ethics> KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG > "Why don't I pass this information along anonymously so that everyone knows what's going on?" Information Goldmine Creates Equity Dilemma A worker opens the top of the office photocopier and finds In the end she decided to quit, saying: "I just couldn't stand a document someone has left behind. It's a list of perfor- the inequity." She also decided not to distribute the information mance evaluations, pay, and bonuses for 80 co-workers. She to others in the office because "it would make them depressed, reads the document, and finds something very surprising. like it made me depressed." Someone she considers a "nonstarter" is getting paid more than others regarded as "super workers." New hires are also being WHAT DO YOU THINK? brought in at much higher pay and bonuses than those of current staff. To make matters worse, she's in the middle of the list and What would you do in this situation? You're going to be con- not near the top, where she would have expected to be. The fact cerned and perhaps upset. Would you hit "print," make about is she makes a lot less money than many others. 80 copies, and put them in everyone's mailboxes-or even just Looking at the data, she begins to question why she is spend- leave them stacked in a couple of convenient locations? That would get the information out into the gossip chains pretty ing extra hours working evenings and weekends at home, trying to quickly. But is this ethical? If you don't send out the informa- do a really great job for the firm. She wonders to herself: "Should tion, on the other hand, is it ethical to let other workers go I pass this information around anonymously so that everyone about their days with inaccurate assumptions about the firm's knows what's going on? Or should I quit and find another em- pay practices? By quitting and not sharing the information, did ployer who fully values me for my talents and hard work?" this worker commit an ethics mistake?ethics> KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG > "Why don't I pass this information along anonymously so that everyone knows what's going on?" Information Goldmine Creates Equity Dilemma A worker opens the top of the office photocopier and finds In the end she decided to quit, saying: "I just couldn't stand a document someone has left behind. It's a list of perfor- the inequity." She also decided not to distribute the information mance evaluations, pay, and bonuses for 80 co-workers. She to others in the office because "it would make them depressed, reads the document, and finds something very surprising. like it made me depressed." Someone she considers a "nonstarter" is getting paid more than others regarded as "super workers." New hires are also being WHAT DO YOU THINK? brought in at much higher pay and bonuses than those of current staff. To make matters worse, she's in the middle of the list and What would you do in this situation? You're going to be con- not near the top, where she would have expected to be. The fact cerned and perhaps upset. Would you hit "print," make about is she makes a lot less money than many others. 80 copies, and put them in everyone's mailboxes-or even just Looking at the data, she begins to question why she is spend- leave them stacked in a couple of convenient locations? That would get the information out into the gossip chains pretty ing extra hours working evenings and weekends at home, trying to quickly. But is this ethical? If you don't send out the informa- do a really great job for the firm. She wonders to herself: "Should tion, on the other hand, is it ethical to let other workers go I pass this information around anonymously so that everyone about their days with inaccurate assumptions about the firm's knows what's going on? Or should I quit and find another em- pay practices? By quitting and not sharing the information, did ployer who fully values me for my talents and hard work?" this worker commit an ethics mistake
