Ethical Perspectives in Employment Relations and Human Resources Management Introduction to Session Module Overview and Objectives Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Ethical Perspectives: Relation to the Frame HR Transaction Roles & Ethical Perspectives Fairness of selection and promotion criteria and processes Discipline and just cause standards HR Translation Roles & Ethical Perspectives HR functions regarding drug use or affirmative action Employee rights of privacy vs. employer needs Cross-cultural differences’ impact Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Ethical Perspectives: Relation to the Frame (cont.) HR Transition Roles & Ethical Perspectives Selection of caring supervisors Use of leave policies responsive to work-family conflicts Reduction of pay differentials HR Transformational Roles & Ethical Perspectives New standards of ethical best practices Use of employee involvement and team systems Collaborative and cooperative labor relations Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Ethics, Morals & Philosophy Ethics: a branch of philosophy dealing with “the good” Morals: individual or culture-bound values that may or may not have foundation in ethics or philosophy Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Some Contrasts Between Ethics and Morals Ethics require scrutiny and careful objective evaluation Morals can be arbitrary, contradictory or inconsistent Something can be ethical and moral OR Something can be ethical and immoral OR Something can be moral and unethical Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Some Contrasts Between Law and Ethics Something can be ethical and legal Something can be ethical and illegal Something can be unethical and legal Something can be unethical and illegal Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Political Correctness and Good Manners Political correctness includes being sensitive to others and avoiding derogatory language Some argue that political correctness can be overused, but political correctness can assure ethical behavior By exercising Good Manners, Etiquette, and Civility, professional and social commerce can be lubricated Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Judeo-Christian and Non-Western Traditions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam emphasize similarities in ethical perspectives relating to work Global companies must learn differences of business ethics under Asian and African religious and philosophical traditions Ethical behavior may or may not be consistent,however, with religious teachings Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Gender Differences and Ethics Many ethical traditions historically treated men’s and women’s workplace contributions differently and unequally Contemporary thinking is moving toward reducing most gender-based workplace differentials Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Conflicts at Work Regarding What Is or Is Not Ethical Workplace conflicts can involve competing core values, perceived inconsistencies between actions and values, or varied perceptions of reality Inter-group conflicts may occur between Employees and their employer, OR Labor union leaders and managers Intra-group conflicts may occur within groups such as Union members disagreeing on contract goals OR Varied management departments’ strategic plans Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Strategic Issues in Workplace Ethics Overview of varied examples where work conflict can occur regarding what is ethical, moral, legal, or good manners Workplace ethics can involve contrasting rights of individuals, groups (such as of employees), or the employer Ethics at work can involve contrasts in rights of life and safety, privacy and freedom, and property and pursuit of happiness Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Selection and Promotion of Employees and Supervisors Job description criteria and measurement fairness Pre-selection of eventual winners Caring person values and skills Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Rights to Collect Information vs. Rights of Privacy Monitoring for drug and alcohol use Collecting data on work lives and performance Screening for dexterity, communication skills, and personality traits Computer performance monitoring, electronic eavesdropping, and video camera surveillance Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Income Differentials Within Workplaces and Society Compensation and pay structures within the firm Gender-related pay differentials CEO compensation in relation to others in the firm; and to minimum wages and living wage ordinances Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Punishments, Progressivity, and Just Cause in Discipline Cases Procedural justice and progressive, corrective discipline systems Just cause standards in union and non-union settings Employment-at-will versus wrongful discharge exceptions Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Occupational Health and Safety Worker’s compensation acts and disputed claims OSHA’s general duty clause Cost benefit analysis in standard setting and enforcement Reproductive hazards: health versus non-discrimination Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Employee Involvement and Quality of Worklife Enhancement Varied programs seek to enhance employees’ worklife quality and increase their involvement in decision-making Ethical conflicts can occur over the sharing of productivity improvements and the impact on employee numbers Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Labor--Management Relations Rights of employees to unionize vs. employer rights to operate union-free Union rights to collect dues and service fees and limitations to do so under: Right-to-work state laws and Employee Beck rights and Union’s duty of fair representation Union and employee rights, and limitations, to strike Collective bargaining processes under: Traditional labor-management negotiations and Interest-based (win-win styles of) bargaining Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Affirmative Action Programs vs. Seniority and Other Systems Preferences under Affirmative Action programs Collective bargaining’s traditional Seniority Principle Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing

Workforce Reductions vs. Job Creation Efforts Labor-management conflict over workforce redundancies Causes of plant closings and conflicting ethical claims of stakeholders including employers, employees, and communities Impact of privatization of public sector workplaces Various responses to downsizing pressures have included: Humane downsizing policies Labor-management-community job creation efforts, and Employee Stock Ownership Plans Copyright 2000 - South-Western College Publishing