Having strong values and living by your morals are often seen as positive attributes for a person to have. Unfortunately, not everyone shares this strong sense of wrong and right, which is sometimes the case in the business world.
Corruption and fraud within corporations are subjects that regularly feature in the media. Underhand dealings and unethical work practices are often reported in the press, but while you may read these stories out of interest, the chances are that they don’t directly have an impact on your life. But, what would you do if you were an employee at one of these organizations, and you were made aware of these unethical dealings?
The likelihood is that you would feel torn between your morals and loyalty to the company that pays your wages. This is a situation that no one wants to find themselves in. You will be left with a big decision to make. Do you try to challenge the unethical behavior, or do you try to ignore it? Either way, this is a tricky moral dilemma to deal with.
Challenging Situations
Forging a successful career, shouldn’t mean that you need to choose between your values and chances of promotion. The ability to stay true to what you value should never be a barrier to career success. Yet many people do face times where they have to question how closely business practices align with their values.
Working in the medical industry is an example of this. Many people embark on a career within the pharmaceutical industry as it provides services and products which help people. However, fraud associated with Medicare seems to be a widespread issue.
In 2012 it was estimated that Medicare and Medicaid fraud added additional costs of around $98 billion to the healthcare system. Whistleblowers probably detected much of this fraud and reported some of it via the medicare fraud hotline – which demonstrates the importance of employees reporting unethical behavior.
Whichever industry you work in, there is always a chance that you will uncover questionable business practices. If you want to act as a whistleblower to expose the situation, it is wise that you seek legal advice first. This will help you to protect yourself, and understand the law around the issue that you have uncovered.
Ethical Corporations
Nowadays, many companies are making the decision to introduce corporate responsibility policies, which outline the steps they take to ensure their business operates ethically. When applying for a new job, it is wise to look at how important ethics are to the companies you send your resumé. You should be able to find details of their corporate and social responsibility pledges on their website so that you can do some research of your own before deciding to apply for a job.
Setting up your own ethical business is also an excellent way to work while following your values. Starting a company is a proactive way to help make a positive change in your industry and stay true to yourself.
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