Case Scenario: Security versus Privacy

You manage a large, high-end jewelry store with an international clientele. Your workforce of 150 is demographically diverse, and your employees are trustworthy as a rule. However, you have experienced some unexplained loss of inventory and suspect a couple of employees are stealing valuable pieces, removing them from backroom storage safes and handing them off to another person somewhere in the store who leaves with them or to a third person pretending to be a customer.

To prevent this, your assistant managers are urging you to place discreet cameras in the restrooms and break rooms, where these exchanges are likely occurring. Some managers might be concerned about using cameras at all due to privacy issues; others might want to use them without notifying employees or putting up signs because they do not want to tip off the suspects or deal with the negative reaction of the workforce (although that brings up invasion of privacy issues). You are weighing the pros of catching the thieves against the possible loss of other employees' trust.

- Answer the following questions,

1.What would be the ethical dilemma in this case?

2.What issues must you confront as you decide whether you will take the recommendation of your assistant managers?

3.What, ultimately, will you do? Explain your decision.

This is an ethical dilemma in that not all employees deserve the breach of privacy. The majority

of them are trustworthy. The course of action is however necessary since the loss of inventory

may persist if the culprit is not found. The proposed solution is however not fair to the

trustworthy employees and it is guaranteed that if they found out, most of them would quit their

jobs (Aquilina, 2015).

This is not the most suitable course of action seeing as there are several cons attached to it. There

will be a guaranteed loss of trust between employer and employee. This case might even escalate

further and become a lawsuit, with employees using the manager for the invasion of privacy. The

chances of the tape collected being leaked are also fairly high. This will of course leave the high-

end clientele questioning the legitimacy of the business you are running (Bambauer, 2013).

In my opinion, security trumps privacy. However, in this particular case, putting the security

needs first would be bad for the business seeing as there will be a loss of clientele and even

worse, employees. Some selected employees are trustworthy. These employees should be used to

surveillances to report on any abnormal behavior among employees. Aside from that, inventory

received should be stored elsewhere to prevent any potential repeat of the incident in question.

Cameras should still be installed on the premises, but this time having notified the employees. It

may not catch the thief but it will ensure employees are on their toes as they know they are being

watched. Once the thief is caught, he/ she should be fired with immediate effect to work as an

example to the rest (Himma, 2017).

I wrote the first draft but I feel not sure about my answers so can someone please edit my first draft? I would appreciate for it!