Section I: Comment on the method for handling the situation below. Decide on a course of action using one or more or the ethical guidelines highlighted in our text on p.12. The course of action must be both principled and realistic. Be sure to justify your answer.
Scenario: You are applying for a job. You have been asked to be a reference for your friend. You know that your friend has been struggling to "clean up" his act with his current addiction. The prospective employer calls you and asks if there is anything that might prevent him from performing well at this job. What do you say?
Blog due at the beginning of the next class on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009.
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In this situation, I would be very torn over what I should do. Ethically, I could argue to not tell the employer about my friend, but I could also argue to tell the truth. If my friend was in this situation, I would hope he would lie for me, so I should then lie for him.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, I believe I would tell my prospective employer the truth about my friends drug problem due to ethics. If I really wanted this job, it would not be in my best interest to lie for my friend. I feel that thinking about the ethics rules of The Professional Ethic and The Publicity Test, I cannot see how I would be able to continue to work for the prospective employer if my lie became public.
My answer to the employers response would be based on how serious my friend seemed to be about keeping himself clean. If he seemed sincere, I would tell the employer that he would be a great choice for the position, and then make sure that he kept his word and kept clean. If I did not think that he would keep his word, then I would tell the employer the truth about his addiction.
ReplyDeleteThe way to deal with the situation depends on the severity of the addiction that the friend is coping with. If my friend is going to some kind of counseling or help to overcome this addiction then I would feel very comfortable telling the employer that he or she is a good candidate for the job. The reasoning for having the confidence that my friend is going to better him or herself is because if I was in the same scenario I would like for my friends to believe in me. In the other hand, if I knew that my friend was not doing anything to receive help them I would not give them a good reference because it is not ethical to lie to an employer.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would say to the prospective employer is the truth. Honesty carries you far not only in the workplace, but in life, and a good reputation is extremely important especially when being considered. Being that this person is my friend, I would know how hard they are trying to clean up from how serious of a drug problem which would be a huge contributing factor to my answer. If he is in good shape, and really making progress then of course I would take myself out of my own personal frame of reference towards his situation and put myself in his, where one would hope that their friend would endorse them. However if his “recovery” was not making much progress, it would be not only in my own best interest to be honest, but for the companies as well. Ambiguous and shifty employers can have a serious influence on future downfalls of companies which would not be good for anyone.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation I would feel obligated to tell the prospective employer the truth about my friend. It would not be very ethical for me to lie for my friend if he still has this addiction. I think this would go against "The Professional Ethic". The employer is going to find out eventually when he sees that the addiction is keeping him from performing his job properly. So I would say to the employer that my friend does have an addiction and is struggling with it.
ReplyDeleteFirst I would ask myself how bad my friend’s addiction is, if my friend’s addiction is bad and he is not reaching out to cure his addiction, I would be forced to mention this problem. However, if he is trying to face his addiction and seek help from an alcoholic program, then I would not mention his addiction as a problem. I would simply consider if his addiction is a problem and answer the question truthfully, which would pass the publicity test.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation I would be honest with the employer. I have an obligation to make the employer aware of potential issues associated with hiring this person. My obligation extends to the other employees as well, who may be affected by the hiring of this person. I also do not think a true friend would expect me to lie for them. That being said, I would be equally honest in listing my friends positive qualities and attibutes.
ReplyDeleteAs my friend's reference, I would comply with the trust he has given me in putting out a good word for him. I would comply with both the ethics and truth of the situation being that telling the truth is the ethical thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI would first tell the employer what kind of person my friend is, and then express that he, like everyone else, is not perfect. I would explain to the employer that my friend was a victim to his addiction and is working to recovery. I would explain to the employer how important this job is to the success of my friend's recovery since a job is a great way to distract yourself from such habits.
By doing that, I both tell the truth and attempt to help my friend get hired in an honest way.
