Improper hiring practices, conflicts of interest, discrimination, harassment, unethical leadership, and misuse of company perks are among the most common ethical issues in a company. By adopting a good strategy, ethical conflicts can effectively be resolved.
When two employees of a company are eager for one promotion, and both take credit for one piece of work, suppressing each other gives way to an ethical conflict. In such a situation, their leadership needs to find a way to figure out who deserves credit for the work and decide accordingly.
Ethical conflict in a company can lead to big financial loss in a penalty, litigation, employee turnover, or negative PR. The most desirable option for a business is to keep away from any of such problems.
Have a strong HR policy in your company
Maintaining healthy and clear communication with your company employees in context with their employment and job must be prioritized. Make sure that all employees are treated equally and fairly. Plan and manage their expectations. Organize regulations and guidelines for company managers and superiors to follow.
Prevention from harassment and discrimination
Among the greatest ethical conflicts that affect a company are harassment and discrimination issues. If they occur, the result is adverse. They put a company’s reputation at stake and lead it towards financial loss.
Anti-discrimination laws and regulations are to be followed in a company to protect its employees from being unfairly treated. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines various harassment and discrimination issues that severely affect a company.
Physical or mental disability: It is very important to treat disabled employees equally and without discrimination. Professional business environment plans and follows a strict policy, particularly for their disabled employees.
Race or ethnicity: All company employees have the right to be treated fairly regardless of their race, color, or ethnic differences.
Religion: Equal treatment is provided in a good company to all its employees within grounds despite their religious differences.
Old age: This rule applies to overage employees for their equal treatment. Organized businesses strictly abide by ageist policies with other rules and regulations.
Equivalent Pay: Regardless of religion, ethnicity, sex, and race, all employees are righteous to receive equal pay for their work.
Health & sickness: Equal treatment is provided to the company’s sick and pregnant employees without discrimination.
Sex and Gender: Despite their sex or gender identity, all company employees are treated with equality.
Avoidance of conflicts of interest
A proper company policy must be established to avert interest conflicts between employees, board members, or contractors. Firstly, identification of situations that create conflicts is necessary. The policy must clearly state the eventual actions the company is righteous to take in response to a conflict regarding any employee.
Unethical behaviors
Unethical behaviors are also a source of damage to the reputation of a company. They can cause a company to lose its valued customers and shut down its operations. Nevertheless, the company management must work together with the employees to avoid unethical behaviors.
To serve the purpose, the company must create a written code of conduct for its senior, middle, and junior level employees. This protocol must state the discipline and behaviors expected to be displayed by the employees.
Improper hiring practices prevention
To safeguard your company from the eventualities of improper hiring practices, regular training of the human resource department is mandatory. Each HR department employee must be fully aware of company policies and anti-discrimination rules and regulations. Thorough training must be provided to them regarding discrimination in the hiring process. This proves to be very resourceful for having the HR and everyone related to the hiring process updated with the quickly swapping perspective of discrimination laws.
Prevention from misuse of company perks
There are people in a company having more influence and power. If these powers are used judiciously, power can influence others positively. And, If not, the outcome is reversed. In a company, the pecking order generally incorporates employees with their reporting authorities, like managers and supervisors. Organizing a fair and just working environment lessens the chances of misuse of power in a business.
Ethical issues linked with social media
Ethical conflicts in a business and social media are problematic because such conditions fall in the gray area. Refraining from perplexity or unclarity between the business and its employees is a wise step. The initiatives to be applied are regulations and procedures for employees that narrate what to/what not to do on social media.
Instructions for the employees regarding their social media usage could be implied with training programs, board notices, and regular emails. Adoption of this policy is a virtuous chance to redirect the concern with other employees in case of misconduct or violation of social media by one or more, leading to termination.
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