Ethics in the workplace is a topic that we have all heard about. In fact, the topic of ethics in general is something most people are familiar with. And, what is commonly understood about ethics is that there are ethics and then there are ethics in the workplace. However, what most people don’t realize is that there is no such thing as ethics in the workplace; ethics are the same (or should be) whether in the workplace or in personal life.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

Ethics is about making decisions that don’t always feel good or seem to benefit you, but are the “right” decisions to make. It is the elections that are examples of “model citizens” and examples of the golden rules. We have all heard the golden rules: do not hurt, do not steal, do not lie, or one of the most famous: “Do to others what they would have done to you.” These aren’t just catchy phrases; These are words of wisdom that any productive member of society should strive to live by.

In our personal lives, most people try to do exactly that. Many people think that ethics is something to do with the private side of life and not with the business side. In many companies, having ethics is frowned upon or considered a negative topic. That’s because business is usually about doing what’s best for number one, not what’s actually right. You’re probably already uncomfortable reading this.

A GOOD EXAMPLE

Take ENRON, for example. Were the actions of the CEO of ENRON a good example of ethics? No. But, THEY WERE a CLASSIC example of two things: One, those actions showed how ethics were not being used in any way. Two, his actions painted a grim and realistic picture of what can happen when ethics are neglected. If ethics had been considered first by company leaders, there would have been no scandal. If ethics were used daily in all companies, there would never be scandals.

Martha Stewart comes to mind when talking about ethics. Once again, there is a sense of unease in dealing with this issue. But why is it so? Ethics are supposed to enhance our lives and invoke good feelings. Perhaps the reason ethics is such a touchy subject is because they are often misused, if at all.

A NEW WAY

Ethics is coming back. For starters, more and more corporations and businessmen and women are realizing that ethics is not checked at the door upon entering the workplace. Ethics has as much place in the public as in the private. How come there should be separate sets of ethics, depending on whether it concerns your personal life or your work life? The answer is that there shouldn’t be a separate set, and in light of the recent events we see on our televisions of late, more and more companies are waking up to this fact.

Some companies are incorporating ethics into their training. It’s a topic that can go hand in hand with business, and when both employees and CEOs understand what ethics is all about, business can improve. Not only will the community take note of the ethical nature of a business, but the customers as well.

Periodic reassessments in ethics training are also suggested, as times change many things that some would never consider ethical or unethical. For example, when the first hacker to submit a paper to a university’s computer system brought the entire network the system was a part of, including the utility network, to a standstill simply because he could, it’s hard to raise an ethical issue. . Computers were new, at the time. And, no one had been able to do such a thing before. With the new times come new technologies and new ways of doing things. Ethics will continue to be a part of all of this, and refreshing ethics training only strengthens what has already been learned again, when new eras arrive.

In the end, it is about what a person understands about ethics. Many university curricula are now heavily applying the teaching of ethics, and for good reason. Young minds will take this information to the workforce and understand that ethics must apply both there and in the private sector. Corporations will be able to avoid embarrassing scandals that are all over the national news. Small businesses will be able to keep and attract more customers and consumers. Negotiations between companies could be carried out with the other company more in mind, which would only help both.

Above all, there must be a high level of ethics in your business, at least for customers. If anything, it is the customer who should be considered the most when it comes to ethical business practices. In the long run, a business will make huge profits from a customer base that feels they are being treated fairly and truthfully.