It is very important in this situation to be honest about the ability of my friend to perform the job at hand. Since I know about something that can potentially affect his performance at work, I need to decide if it would benefit my friend more to get the job or be better for the welfare of the work community to let it be known that he has an addiction. Fellow employees need to be able to trust and rely on this person and it isn't fair to knowingly lie about my friend's situation. If I thought my friend could handle the job and was responsible enough to focus on work and overcome his problem then I would tell my prospective employer that he would be an asset to the company, but if I thought getting the job would create more problems then I would be using the utilitarian rule to justify my decision by saying the most good is being done for the most people.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation I would be completely honest with not only my employer but with my friend that is struggling with the addiction. Before I agreed to be my friend's reference I would make sure that he is trying his best to get clean and promise to be a loyal and hardworker. Ultimately, if he isn't true to his word it ruins his reputation and mine.
ReplyDeleteAfter making sure my friend was trustworthy enough to be recommended for a job, I would confront my employer and explain to him my friend's situation. I would say that my friend has a problem but is trying his best to clean up his act. I would explain that a job position is vital for my friend to get back on his feet and give him motivation to succeed.
By doing this, I'm helping my friend get his life back and am being honest with my employer. Therefore, I am staying true to my friend and my job.
First of all, I would not want to be put in such a situation. When thinking of this situation I think about the Golden Rule in which you treat others the way you would want to be treated. If I asked my friend to be a reference for me, I would want him to say that I would be perfect for the job. But, I also have to think about this in the employer's perspective. If I were the employer, I would want my potential employee's references to tell me like it is. I would not want to waste my time or company time by hiring people that are going to be useless. Granted I was in this predicament, I would have to tell the truth to the prospective employer. I would explain how my friend is a great worker and person, but he is going through a rough time with an addiction. By doing this, there is nothing against my name as far as lying to the employer.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, I would have to tell the employer the truth and not lie to the employer. I would have to do this based on the ethical guidline of the publicity test. I would not be comfortable having the public learn about my behavior if I did lie and the truth was announced. It would not be easy telling the employer the truth because of the golden rule and the fact that if I was using my friend as a reference and I had an addiction I would want him to lie. However, honesty is very important and I would tell the employer the truth about my friend.
ReplyDeleteHonesty is one of the most important qualities one must have in the work place. Therefore, I would confront my friend about his addiction and ensure that he is getting the treatment that he needed to get back on his feet. If he is willing to go forward with the treatment and is committed to get his life back in order then I will recommend him for the job. Afterward, I would tell my prospective employer his situation. He is a wonderful person and employee and he is willing to get his life back on track. This job will be the motivation that he needs. The prospective employer will decide whether he is a good candidate for the job. By using “The Professional Ethnic”, I was able to understand how my peers would judge me and the company if my friend was hired while still struggling with his addiction. By being honest with my friend and the employer, I was able to stay professional with my job and true to my friend.
ReplyDeleteI would first consider the Utilitarian Rule and ask myself: “Does this action do the most good for the most people over the greatest period of time?” Being dishonest to my employer as well as my friend’s future employer could ultimately hurt myself, my friend and other employees of the company. For example, a person with a drinking addiction could slip up and have a few drinks before work. If this person is working in a factory with heavy machinery he could potentially kill himself or others around. If I lie for him when asked if there is anything that might prevent him from performing well at this job, I would be ignoring my friend’s problem rather than helping him overcome his addiction. I would not only be putting his life at risk but others as well.
ReplyDeleteIf i was put in this situation I wouldn't be uncomfortable, but I would have to approach it carefully. I would consider the Categorical Imperative that questions if our society could continue to function if everyone acted in this function, and I do not believe that our society or this new workplace would not work with my friend in it. I believe that honesty is an important key and also your reference name is an important key to life, and if i were to refer someone who was known to act in dishonest ways, that wouldn't just hurt the workplace but it would also hurt my name and what it means when heard by other people. Therefore, I would not recommend my friend to this employer and I would be honest with them.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who feels very strongly about drug abuse, ethically I don't find this question to be that compelling. Following the golden rule, I wouldn't want to be treated different than I'd expect to treat him. Because I don't advocate drug abuse, unfortunately I'd have to tell the employer that I do not recommend this potential employee for personal reasons. It was his choice to be doing drugs and until he completely cleans his act there is no reason to recommend him to anyone.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, I would have to follow the Golden Rule which is treat others the way you would want to be treated. Therefore I would probably mention nothing about his addiction especially because he is my friend and one should always be loyal to their friends and have their backs. Also if hes been trying hard to straighten up we should cut him some slack and not ruin his chances of getting the job. However, if I were to not say anything about the addiction I would than continue to make sure my friend was staying clean. Everyone deserves a second chance.
