WORKPLACE ETHICS

Ethics in the Workplace



Summary Overview

Over the last few decades, women have been taking on a wider variety of jobs. One of the ethical issues in the workplace that many people say worries them with regard to women is increasing sexual harassment cases and under reporting. Major changes need to be made at the workplace in terms of both administrative awareness of the problem and procedures for dealing with sexual harassment to effectively address this ethical issue in the workplace.

Ethics in the Workplace

Introduction

Women have made many advances toward gaining equality in the workforce, as well as in the political and social worlds. Today, women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce and comprise more than half of all new college students. The significant gains for women have prompted debate over whether women may have achieved equal footing with men in the workplace and in other realms. Indeed, the need for a feminist movement promoting political and social equality of the sexes has been called into question. Ethical egoist argues that women still have a long way to go before they enjoy full equality with men in the workplace. Sexual harassment has been an increasing ethical concern in the workplace now days. This paper explores the sexual harassment to women as an ethical issue in the workplace.

Issue Statement

Statistics show that sexual harassment is an under reported issue in the workplace. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), says that an estimated 50% to 85% of American women will experience sexual harassment in their academic or working lives. Of those, only 25% tell someone they are being harassed, and only 5% ever file charges (Pauldi, 2009). Many women do not report sexual harassment they experience in the workplace because they are ashamed to admit what they have gone through or are reluctant to make an issue of someone's behavior (Muller, 2009). Many also fear that their employer will retaliate against them.

Issue discussion

Sexual harassment is a conduct by any person to harass others by actions that aim to obtain sexual favors for himself or a third party. Sexual harassment against women may involve actions or activities such as the requirements of "sexual activities" and other "verbal" or physical conduct of sexual properties that are put forward as a condition of hiring or keeping a job from woman (Carroll, 2009). In this context, stimulated consent or refusal of women to such a proposal becomes decisive when making decisions about joining or keeping a job. These kinds of actions impact on productivity or create an intimidating, hostile or unpleasant workplace environment. Majority of women are not prepared to deal with a whole range of possible consequences-that they will be laughed at, warned to remain silent, discredited, ostracized, or fired outright (Haas, 2009).

Women have joined the organizations in greater numbers in recent years. They now make up about 50% of the total workforce in United States (Muller, 2009). This proportion is expected to continue to increase. At the same time, according to a 2005 Department of Labor ...