In: Accounting
At work, Sally is walking by her Supervisor's office during his break. Sally overhears the Supervisor talking on his personal cell phone to a friend. The Supervisor is expressing his opinion that some of the workers at the company are lazy, and refers to their ethnicity as a reason. Is this an ethical dilemma for Sally?
No, it is a private opinion held by her Supervisor and there is no evidence that there is a related impact on the workplace.
Yes, Sally is a member of the ethnic group to which the Supervisor is referring and she is personally offended. It is unethical to offend an employee on this basis and it must be reported.
No, Sally should not have been eavesdropping on her Supervisor and may find herself in violation of company policy for violating his policy.
Yes, it is a violation of the equal employment opportunity rights of her co-workers.