Is It Moral To Expect Professional Workers To Work Beyond Their Time Limit?
Discuss about the Case Study of the ABC Company.
The case study of the ABC Company estimates that the company can achieve its target if all the workers work for 8 hours in daily shift. But for the overtime that the employees do have become unpaid most of the time in the company. It has become almost a culture within the company to not pay the workers for its overtime. The higher authorities that are involved with the company are already aware of the fact that the employees are not being paid for their overtime. But the workers are to be paid for the overtime they are working for. This paper deals with the ethical dilemma that is involved with the practice for analysing the framework.
|
Framework |
Company |
Employees |
Public |
Industry |
Clients |
|
Benefits of this action? |
The ABC Company is able to increase its productivity with the employees working overtime. |
The employees does not get any benefit from this non-paid act. Rather it is a loss for the employees |
With the increase in productivity, the public gets more supply of the product and excessive supply of product can even lead to decrease in price of the product (Crane and Matten, 2016). |
The industry gains profit from the particular company as the company is providing more productivity that results to decrease the cost of the product. |
With the increase in working in working hours for the employees, the clients gets the maximum benefit as they are getting the product from the company in less time with high productivity. |
|
Harm caused by this action? |
There is no harm for the company, rather the company is making profit form this fact. |
The harm to the employees for not getting paid for the extra time of work is maximum. The employees invests their time in working for the company but the company does not pay them with their actual money (Certo, 2018). As a result of their contribution in the company, the personal life of the employees also gets affected. |
The public group is not much affected except the employees. The public group gets more availability of product. |
The industry does not face any harm from this as the company is not harmed. As a result, the productivity is also not harmed. |
The clients as well are not harmed from this act as the organization is able to provide more products in less amount of time. |
Explanation of the above table:
The company of ABC has five stakeholders that are mentioned in the above table. The stakeholders of the company includes the employees, public, industries, clients and the company itself (Ferrell and Fraedrich, 2015). The management authorities of the company knows the fact that their employees are not being paid for their overtime. The company is facing great profit from this act. The company can produce high amount of product is less salary paid to the employees. With the employees working overtime, the company is making a profit at an increasing rate. This gives rise to an ethical dilemma within the company.
From this act, the stakeholders who suffers the most is the employees. The employees sacrificing their personal life works for the company for the sake of the company. But they are not paid for their dedication for the company (Charter, 2017). Not paying the employees give profit to the company, but this gives rise to an ethical dilemma in the company. This ethical dilemma of not paying the employees may lead to an internal conflict in the company. If the internal conflicts sustains in the company, the productivity of the company may decrease because of the unethical process followed by the company. If the employees unites together to complain against the company, the company will faces legal issues related to labour law.
The public is in the neutral position for the ethical dilemma that has occurred in the company (Johnson, 2017). The workers working for extra hours without any extra payment will lead to deterioration of quality of work and the public will mainly face problem about the product. Again if the employees of the company work efficiently, the rate of productivity will go higher which will lead to decrease in price of the item. The public may either be profited or can face loss from the fact of not paying the employees in the company for being worked overtime. According to ACS code of ethics, the public should get the benefit of using the product with changed skills or improved skills. Employees are also included in the public of the country and through that perspective, the public also face loss by not getting the payment.
Framework
The industry is one of the main stakeholders among all that faces a profit from this unethical act indirectly. There is no direct effect on the industry of not paying their employees for the overtime. The industry gets benefitted indirectly. With the employees working efficiently, there will be high amount of productivity in the company. As a result, the company can supply more product to that particular industry increasing the sale rate of that industry. With the increase in productivity with high quality, the company will reach to a god position in the market.
The clients are the main stakeholders who gets profit from the fact that the employees are not paid for working overtime (Cohen et al., 2016). The clients gives contract to the company for dealing with a particular project or work. As the company is not paying their employees for the overtime working, the price for making the products remains the same to the clients. The clients enjoys the maximum profit from this. The clients are getting the product at an increased rate and the price for the product also remains the same. If the employees works efficiently in the company without the overtime paying, the clients will get a huge profit on the products of the company.