ReplyDeleteI would have to use the Utilitarian Rule in this situation. Does this action do the most good for the most people over the greatest period of time? Not will my decision to disclose his addiction with his future boss affect his chance to get this job, but how will he affect the environment of his job and the people he will work with? First I would have to decide if my friend is willing to stay clean and look at his history. Had he lost multiple jobs due to his addiction? Or was it just the one and he is trying to get back on his feet? If he is not willing to stay clean and has lost many jobs due to his struggle I will have to disclose this information with his future boss. Not only can his addiction cause the production of his work, but it can also danger other employees depending on the nature of the job. But if my friend was just trying to get back on his feet and is staying clean I would only say good things about him/her.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation I would keep in mind the Golden Rule and the Categorical Imperative. The Golden Rule would be used because if I was in my friend's situation and wanted to improve my habits, I would want my closest friends to help me defeat my addictions. Also, I would use the Categorical Imperative because if everyone continued to function like my friend, there would be less people with severe addictions and more people that want to be more serious with their decisions and actions in the real world. Therefore, when the prospective employer calls to talk about my friend I would not mention his addiction in hopes that he really does wish to clean up his act. Hopefully, after this is all said and done, my friend would understand the importance of staying clean to make himself look better when new opportunities arise.
ReplyDeleteIn this scenario, I would have a very hard time trying to figure out what I should say to my friend’s potential boss. Since he is my friend, I would lie for him depending on how serious he was about “cleaning up” his act. If he were very sincere about turning his life around, I would be honest with the employer and say that he had an addiction but then I would also say that he is very sincere about conquering his craving for alcohol. However, if he were not sincere about it, then I would tell the employer about his dismissal at his previous job. This decision would be very hard for me because I would not want to let my friend down but on the other hand, you have to do what’s ethical.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if I were asked this question, I couldn't help but be honest. Depending on the addiction my friend has, i would weigh how serious it is and judge if he is really trying to work or just get drug money. I would not allow someone else to make me look bad in a professional setting and I would never set anyone up for failure.
ReplyDeleteThis scenario actually happened to me over this past summer. My boss asked me if my friend would be a good employee. I knew that friend at his previous job was fired for being lazy and was consistently late. I told my boss that he did get fired, but also insured him that he would be a better employee due to the fact that he would working with his friends and he would be more motivated because the job would be much more fun than his last one. My boss took my advice and hired him and everything worked out fine.
ReplyDeleteThis situation isn't the exact one in the scenario but its very similar. I was asked by a superior if there would be a problem with a peer. I used the Utilitarian Rule because I asked myself if hiring my friend would the most good for the most people over a period of time. Which at the end of the summer my boss found that he had made the right choice by listening to me.
This scenario actually happened to me over this past summer. My boss asked me if my friend would be a good employee. I knew that friend at his previous job was fired for being lazy and was consistently late. I told my boss that he did get fired, but also insured him that he would be a better employee due to the fact that he would working with his friends and he would be more motivated because the job would be much more fun than his last one. My boss took my advice and hired him and everything worked out fine.
ReplyDeleteThis situation isn't the exact one in the scenario but its very similar. I was asked by a superior if there would be a problem with a peer. I used the Utilitarian Rule because I asked myself if hiring my friend would the most good for the most people over a period of time. Which at the end of the summer my boss found that he had made the right choice by listening to me.