Question

Ethical case:

You are an entry level accountant at city hall, you work for accounting department loaned outs to the department responsible for building and maintaining roads. While the managers develop their annual budget, the director of the department is in the middle of a nasty divorce, he asks you to work on Saturday to finish up details of the budget, when you arrive he asks you to work on schedule his personal financial information for upcoming divorce court case when you finish the statement, he tells you to record hours as overtime and bill the to the city.

1- what is the ethical issue here?

2-what are the alternatives?

3-if you do as the director asks and your boss finds out, what might happen?

4-what risks are involved? What information relevant to your discussion?

Answer 1

1 - Ethical Issues:-

1. Whether an accountant should work on non working day (Saturday) should be ask for official purpose?
2. And if so whether he is required to do the personal work of the director instead of the official work?
3. And if so whether it amounts to the working as on office duty as overtime hours ?

2- Alternatives: -

1. If Resources permits the employed more than one accountant, hence no need of overtime in that case workload will be divided in two accountants instead of one.

1. The said works should be done at some personal place instead of office.

1. In no circumstances the said work will be considered in office hour working.

3- Outcomes:

1. The job may be lost.
2. Penalty may be levied as decided by the boss.
3. The results may be according to the terms and conditions of the contract of appointment.

4- Risk:-

1. Risk of lost of Job.
2. Risk of Breach of Law.
3. Risk of leaking of information as there are no other staffs on the non working day. etc