the workplace.
Should social responsibility begin “at home”?
• CSR is a policy, an attitude, and a management philosophy in terms
of how employees are treated, and this encompasses a multitude
of business practices, such as fair wages, nondiscriminatory hiring
or equal employment opportunities, the avoidance of child labor,
relations with the unions or organized labor, the respect for the
worker’s rights.
• No one can dispute the importance of corporate social
responsibility and ethical management within the workplace.
Ethical management has been a major factor in business
operations.
• NOTE: Working conditions vary depending on the kind of company,
the nature of the job and position one holds.
• CSR towards employees is grounded on the basic principles of the
priority of labor over capital, respect for human dignity and human
rights, and social justice.
• CSR gurus are saying that any measurement standard for “good”
working conditions must go beyond compliance with the minimum
requirement of the law.
 Equal Employment Opportunity
• Involves the right of persons to apply and be
evaluated from employment opportunities without
regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin,
sex, disability, or status of a disable.

• AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
• A policy designed to redress past discrimination
against women and minority groups through
measures to improve their economic and
educational opportunities;
• The term affirmative action refers to policies that
take race, ethnicity, physical disabilities, military
career, sex, or a person’s parents’ social class
 Affirmative Action
• A policy or program providing advantages for
people of a minority group who are seen to
have traditionally been discriminated against,
with the aim of creating a more egalitarian
society through preferential access to
education, employment, health care, social
welfare, etc.
• Policies of governments and other institutions
that are designed to actively promote and
advance the status and the social and
occupational participation of groups of people
designed by sex, ethnicity or other shared
characteristic.
 Job Discrimination
• Refers to the unjust act of
differentiating one group of people not
on the basis of personal merit but on
the basis of partiality or bias.
• Laws protect employees from receiving
unequal treatment on the basis of race,
gender, age, citizenship, national origin,
religion, marital status, disability, or labor
union activity. When employers use these
factors against their workers, they have
committed employment discrimination
 Types of Job Discrimination
1. Age Discrimination
2. Unequal pay
3. Sex Discrimination
4. Employees with Disabilities
5. Race, Color, or National Origin
 Age Discrimination
• Refers to an employer making hiring or
promotion decisions based on employee’s age.
This violation is a violation of the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA),
which protects people who are 40 and over.
An employer cannot choose to hire an
employee because the selected candidate is
younger than others who competed for the
job. During an interview process, employers
should not ask the applicant’s age, or the
company risks being accused of age
discrimination, particularly if that person is not
hired for the job.
 Unequal Pay
• It is important for employers to recognize
that employees of similar qualifications,
education and skill, should receive equal
pay. According to the Equal Pay Act, male
and female employees with similar roles
and responsibilities should be paid equally.
If there is a need to pay unequal wages to
employees, the company should have
significant justification to show the reason.
 Sex Discrimination
• Any conduct deemed as sexually inappropriate,
including the expectation of sexual favors in
exchange for employment benefits, is considered
sex discrimination. Insensitive and seemingly
harmless jokes or comments could land the
employer in trouble with the EEOC. Employers are
also prohibited from discriminating against female
employees, or terminating their employment due to
pregnancy. Companies are required to investigate
allegations of sexual harassment, and all
discrimination complaints, and prevent hostile work
environment by providing ongoing training for
current staff and new employees.
 Stereotypes Against Women
1. There are fields of occupation, which are traditionally
suitable for women because of their “sensitive, vulnerable
and fragile” nature
2. There are types of work, which may not be fitting to
women due to their biological condition like monthly
period.
3. The inability of women to cope up with certain job
requirements since their common gender personality and
aptitude traits make them unsuitable for those jobs.
• NOTE: Such generalization about women are not only
biased or prejudicial but also untrue. Because of wrong
person, women are not assigned to the tasks traditionally
directed to men and the result is that some women are
never given the necessary break to prove themselves.
 Employees with Disabilities
• Terminating an employee, or not hiring an
applicant, because of a medical illness or
physical disability violates the laws
mandated by EEOC, according to their
website. The Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) requires employers to provide
reasonable accommodations for employees
with disabilities. This allowance includes
temporary adjustments to work schedules
or job duties.
 Race, Color, or National Origin
• Employers working with diverse
employees should be careful not to
display any behavior that could be
discriminatory based on race, color, or
national origin, Comments, jokes or
statements that draw unwanted
attention to an employee based on any
of these factors could be considered
discriminatory.
What Constitutes Discrimination in the Workplace?

1. Protected Class
2. Tangible Action
3. Harassment
4. Illegal Connection
 1. Protected Class
• Discrimination only applies to legally
protected classes of people. Federal law–
laws passed by the U.S. Congress that apply
in all states) – protect against may types of
discrimination, including pregnancy, age,
disability, race, color, national origin,
gender and religion. Most states also have
laws that protect the same classes of
people. Additionally, many states also
protect against sexual orientation
discrimination.
