Palmer Inc. is a medium sized business with approximately 500 employees. It is one of the largest, most diverse privately held metal finishing operations in North America. The company has two main divisions: Chrome and Performance Coatings. Palmer Inc. has been named one of the 25 Best Medium Companies to Work For in America five times, and the company attributes that honor to their culture. Two key aspects of the culture include a focus on safety and a commitment to development of their employees. Palmer Inc. has the close-knit atmosphere of a family-owned business and demonstrates a strong commitment to the people who work there.
You have just been hired as the president of Palmer Inc. and you are excited to get started on strengthening the culture and the bottom line. Unfortunately, after just a month on the job, it comes to your attention that your HR director has developed a relationship with an accounts receivable clerk in the performance coatings division. While the clerk is not married, your HR director is. You’ve just spoken with your HR director who admits to the relationship, but, as far as you can tell, their relationship has just started and there has been no physical intimacy. Nonetheless, it’s clear from your discussion that your HR director’s marriage is failing and the new relationship is true love. Though the HR director doesn’t admit it, you get the distinct impression that the director intends to continue the relationship with the clerk.
Because of your strong culture, Palmer Inc. long ago decided it would be important to have a policy on fraternization. The policy is for the good of the working relationships in the whole group of employees, and was not put in place to control the behavior of a few employees. The policy prohibits romantic relationships between a manager and a staff member. It defines the behavior that is acceptable and what is not acceptable, and it supplies the potential consequences of breaking the policy. Here is a case where there is a clear violation of the policy, and, according to the policy, you have the option of firing the HR director. It’s an easy decision. You fire the HR director.
Not five minutes after you fire the HR director, you receive a phone call from one of the owners of Palmer Inc. demanding an explanation for your decision–apparently this owner and the former HR director are distant cousins.
For this graded discussion board, using the ethical decision-making process and ethics principles taught in this course, justify your decision as ethical. Or, maybe you’ve changed your mind about what you did. If so, explain why what you did was unethical. Your choice. Also, be sure to respond to at least three of your classmates’ posts.
Palmer Inc. is a medium sized business with approximately
Palmer Inc. is a medium sized business with approximately 500 employees. It is one of the largest, most diverse privately held metal finishing operations in North America. The company has two main divisions: Chrome and Performance Coatings. Palmer Inc. has been named one of the 25 Best Medium Companies to Work For in America five times, and the company attributes that honor to their culture. Two key aspects of the culture include a focus on safety and a commitment to development of their employees. Palmer Inc. has the close-knit atmosphere of a family-owned business and demonstrates a strong commitment to the people who work there.
You have just been hired as the president of Palmer Inc. and you are excited to get started on strengthening the culture and the bottom line. Unfortunately, after just a month on the job, it comes to your attention that your HR director has developed a relationship with an accounts receivable clerk in the performance coatings division. While the clerk is not married, your HR director is. You’ve just spoken with your HR director who admits to the relationship, but, as far as you can tell, their relationship has just started and there has been no physical intimacy. Nonetheless, it’s clear from your discussion that your HR director’s marriage is failing and the new relationship is true love. Though the HR director doesn’t admit it, you get the distinct impression that the director intends to continue the relationship with the clerk.
Because of your strong culture, Palmer Inc. long ago decided it would be important to have a policy on fraternization. The policy is for the good of the working relationships in the whole group of employees, and was not put in place to control the behavior of a few employees. The policy prohibits romantic relationships between a manager and a staff member. It defines the behavior that is acceptable and what is not acceptable, and it supplies the potential consequences of breaking the policy. Here is a case where there is a clear violation of the policy, and, according to the policy, you have the option of firing the HR director. It’s an easy decision. You fire the HR director.
Not five minutes after you fire the HR director, you receive a phone call from one of the owners of Palmer Inc. demanding an explanation for your decision–apparently this owner and the former HR director are distant cousins.
For this graded discussion board, using the ethical decision-making process and ethics principles taught in this course, justify your decision as ethical. Or, maybe you’ve changed your mind about what you did. If so, explain why what you did was unethical. Your choice. Also, be sure to respond to at least three of your classmates’ posts.