Sheila Greene
Principles of Management
Professor Carlin
November 29, 2021
Read “Making Ethical Decisions in the Workplace” on page 271 in your textbook and answer
question 3. Use the language and information you have learned in the textbook. Remember to
cite your textbook and any other sources. papers should be 500 words minimum. Due date:
November 30 by midnight. Late papers will not be accepted and will result in a zero.
What Ethical Issue do you see here? What other stakeholders might be impacted by this and how might
they be impacted? What ethical responsibilities do organizations have in light of this change in
environment?
The big picture of the Ethical Issue here is medical marijuana use and employment. In this case
of the employer, the ethical issues faced here include discrimination and termination of an employee
based on his or her use of marijuana for medical purposes. For starters, this can make a very challenging
Human Resource issue for a company and mangers when there is a use of medical marijuana by
employees. Federal courts have ruled that companies do not have to accommodate medical marijuana
users. That companies are allowed to create and enforce their own drug-use policies. The ethical issue
can then turn into that these policies are a violation of disability and privacy laws. Which makes this a
very fine line and difficult for a company to enforce anti- drug use polices without fear of being sued.
Stakeholders are impacted by this dilemma in a few different ways. Banning of marijuana use by
employers or workers on duty during their shift is a safe and reasonable standard. But total prohibition
of medical marijuana would likely leave a company exposed to claims under federal law. Given the
variables in the use and effects of marijuana, it is almost impossible to ensure safety among other
workers. Even the smallest mistake of someone under the influence can in return place another
Robbins, Stephen P., et al. Fundamentals of Management, Pearson, New York, NY, 2020.