Ethics Project WK6

Running head: ETHICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES 1

ETHICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES 5

Ethics and Contemporary Issues Project

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School

Dated

Introduction

Harassment is a term often used these days, and there is no need for a proper definition to explain it. The reason is its excessive use in routine and its impacts on life. Workplace harassment is common in different regions, and there are different legislation and laws to stop it. The topic looks easy and simple, but it is the need of the hour to discuss it at all levels and to discourage its promotion in all aspects. Workplace harassment involves the physical and mental uncomfortable situation from which a less powerful community suffers. It is a general assumption, and circumstances can be altered. The rationale for choosing the topic is to know the importance of employees working in an organization and how to prevent harassment through effective strategies. The drawbacks of various rules and regulations are also part of the discussion because there are several articles and publications on such topics, but implementation is insufficient.

According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, harassment involves the names calling, absurd jokes, abusive language, discriminatory behavior, and attempts to get physical. The harassment is not limited to a certain gender or race; the most affected are women and minorities (Raj, 2020). The organization is responsible for providing a safe environment to the employees. It should implement the laws and regulations to ensure that all the employees are given dignity and that there is no compromise on respect. It is observed that the employees have complaints against the authorities as well, and for this reason, it is said that the powerful class of employees or management is often involved in the cases. These are the reasons that help me to choose the topic. The detailed discussion is in the sections below.

Background

According to a report, almost 80 percent of women are harassed at work, and 50 percent have complained of harassment in recent years. The history of harassment is as old as slavery in the united states of America. Before the civil war, slavery was at its peak, and several enslaved people were sexually harassed because of their racial and economic status. It was the beginning when the reports were claimed. There might be thousands of cases that were never reported before that era. The women had to suffer a lot in this regard, and the responses were the political and social forces. The era of the 19th century was politically influenced by colonization, and slavery existed. In 1887, Women Wage-Workers was published, and a woman reported that they had to work at the people's homes. Sexual harassment was the worse humiliation that they faced in the era. The social condition of women and the political influence worsened the situation (Roscigno, 2019).

The changes occurred over time, and the first attempt to prevent harassment was seen in the form of the Civil Rights Act of 1864. It states that all humans have the right to lice, practice freedom, and adopt the desired living style. It was the beginning, and a massive list of acts, provisions, and laws prohibited the workplace and all other forms of harassment. The trend has been reduced after the end of slavery and the wave of feminism, but the statistics are still strong enough to take the issue seriously at the global level. EEOC has introduced the rule not to sexually, physically, or mentally harass individuals based on color, gender, sexual identity, and economic condition. The environmental conditions have become strong, and the people are aware of their rights. The influence is expected to decrease in the coming years (Triana, 2019).

Ethical Challenges

Ethical challenges are a significant reason to induce workplace harassment. Unethical or irresponsible leadership is the primary challenge that becomes the cause of harassment. The employees join the organization with the guarantee or surety that there will be a friendly environment and the workers will enjoy the home-like environment. It is assumed that the leadership must play a role against the harassment and should take action against the involved parties. The following ethical challenge is the lack of awareness regarding diversity. Globalization has urged the hiring of employees from different backgrounds. The lack of training for higher employees or management can lead them to harass those from lower backgrounds or at lower positions in the workplace.

The conflicting goals are also challenging because the harassment can be in the form of overtime to certain employees. The ethical challenge is for employees who must listen to their organization. There is another ethical dilemma, and it is the toxic work culture. The women or the minorities have to work to make money or a career, but the disrespectful and unethical work environment is a big challenge. The need of the hour is to ensure that the employees are the company's backbone (Einarsen, 2019). They all are equal, and they will be treated fairly. The management should be aware of ethical challenges and take action against sexual, physical, mental, or harassment.

References

Einarsen, K., Salin, D., Einarsen, S. V., Skogstad, A., & Mykletun, R. J. (2019). Antecedents of ethical infrastructures against workplace bullying: The role of organizational size, perceived financial resources, and level of high-quality HRM practices. Personnel Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-10-2017-0303

Raj, A., Freund, K. M., McDonald, J. M., & Carr, P. L. (2020). Effects of sexual harassment on the advancement of women in academic medicine: a multi-institutional longitudinal study. EClinicalMedicine, 20, 100298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100298

Roscigno, V. J. (2019). Discrimination, sexual harassment, and the impact of workplace power. Socius, 5, 2378023119853894. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023119853894.

Triana, M. D. C., Jayasinghe, M., Pieper, J. R., Delgado, D. M., & Li, M. (2019). Perceived workplace gender discrimination and employee consequences: A meta-analysis and complementary studies considering the country context. Journal of Management, 45(6), 2419-2447. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318776772