|
FRAME WORK |
THE ORGANIZATION SELLING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES |
THE INDIVIDUAL STAFF |
THE PUBLIC |
THE CLIENTS |
INDUSTRY/PROFESSION |
|
Benefits if this action is Universalised? |
If the act of not paying the employees becomes universalised, all the companies all over the world will implement this rule. This will help the company to increase its productivity with less amount of investment. |
If the staffs starts working overtime without payment, the companies will start taking advantage of this action. The staffs will have to work without overtime payment if this action is universalised. The staffs will not be benefitted if this action is made universalised. |
Making this action universalised, the public will not get such advantage from this (Warren, 2017). The public are not able to get benefit from this act. There is indirect advantage that the public can get as with the rise in productivity, the price of the product may decrease. |
The clients associated with the company will take the benefit if the act of not paying the customer becomes universal. |
The industry will also get profited if the action of not paying the employees becomes universal. This will help to increase the competition in the market particularly on that industry. |
|
Harm if the action is universalised? |
The organization or the company will be in a neutralised position. The company will not face any profit or any harm if this action is universalised. |
The harm will be caused to the employees or the staffs the most. This stakeholder of the company will be affected the most. Sacrificing their personal lives, the employees has to work overtime without any extra payment. |
The public will be affected indirectly with the increase and decrease of the product price and the product quality (Gallagher, 2015). |
The clients will be harmed. Rather the company will make the maximum profit if this act is universalised. |
The industry will not be affected is the action of not paying for overtime is universalised. |
|
Contradiction If universalized? |
The company is making its employees work overtime without extra payment for the extra time. The company mostly looks on the profit rate. But considering the welfare of the employees, some of the company may take initiative to make the payment of the employees for overtime working. There are many other ways of making profit in a company (World Health Organization, 2016). Companies may implement different plans for making profit, not by taking the money of their employees, which is their right. |
The employees should ask the company to implement a working policy within the company so that the employees do not have to work overtime. The policy that is to be defined in the organization should state that the employees are to do a defined amount of work within their shifts. |
There are contradiction that people can face an advantage as well as disadvantage with this action of not paying overtime to the employees. |
The clients gets only profit form this action that is being carried by ABC Company. |
The industry can have a mixed result from this action pf not paying extra money to the employees for the overpayment. |
Explanation of the table:
From the above table it can be concluded that among all the stakeholders of the company who are involved, the employees are to one who faces the maximum loss in the company. This tables states two factors: making the act of not paying the employees of the company as a universal one, and the harm that each of the stakeholders face making this action universal (Moon, 2015). This table also states about the contradiction that can arise after implementing the action.
The companies are to implement new way of making profit, not in the way of not paying their employees for extra time. This may make the company profit in short term basis and can also decrease the quality of the product. The company may implement strategies by which the employees have to do some particular amount of work in that allocated shift time.
On implementation of making the employees work overtime and not paying extra wages will make difficulty for the employees and the staffs the most. They will have to sacrifice their personal life for the sake of the customer and does not even get paid for that (Gunn and Taylor, 2014). The employees can suggest the company to implement some policies for the sake of the customers.
Benefits and Harm of Not Paying Employees for Overtime
The public, the client, and the industry usually will have a mixed result. They can get advantage as well as disadvantage from the action that is stated to be made universal. If the employees works efficiently, they will get an advantage of the fact of implementing the action. If the employees does not work with efficiency, the public, client, and the industry may face danger regarding the quality of the product that is being delivered. If the quality degrades, the reputation of the company is also associated with that.
|
Frame work |
The organisation selling products and services |
The individual/staff |
The public |
The clients |
Industry or Profession |
|
Used as means of end, Violating their rights |
The organization that sells the services and the products will not considered the action of not paying for overtime a as violation act. |
The individual or staffs can complain this action a violation to right as they are not being paid for the overtime they are investing on the company. |
If the quality of the products falls, the public may file a violation against the act (Garner, 2017). |
The clients will not consider this as an act of violence as he is getting profit form this action. |
The industry may consider this as a violation act for the sake of the industry because if the quality pf the product decreases, there comes a question of reputation of the industry. |
|
Frame work |
The organisation selling products and services |
The individual/staff |
The public |
The clients |
Industry or Profession |
|
Violating rights, seen as unjust (to powerless), action-taker has more power? |
The scenario presents of not paying the employees for making them work overtime is a violation of act against the policy of the employees (Miller and Blackler, 2017). As the organization implements this action, the implementer is the organization. Much of the organizations do not support the fact of being unethical in the company. |
This action is considered as an unethical action as the staffs are not paid for their work that are investing in the company. |
Considering the law of justice, the people also will consider this as a violating act. This act is considered as an unjust act. |
The client is among the one who will get benefited from this action. So the clients will not consider this action as a violating the act. |
The industry has a mixed decision. They may consider this act as a violation of act or can be consider it as a non-violence act. |
Explanation of the above table:
This table mainly consists of the fact that whether the action that is taken by the company is unjust and is violating the act of law.
