Business Ethics Memo

Metz

Management 306

Business Ethics

Pick ONE of the following questions to create your Business Ethics paper. Follow the directions

for each question, as they are all slightly different. Remember, these are ETHICAL questions, as

well as business issues. So, your answers/ideas/examples should consider the “ethical”

component of these issues. Ethical issues are sensitive, so no matter what position you take, you

should try to be sensitive to the opposing viewpoints.

Question #1 – The Wellness Ring

Improving employee health and overall wellness is a priority for many companies. During the

current pandemic, keeping employees healthy is the only way business can stay open and

generating profit. Businesses have discovered healthy employees are much happier, more

energetic, and ultimately, more productive. As a result, businesses are turning to technology to

help create a healthier workforce.

Your company (306 Industries) is going to issue all employees a WELLNESS RING, which will

allow the monitoring, tracking, and analyzing of every employee’s health. This is a direct result

of the COVID-19 pandemic. The wellness ring will monitor all virus related symptoms,

including temperature, heart rate, stress levels, weight, calorie intake, cholesterol levels, sugar

levels, caffeine levels, blood alcohol level, and drugs in the system. The tracking feature even

allows the company to monitor employee location and movement.

Your CEO has already heard complaints from several employees, who have raised privacy

issues, claiming this invasive technology can be used for unethical purposes.

Management has asked you to write a MEMO to 306 Industries’ employees explaining many of

the benefits of this new health initiative. Convince your employees to wear a RING that

allows the company to monitor, chart, and store all this information.

Question #2 – The EYE in the SKY

Your business has received GREAT NEWS: the state has informed you that your office is

allowed to reopen – IF your employees follow the strict sanitizing and social distancing policies

the state has implemented.

To guarantee employees will follow these new restrictions, your company’s management (306

Industries) is installing cameras and microphones inside your office and around the building.

Cameras and microphones will be placed in strategic areas throughout the office, including at all

cubicles, all meeting rooms, breakrooms, and even outside in the courtyards and parking lots.

The entire building will be wired to track all movements and pick up all sounds. (Bathrooms will

be the only area off limits.)

In the past, your office has had some troubling incidents from employees who have not been

monitored or “watched.” Some employees waste hours of company time; some employees arrive

late and leave early. Constant cellphones use, unlimited personal calls, non-business related

internet searches on company issued computers and tablets, and personal side conversations are

problems estimated to cost the company millions in lost productivity. Management is sure the

new cameras and microphones will help eliminate most of these issues as well as help with the

new sanitizing and social distancing policies the state requires.

You are the Manager of this office. You are very concerned about how your employees will react

to this new office environment. You have serious doubts about the need for this new monitoring

system; more importantly, your group feels this is an extreme invasion of privacy and raises

serious ethical questions.

Write the 306 Industries CEO (I.C. Allya) a MEMO . Briefly explain why cameras and

microphones are NOT needed. Then, create YOUR OWN plan to enforce the sanitizing and

social distancing policies. Explain why your plan will be more effective than the cameras and

microphones.

Question #3 – The FACE of the Future

For security reasons and to help prevent the spread of the COVID 19 virus, our school is

planning to install facial recognition sensors at the entrance of every building on campus. The

sensors will also record a student’s temperature.

To gain access to buildings and other places on campus, students will be scanned as they enter

the building and their temperatures will be checked. If students have legitimate reasons for being

in these buildings, the system will grant them access. If a student does not have an acceptable

reason for being in the building, they will be denied entry. If they have an elevated temperature,

they will likewise be denied access to the building.

If an individual who has not been scanned and registered by the system tries to enter a building,

access will be denied. The sensors and monitors will determine who is allowed in the building.

Do you think this new security system is a good idea or not? If you think this system IS a good

idea, what reasons/examples can you come up with to convince others who might have serious

doubts about this technology? If you think this system IS NOT a good idea, what specific

reasons do you have for your doubts? Take a position on this issue.

Write a MEMO to the President of this school and explain why using facial recognition

software is a good idea, or why it is NOT the best way to secure our campus.

FORMAT CHANGE ALERT!!! Based on previous writings, it seems many of you are over-using BULLET

POINTS. This has led to a lack of development. For this reason, I am asking

for a change in writing style for this assignment. You can use headings as you

have done in the past; however, in the sections that follow each heading,

please use fully developed paragraphs to discuss your ideas. DO NOT use

bullets points – UNLESS they are fully developed ideas. Using paragraphs

should help you write more complete, detailed, and developed ideas. (This is

my hope.) As always, you can write as much or as little as you desire. Just be

certain your ideas are fully explained! Note: use business format: single

spaced, double space between sections, headings, bold, effective white space.

Do not indent any of the paragraphs, as business format uses block

paragraphs.

If you have any questions about this, please let me know. Good luck!