What is an example of an incident a major company showed unethical behavior?

Question

if you could link me to articles that would be great

Answer 1

Claim:

Chrysler LLC continually evaluates the economic value of benefit plans, considers the need to remain competitive in an ever-changing global marketplace and strives to deliver the best mix of benefits for our employees and retirees.

Action:

Effective June 1, 2008, Chrysler will no longer extend Company-sponsored group life insurance to Professional-Administrative, Management and Executive retirees.

Disclaimer:

Chrysler reserves the right to terminate, suspend, or amend all or part of its employee benefit plans or programs.

Answer 2

It's an unfortunate fact of life that employees, in virtually every business, from time to time encounter co-workers involved in unethical practices. These practices range from such widespread activities as making long-distance calls on business lines, to copying software for home use, to falsifying the number of hours worked during a week, and to more serious and illegal activities such as embezzlement of company funds or falsifying corporate financial records. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses discusses what to do when you come across activities that you know to be unethical but not illegal. Next week's Workshop will go further into the topic by suggesting what to do when encountering illegal activities.

Often, uncovering unethical behavior becomes a test of one's own ethical values. Few unethical activities are black and white, and people have differing views of what is ethical and unethical. For instance, numerous polls have shown that many people think it's morally OK to make a "few" long distance calls from work (even though the company will have to pay for the calls),or to copy "some" software for home use (even though the company could beheld liable). When an activity seems unethical to you, however, your own sense of right and wrong comes into question. You have to ask yourself how you feel about informing someone about the activity, or about simply closing your eyes to it.

If you do decide to inform someone, choices immediately come up. Should you speak first to the individual, or go directly to a supervisor within the company? Such decisions may involve deep feelings that go back to early childhood, when one was a "tattle-tale" when informing an adult about another child's stealing or cheating. In business, adults must face choices of being loyal either to the co-worker or to the company. These can be difficult choices, especially when the behavior is not something illegal, or considered "bad enough to tell about."

The list of unethical activities is too long to be listed here in entirety. In addition to those already mentioned, some common unethical activities that are not illegal include, among many others:

Discussing confidential company financial matters with unauthorized people.

Covering up absences for co-workers.

Taking credit for the work of others.

"Borrowing" company supplies for use at home.

When you encounter any type of activity that you feel is unethical, the first questions to ask yourself are:

Is there a company policy about the activity?

Is the activity actually illegal?

What is the best way to resolve the situation without being reprimanded, or even fired?

How much will the individual be affected if I report to a supervisor?

If there is a company policy regarding the activity, in many instances you should first speak directly to the individual, informing him or her that you have come to realize they are involved in the activity and you feel they should cease immediately. It matters nothing at all what the person says when being encountered: it is only what they do afterward that matters. If they cease the activity, you have done your job. If they continue, you have the choice of addressing them again or of going directly to a supervisor.

Many times your relationship (or lack of relationship) will make it hard to go to the individual first. The person may be difficult to work with in general. Or you may feel that he or she might turn the situation against you, making it seem as though you are the guilty party. In such instances, you should go to a supervisor to report the activity. Whenever possible, take proof of the wrongdoing with you. This will make the supervisor's job easier, and may allow the supervisor to address the individual without naming you as the informant.

Next week's Workshop continues this topic, focussing on what to do when encountering illegal activity, and what to do when asked to participate in unethical activity.