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UNIT 5: Responding to Employee Behavior
• Unit Background/Author Perspective
• Module 26: “Don't Be a Hero” Policies
• Module 27: Company Perspective: Sexual Harassment
• Module 28: Employee Perspective: Sexual Harassment
• Module 29: The Family and Medical Leave Act and “Fake Illnesses”
• Module 30: Firing Workers Responsible for a “Big Problem”
• Module 31: Resume Fraud
• Module 32: Employee Behavior Away from the Office
Unit Background/Author Perspective
The last unit examined workplace issues that are independent of how employees act. This
unit focuses on situations that are created, at least in part, by employee behavior.
If an “at-will” employee violates company policy or behaves badly in some other way,
what should a company do? Should it fire workers, or would that make remaining workers
disgruntled or paranoid? Should a company discipline workers without terminating them? Or
perhaps do nothing at all?
Does it matter if an employee who violates company policy thinks that he is helping the
company? The first module in this unit looks at such a situation. What if the violated policy
seeks to control behavior away from the office?
What if the bad behavior results in substantial losses for the company by generating
lawsuits? What if an employee lies? What if there is no violation of any specific company policy,
but an employee does something in her personal life that embarrasses the company?
These issues are examined in detail in the next several modules.
Unit Core Ethical Issues
Most banks and many other organizations strictly prohibit employees from resisting
criminals.
• What should a company do if an employee breaks a “don't be a hero” policy,
apprehends a criminal, and “saves the day”?
• Some business leaders are highly concerned with the possibility of sexual
harassment lawsuits. Some of them choose to implement policies that ban
workplace dating. Are such rules appropriate?
• If a company does adopt a no-dating policy, and if coworkers become
romantically involved, how should a company respond?
• The FMLA is a much-appreciated law among workers dealing with serious
illnesses. But what if a worker takes FMLA leave and it comes to light that he was
never ill in the first place?
• Bad decisions can lead to catastrophic results. If a specific person plays a major
role in creating a disaster, should she be fired?
• The economy has made some job applicants more desperate than usual. Some
of them will seek any possible advantage to get a job. Is “stretching the truth” on
a resume harmless, or does it always indicate that a person is unfit to work for a
company?
