What ethical principles should guide the collection and use of personal information by employers?
When handling personal information concerning their employees, certain principles of confidentiality and other ethical matters ought to be put in mind. These guiding principles are addressed in business code of ethics. Business ethics are principles that guide the conduct of both the employers and the employees. These principles govern both ethical and moral conduct within the organization. However in a broader sense, business ethics also covers relationships between companies, industries, society and the state. For smooth running of the business and society at large, business ethics becomes a compulsory part of that business or society. This is because it includes the most basic aspects in that business. According grace Cohen, business ethics goes beyond the set principles, traditions and contracts. It is a form of reasoning that enables and individual in the most basic level to make ethically acceptable when faced by a certain situation (Gramling, Jihnstone & Rittenberg 2009).
Due to the scope that business ethics covers, individuals may be having a restricted role to play. At the individual level, ethical issues are tied up with their roles and responsibilities in that institution. In some cases relativism on the grounds of culture, maybe a problem in ethical matters due to the diversification. The diversification principle has been adopted by businesses in the effort of creating a competitive edge against their rivals in the field. In such a case, businesses should absorb the ethical values of the culture they operate in. For ethical considerations, one need not only concentrate on the self interests but also those of others. An ethical decision should be that which can be universally acceptable as a moral or ethical decision. It therefore means that that decision can be altered to fit into different situations and still remain to be ethical. To avoid biases, an ethical decision should be justified. It should also aim at “action building” and not only for theoretical reasons.
There are generally accepted guidelines in maters relating to moral conduct on the collection of information and handling the same information earned by both the employees and the employers. In collecting information, employers should stick to the principle of respect and honor to the employees not only as a human right requirement but also moral obligation. The process of information should not be intimidating or embarrassing. Similarly the employee should be given some degree of freedom in disclosing. On the same note, laid down guidelines on how a firm or company collects information should be availed to the employee. This ensures that the employer does not go beyond the required limit (Bowie &Beauchamp, 2008).
In handling the personal information of employees and other people associated with the business, the employer should have an aspect of respect for their privacy. He/she should therefore not any disclose information to other person unless it is very necessary or by consent of the person. If this happens, there could strains in the relationships between the employer and the employee and even other employees as a result of disappointment. This principle goes hand in hand with that of honor and confidentiality. A moral and ethical conduct should be that which positively adds to the society and individuals. This implies that human rights have to protect in the process of applying ethical principles. They should also be set in line with the different cultural expectation so that they can socially acceptable, meet the needs of the members of that society and will not bring harm to the social welfare of the people (Gramling, 2009).
In considering how the employer should handle the personal information of his employees and other business partners, they should avoid any move or activity that may harm others. The employees should also seek to protect their employer by protecting the information given to them in confidence Harm in this case implies to the negative effects that the employer may have on the kind of action they take. This may include unwanted loss of the personal information. Loss of this personal information that has been entrusted to them by their employees may mean that the information could have landed on the wrong hands of people who may I’ll intention on that person. The information which is most defiantly private gets to be publicly scrutinized. To avoid such incidences, employers should be careful and keen on how they apply the agreed upon code of conduct and avoid any form of malfunction.
Employers of all categories of business partners are expected to have high degree of integrity. For this reason they should be trustworthy and honest such that employees should not have any difficulty disclosing their personal information to them. Guided by the principle of integrity, employers are not expected to disclose any information they have concerning one their business partners without express permission from the relevant people.
Fairness is factor that should the employer. He/she should avoid any form of discrimination despite how junior the employer may be. Taking an example of an office messenger, the employer should equally respect him as much he does respect the employees at a higher rank or those that have a higher contribution to the business than the messenger. Therefore, any form of discrimination either of gender, position, gender, race, relationship should be avoided by the employers in handling personal information about their employees. Any form equality should not be encouraged as it, may result in to the misuse of information. Personal information of all should be treated equally by the employer. These principles should apply to both employers and employees (Daar, Cline & David, 2007).
