Question

A complaint of sexual harassment by a part-time worker in a hardware business was upheld when the Tribunal found that the employer had failed to take sufficient action in relation to the employee's report of inappropriate behaviour. The alleged sexual harassment included kissing, touching her breasts and leg, persistent requests to have a drink outside work hours despite an ongoing refusal, asking for cuddles, telephoning her at home and making repeated unsolicited sexual remarks. Based on any four ethical theories, explain how these acts constitute unethical behaviours at the workplace

Answer 1

These acts constitute unethical behaviour,,we can explain it on the basis of following ethical theories:

1.UTILITARIANISM: It says that an action is right if it benefits or bring happiness to the people around, but in this case the employee is harrased and is not at all happy with this kind of behaviour so it constitutes unethical behaviour according to the theory of utilitarianism.

2. DEONTOLOGY: It says that the action is morally right if it is in accordance with the rules, rights etc and does not look for the outcome, but in this case this kind of action does not follow any rules and there is no right given to anybody to harass a women, so this theory tells that this is an unethical behaviour.

3. INDIVIDUAL  CHARACTER ETHICS: It says that there are certain qualities of a person which determine its ethics like gratitude, benevolence, respect but in this case the individual has no such traits present in him as he is seen disrespecting a women, so this theory shoes the unethical behaviour of the person.

4.WORK INDIVIDUAL ETHICS: It says that the development or presence of certain traits show the work ethics of an individual and the traits are honor, work pride, trustworthiness but in this case he has proved that there is no such trait present in him so it constitute unethical behaviur at workplace.