Ethics and legal issues
- 1. Ethics and Legal Issues An overview related to the workforce
- 2. Focus Question • Name some traits that employers want when they hire an employee.
- 3. Ethics • Principles of conduct that govern a group or society
- 4. Commonly Observed Unethical Behavior • Lying • Withholding needed information • Abusive or intimidating behavior • Misreporting actual time or hours worked • Discrimination • Misuse of Internet and email privileges • Theft or misuse of company property
- 5. Confidentiality • Keeping your mouth shut and not sharing information that has been entrusted to you.
- 6. How to Handle Unethical Behavior • Keep a written record. Describe each incident including date and time. • Check your observations with trusted friends colleagues. • Gather evidence/proof • Decide whether to remain anonymous or speak up • Report only facts or observations
- 7. Focus Question • Brainstorm some typical ethical scenarios you may face in the workplace.
- 8. Focus Question • Brainstorm some typical laws that affect workers.
- 9. Workplace Rights: Minimum Wage • Federal government and state governments establish these laws that establish the lowest hourly wage an employer must pay for worker’s services. Current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. NJ minimum wage is currently $7.25 and hour although there are proposals in the assembly and senate to increase the minimum wage.
- 10. Focus Question • Do you support a raise in the minimum wage?
- 11. Workplace Rights: Compensatory Time • Some states allow workers to receive time off from work rather than money for working overtime
- 12. Workplace Rights: Collective Bargaining • Laws that allow unions to negotiate with management for better salaries, wages,benefits and working conditions
- 13. Workplace Rights: Strikes • Work stoppage organized by workers in order to force management to accept unions terms in negotiation.
- 14. Focus Question • If your company went on strike would you join them, why or why not?
- 15. Workplace Rights: Unemployment Insurance • Government insurance program that provides financial aid to workers who lose their jobs.
- 16. Workplace Rights: Family Leave Act • Family Leave Act passed in 1993 guarantees employees at companies with more than 50 employees to 12 weeks of personal leave to care for a family member such as a spouse or a child.
- 17. Workplace Rights: NJ Family Leave Insurance Act • As of 1/09, NJ just started deductions from workers (.09% of wages or about $1.12 per pay period) to pay for NJ family leave insurance which allows workers to take paid time off to take of a sick family member or bond with a newborn or adopted child
- 18. Focus Question • Give an example of prejudice that you have personally witnessed.
- 19. Discrimination • Unequal treatment based on such factors as race, religion, nationality, gender, age, or physical appearance
- 20. Equal Pay Act of 1963 • Requires equal pay for men and women for equal work.
- 21. Civil Rights Act of 1964 • Bans discrimination in employment based on race, color, creed, religion, gender and national origin.
- 22. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 • Protects the rights of individuals with disabilities for example it requires employers provide wheelchairs and other accommodations.
- 23. Affirmative Action • A government plan to provide access to jobs for people who have suffered discrimination in the past
- 24. Focus Question • Do you support affirmative action? Why or why not?
- 25. Illegal Immigrants in the Workplace • Businesses must by law verify that all new employees have proper working papers and identification. Businesses face fines if they hire illegal immigrants.
- 26. Focus Question • How should the government handle issues of illegal immigration?
- 27. Services offered by Lawyer • Lawyers handle many services including: defending clients, wills, deeds, property law, divorce, tax liability, discrimination.
- 28. Civil Law • Laws that apply to conflicts between private parties. Examples include divorce, breach of contract, personal injury.
- 29. Contingency Fee • Most lawyers work on a fee (hourly) basis however some will accept a fee (%) of the amount awarded in civil case.
- 30. Settlements • Mutual agreements between parties in order to avoid going to court . A settlement may include a monetary award or a correction of a situation. Many states require parties to a civil case to try to settle out of court.
- 31. Criminal Law • Government brings an indictment or list of criminal charges against a business or person. Examples include fraud, murder, manslaughter.
- 32. Focus Question • Describe the difference between criminal and civil law.
- 33. Summons • Order to appear in court
- 34. Felony • Serious crime punishable by imprisonment or death such as murder, rape, fraud.
- 35. Misdemeanor • Less serious crimes such as shoplifting, striking another worker.
- 36. Focus Question • Brainstorm what you know about sexual harassment.
- 37. Sexual Harassment • Any unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature. Examples include jokes, gestures, repeated or threatening requests for dates, and unwanted touching.
- 38. Quid pro Quo • Explicit offer of reward/ job promotion for sexual favors or negative job action in exchange for denying sexual favors •
- 39. Hostile Work Environment • When a workplace climate is hostile to workers based on sexual harassment such as images, jokes, gestures, pornography, unwanted advances
- 40. Unwanted Advances • Repeated unwanted sexual advances towards an employee by a supervisor/co-worker.
- 41. How to deal with Sexual Harassment • Immediately tell the person to stop. Be clear and direct • Write down what happened, noting date, time and place
- 42. How to deal with Sexual Harassment • Write down witnesses • Comment about how the harassment affected your work • Inform a supervisor/Human Resources Department
- 43. How to deal with Sexual Harassment • If not settled to your satisfaction by the company report to the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- 44. Focus Question • Describe what you would do if your boss made inappropriate sexual advances toward you.