Taking an example of whistle blowing as a relevant example to this discussion, it can both harmful and beneficial to both the employer and employee. “Whistle blowing means speaking out form within an organization to expose a social problem or, dissenting from dominant views or practices”. In simpler terms it is informing relevant parties about misconduct from within the organization “or after separation from it”. In this case employees of a profit making firm discloses some information about the production process of a product to the public. The employees disclose the product has not been under healthy conditions or with the health procedure thus making it harmful for the consumers of the product. This they did out moral obligation and with an intention to change the situation. However in different scenario, whistle blowing can also be done from within. However, the external case has a greater influence and impact on morals than internal whistle blowing (Grace, 1995).
As above mentioned, whistle blowing has positive and negative consequences. It has negative effects on the blower and the firm being accused. In the example of employees exposing the firm to the public on a practice that harmful in the production process, the employees are at a risk of loosing their jobs which consequently affect their dependants. Similarly, the firm will be affected negatively in that they will loose clients which will eventually lead to the collapse of the firm. This will have negative consequences on the rest of the employees, shareholders and other related partners like suppliers.
Whistle blowing is a sign of disloyalty since the information disclosed was acquired was meant to private and in confidence. Moreover, for the whistle blowers to give evidence of their claims may lead to wrong or immoral acts like stealing. Again whistle blowing may disclose an aspect of the blowers as gossips and those that “do not mind their own business” or those that do not have the best intention for their employers at heart, because if they did, they could have it within the firm. This is because the motives of the act are inline with moral responsibility. A whistleblower shows no respect and honor for his employer and fellow employees since they are associated with firm. This breaks the universal code of ethics.
However, whistle blowing may be justified it has to meet the following conditions as developed by De George. If the practice or product causes serious or considerable harm to the victims, if the blower has made an effort of correcting the situation from within or other “less damaging means” have used or are not possible. There should be convincing evidence that there is such a practice that goes on in the firm in question. Similarly the act is justified if making it public will change or give better results. Further justification lies on the moral obligation that a relatively small personal sacrifice as compared to the greater benefit to other people is worth it (Grace &Cohen, 1995).
In another perspective, actions people undertake in an organization may have greater consequences than those done personally, the moral obligation therefore comes in where individuals in an organization individuals should not cause harm others in the name of being a member of that organization. Therefore, though whistle blowing may be altering certain code of ethics in business, it can be embraced in it becomes a morally acceptable act if it satisfies the above mentioned conditions and if it is the motive is to bring wrong doing to light and let the truth be known concerning what has happened since the victims do have a right to know the truth of the matter (Hoffman ,Frederick & Schwartz , 2001).
In conclusion, beyond the legal requirements in the case relating to information collection and handling, moral, social and cultural aspects carry the same weight. These obligations govern both the employer and the employee i.e. employees should handle the information they been entrusted with by the organization with integrity and at the same time the employers should do the same. If these ethics are observed keenly, then a peaceful environment will created, which is conducive for the smooth running for all parties. However as in the case of whistle blowing, these requirements should not paralyze the moral obligation of the individuals in the society because they are working in an organization. Risk taken will result to relatively better results to a large group.
References
Bowie, N., Beauchamp,T. (2008). Ethical theory and business. New York: Prentice Hall
Daar, A., Cline C., David C. (2007).Science, society, and the supermarket. California: John Wiley and Sons.
Richard De George ‘Whistleblowing’ in Hoffman, Frederick and Schwartz (eds) Business Ethics: Readings and Cases in Corporate Morality p. 284,
Grace, D., Cohen, S. (1995) .Business ethics. Melbourne: oxford university press.
Gramling, A., Jihnstone K., Rittenberg L. (2009).Auditing. Chicago: Cengage Learning.
Hoffman, W., Frederick, R., Schwartz , M.(2001). Corporate Morality. New York: Mc Graw Hill
