Wrongdoing in the Workplace
Instructions:-
Write: In your paper,
- Present a main argument in standard form with each premise and the conclusion on a separate line. Here is an example of what it means for an argument to be presented in standard form
All men are mortal.
Socrates is a man.
Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
- Provide support for each premise of your argument. Explain the
meaning of the premise, and provide supporting evidence for the premise. [One
paragraph for each premise]
- Pay special attention to those premises that could be seen as controversial. Evidence may include academic research sources, supporting arguments, or other ways of demonstrating the truth of the premise (for more ideas about how to support the truth of premises take a look at the instructor guidance for this week). This section should include at least one scholarly research source. For further information about discovering and including high-quality research take a look at the FindIt@AU (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Tutorial.
- Explain how your conclusion follows from your premises.
For an example of how to complete this paper, take a look at the Week One Annotated Example The Ethics of Elephants in Circuses (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Let your instructor know if you have any remaining questions about how to complete this paper.
Solution
Wrongdoing in the Workplace
Does one have an obligation to report wrongdoing by one’s employer, even
when doing so will result in the loss of one’s job? Are whistle blower laws
effective and
necessary?
Premise 1: Employees have a moral and legal obligation to report wrongdoing by the employer.
Premise 2: Reporting wrongdoing creates an effective, safe, and an enabling environment that promotes the interests of the company and protects the rights of employees.
Premise 3: Effective whistleblower laws are necessary for protecting whistleblowers and empowering them to report corruption, fraud, and misconduct.
Premise 4: However, the poor implementation of whistleblower laws leads to their ineffectiveness.
Conclusion: employees have an obligation to report wrongdoing in the workplace and a right to be protected from possible discrimination, unlawful termination of employment, and any other possible consequences.
Support for Premises
The first premise points out the moral and legal obligation of an employee to report wrongdoing in the workplace. According to OECD (2017), wrongdoing may include corruption, fraud, misconduct, and other practices that may affect employees and impact on the organization’s ability to achieve its objectives, mission, and vision. The moral obligation requires employees to protect other vulnerable employees and promote the interests of the company. Moreover, recognizing and protecting an employer’s wrongdoing may attract legal liability for aiding practices such as corruption, harassment of employees, bribery, and misconduct among others. Therefore, employees have an obligation to report wrongdoing by their employers.
The second premise states that employees have an obligation to report their employers for engagement in wrongdoing since doing creates a safe and effective working environment, promotes and protects the rights of the employees, and advances the objectives of the organization. Wrongdoing in the workplace may include infringement on the rights of employees such as unsafe work environment, sexual and physical harassment, mistreatment, and prevention from enjoying employment rights (Erkmen, Çalışkan, & Esen, 2014; Bj½rkelo, 2013). By reporting cases of wrongdoing, an employee protects other staff from the unlawful practices by the employer thus creating an effective and safe environment for current and future employees. Additionally, reporting promotes the objectives of the organization by boosting production efficiency, performance, productivity, and the quality of work (OECD, 2017; Perego, 2017). In this regard, therefore, whistleblowing in an important tool in the workplace and employees should report any known cases of wrongdoing regardless of the possible effects.
Effective whistleblower laws offer whistleblower protection and encourage employees to report any cases of wrongdoing by the employer or other employees within the organization. The protection of whistleblowers through the law empowers them to report cases of fraud, corruption, unfair practices, mistreatment, mismanagement, and any practices harmful to the public. The OECD (2017) states that employees are in a better position to notice and report wrongdoing in the workplace. However, according to Perego (2017) and Barnett (1992), most employees are reluctant to ‘blow the whistle’ for fear of the possible consequences such as termination of employment, mistreatment, or being denied opportunities of career growth and development. Considering the potential impact of wrongdoing to the organization, the employees, and the public, there is a need to encourage whistleblowing. Therefore, it is important to empower and encourage employees to report wrongdoing by protecting them by creating effective whistleblower laws.
The fourth premise states that though the whistleblower laws can be efficient in encouraging reporting of wrongdoing in the workplace, they are often ineffective due to poor implementation. Whistleblower laws are greatly disregarded in the workplace. A survey conducted by Tim Barnett in 1992 showed that 62%, 18%, and 11% of whistleblowers lost their jobs, experienced harassment or unprecedented transfers, or had their salaries or responsibilities reduced. Perego (2017) states that even as the government focuses on ensuring the enforcement of whistleblower laws, most whistleblowers suffer consequences such as mistreatment, harassment, and loss of jobs. Therefore, whistleblower laws remains ineffective in protecting employees who report wrongdoing.
In conclusion,
employees have an obligation to report wrongdoing in the workplace and a right
to be protected from possible discrimination, unlawful termination of
employment, and any other possible consequences. Employees have a mandate to report
wrongdoing to prevent cases of misappropriation, fraudulent activity that may
cost the organization, or possible negative effects on other employees. Moreover,
the protection of whistleblowers through the implementation of whistleblower
laws is critical. Protecting whistleblowers encourages reporting of any
potentially harmful practices.
References
Barnett, T. (1992). Why Your Company Should Have A Whistleblowing Policy . Sam Advanced Management Journal, 37-42.
Bj½rkelo, B. (2013). Workplace bullying after whistleblowing: future research and implications. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 28 (3), 306-323.
Erkmen, T., Çalışkan, A. Ö., & Esen, E. (2014). An empirical research about whistleblowing behavior in accounting context. Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, 229-243.
OECD. (2017). Whistleblower Protection – The Importanc of Whistleblower Protection . Retrieved from OECD: http://www.oecd.org/gov/ethics/whistleblower-protection.htm
Perego, M. (2017). See something, say something: Why reporting wrongdoing is essential. Public Management (00333611), 99 (4), 2-3.