 2. Tangible Action
• The most common type of
discrimination is called “tangible
employment action.” Tangible
employment action occurs when an
employee experiences a significant
change in employment status. This
would include such actions as refusing
to hire, demoting, refusing to promote,
refusing to grant a raise, diminishing
pay or terminating.
 3. Harassment
• The other most common type of discrimination is
referred to as either harassment or hostile work
environment. Harassment occurs when the
employer or a manager or supervisor of the
employer makes comments or physical gestures
that are outrageous and abusive to an employee
within a protected class. Legitimate discrimination
claims base on hostile work environment often
include repeated slurs, derogatory language or
physical contact. The actions must be severe and
pervasive enough that a reasonably person would
find the workplace abusive and hostile.
 4. Illegal Connection
• Discrimination is sometimes difficult to discern
because the discriminator action must be directly
connected to the protected class. If an employer is
demeaning and verbally abusive, but the
employer’s actions have no connection to the
employee’s protected class, then the employer has
not committed discrimination. For example, if an
employer yells at a female employee, talks down to
the female employee and refuses to promote the
female employee, but the employer never says or
does anything to reasonably suggest that the
employer is acting that way because the employee
is a woman, then the employer has not
discriminated against the employee.
 What are the causes of discrimination in the
workplace?
• Discrimination in the workplace is upheld through a system
where decision-making power is maintained by one
particular group. A non-compliance to affirmative action
cause discrimination.
• Identification. Discrimination factors are race, color, religion,
sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older),
disability or genetic information. These factors cause
discrimination when used to determining applicant status,
promotion potential or disciplinary action.
• Pre-employment Screening. Credit rating or economic status
can adversely effect an employment application. The
employer must prove this is essential to the position when
soliciting this information.
 What are the causes of discrimination in the
workplace?
• Benefits. Other causes for workplace discrimination are
an abusive relationship of employer and employer
through the granting of breaks, leave approval and work
station assignment.
• Universal Human Rights. “Everyone has the right to
work, to free choice of employment, to just and
favorable conditions of work and to protection against
unemployment. Everyone, without any discrimination,
has the right to equal pay for equal work,” as stated by
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A violation
of these individual rights causes unlawful
discrimination.
• Safe Working Conditions. Physical and psychological
safety are basic human rights. Forced labor, an unsafe
or toxic work environment, and unreasonable work
hours cause workplace-related discrimination.
Manager’s Duties Against Discrimination
• The manager of an organization has a legal
and moral obligation to fight discrimination
in the workplace. His duties include,
following directions given by the Equal
Employment Opportunities Commission,
implementing policies and procedures in
line with the Civil Rights Act and dealing
with any concerns or complaints members
of staff have regarding discrimination in the
workplace.
 1. Civil Rights
• It is the manager’s legal duty to implement
company policy that follows both federal and state
legislation. Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act 1964,
provides that there shall be no discrimination in the
workplace based upon race, color, religion, sex or
national origin. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, states
that workers should be paid equally and fairly and
gender is not a valid reason for variations in pay. It
is the responsibility of the manager to keep abreast
new developments in discrimination law and any
amendments made to existing legislation. Failure
to fulfill this duty can result in severe criminal
punishments personally and for the company.
 2. Follow Advice From the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
• The EEOC monitor and enforce
discrimination laws in the workplace. The
Commission will examine a company’s
procedures and policies and make
suggestions for improvement. Failure of
the manager to follow these suggestions
can result in the Commission enforcing civil
penalties, such as implementation of a
positive discrimination program. Positive
discrimination programs seek to repair any
imbalance by hiring more of the
discriminated minority.
3. Deal with Complaints and Concerns
• The manager is responsible for dealing with any
concerns that a member of staff has regarding
discrimination. She has a duty to investigate every
reported case. This involves interviewing those involved
with the discrimination, any direct witnesses and
reviewing any CCTV footage that may exist. The
manager has a duty to prepare a written report, which
can be used as evidence in a court of law if necessary.
The manager has a moral duty to protect the interest of
the person experiencing discrimination and protect their
identity as far as possible. If the matter cannot be
resolved within the company, the manager has a duty to
report the discrimination to the authorities if it is
serious, or to provide information and assistance for the
employee to seek help.
What are the ethical principles involved in job
discrimination?
• Discrimination in the workplace is wrong and socially
irresponsible because of the following reasons:
1. Discrimination in hiring is disservice in the long run
2. It is actually double jeopardy
3. Most importantly, it is wrong to discriminate a group or
an individual by reason of ethics.
4. When business discriminates, it consciously or
unconsciously affirms that one group is inferior or
subordinate to another group.
• Example: people from the province are less qualified
than those coming from the city, or USLT graduates are
more qualified than SPUP, or French employees are
better than Filipinos
• This is a violation of the fundamental right to be treated
as equals!!!