Summary
|
Frame work |
Organisation selling products and services |
Individual/staff |
public |
clients |
Industry/profession |
Ethical |
|
Benefits if this actions |
The organization will have very high profit. |
The individuals or the employees will face loss from the action as they are not paid for the work they are doing. |
No direct benefit as such. Indirect benefit of having the product at much lower price. |
Huge benefit from the action of not paying the employee for their overtime. |
May get benefit or may get disadvantage from the action. |
This action is not considered to be an ethical one as it does not do good with the benefits of the employee. |
|
Harms caused by this action |
No harm; gets huge benefit |
Gets harmed as for the overtime they are not paid which affects personal as well as professional life of the employees. |
Public does not get affected as such. |
No harm is caused; only benefit |
Mixed result; sometimes harmful and sometimes not harmful (Adebamowo et al., 2014). |
Not ethical as this is against law of violation. |
|
Benefits if this action is Universalised? |
Huge benefit if system is universalised. |
Great loss of salary, affects professional as well as personal life. |
No such direct benefit |
Gets the highest benefit. |
Mixed result; sometimes benefited, sometimes not. |
Not ethical at all. |
|
Harm if the action is universalised? |
No harm rather than only profit. |
Personal life as well professional life is hampered (Chonko and Hunt, 2018). |
No such harm. |
No harm at all. |
May be harmed or may not be |
Non ethical act. |
|
Contradiction If universalized |
The companies may implement policies in the company to support the needs of the workers. |
The employees may request to implement policy in the company so that the staffs and employees finishes their job at the particular shift time. |
There will be a mixed effect among the public |
No contradiction possible. |
The industry may take action against such companies who are implement this act of making the employees work without payment. |
Highly non ethical |
|
Used as means of end, Violating their rights |
This is not considered as a violating act to the companies as they can seek advantage from this action (Dugan and Taylor, 2016). |
The employees considered them as a violating act as they are directly affected. |
Considers this as a violation act. |
This is not considered as a violated act. |
The industry may consider this a violation act considering the quality of the product. |
Highly non ethical |
|
Violating rights, seen as unjust (to powerless), action-taker has more power? |
Company has more power and this is the action taker of this act. |
This is considered as an unjust act for the employees and staffs. |
Considered as an unethical act. |
Client is not decision maker, but does not considered this as an unjust. |
Considers this action as a violating act. |
Ethical |
Conclusion
From the above tables and discussion, it can be concluded that the practice that ABC Company is implementing is not ethical at all. The employees are made to work overtime, and is not paid for the overtime is considered as unethical act against the act of violation. To mitigate this action, it is recommended to use some policy in the organization so that the company as well as its staffs gets benefitted from them. It is recommended that the company should implement policy that will define a fixed amount of work for the employees, which is ti be completed in their particular shift time. To carry unethical actions is not at all good for a long term company.
References
Adebamowo, C., Bah-Sow, O., Binka, F., Bruzzone, R., Caplan, A., Delfraissy, J.F., Heymann, D., Horby, P., Kaleebu, P., Tamfum, J.J.M. and Olliaro, P., 2014. Randomised controlled trials for Ebola: practical and ethical issues. Lancet, 384(9952), p.1423.
Certo, S.C., 2018. Supervision: Concepts and skill-building. McGraw-Hill Education.
Charter, M. ed., 2017. Greener marketing: A responsible approach to business. Routledge.
Chonko, L.B. and Hunt, S.D., 2018. Reflections on ethical issues in marketing management: An empirical examination. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 28(1), pp.86-95.
Cohen, K.B., Fort, K., Adda, G., Zhou, S. and Farri, D., 2016, May. Ethical issues in corpus linguistics and annotation: Pay per hit does not affect effective hourly rate for linguistic resource development on amazon Mechanical Turk. In LREC… International Conference on Language Resources & Evaluation:[proceedings]. International Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (Vol. 2016, No. W40, p. 8). NIH Public Access.
Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Dugan, M.T. and Taylor, G., 2016. Ethical Issues Related to Earnings Management: An Instructional Case. Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, 22(3), p.84.
Erwin, E., Gendin, S. and Kleiman, L. eds., 2015. Ethical issues in scientific research: An anthology (Vol. 814). Routledge.
Ferrell, O.C. and Fraedrich, J., 2015. Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases. Nelson Education.
Gallagher, T., 2015. CSCI 215E. 01: Social and Ethical Issues in Computer Science.
Garner, W., 2017, June. Teaching Assessment in an Online Environment: Ethical Conflicts, Concerns, and Solutions. In EdMedia: World Conference on Educational Media and Technology (pp. 783-789). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
Gunn, J. and Taylor, P., 2014. Forensic psychiatry: clinical, legal and ethical issues. CRC Press.
Johnson, C.E., 2017. Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Sage Publications.
Kaiser Jr, W.C., 2016. Using Expository Preaching to Address Ethical Issues in Our Day. I Am Put Here for the Defense of the Gospel: Dr. Norman L. Geisler: A Festschrift in His Honor, p.307.
Miller, S. and Blackler, J., 2017. Ethical issues in policing. Routledge.
Moon, B.L., 2015. Ethical issues in art therapy. Charles C Thomas Publisher.
Roberts, L.D., 2015. Ethical issues in conducting qualitative research in online communities. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 12(3), pp.314-325.
Warren, S., 2017. Photography in Qualitative Organizational research: Conceptual, analytical and Ethical Issues in Photo-Elicitation Inspired Methods1. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research Methods: Methods and Challenges, p.239.
World Health Organization, 2016. Guidance for managing ethical issues in infectious disease outbreaks. World Health Organization.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
