Well my first thing i would do is probe more by asking questions. Even though it
may help the non profit by reducing losses and giving a effiecnt usage of supplies i
feel this would be something that needs to be cleard by a manager. I personally
wouldn't feel comfortable making the decision alone. I do feel like that a different
way to record the excess should be talked about because I feel the books should
reflect exactly what is happening with supplies for future purches to see if we need to
purchase less or more. The books should reflect what the organization is using directly
not giving away. Now if they were to do a donation of the sore then i feel like other
steps should be taken for that and the supplies should of been bought for that context.
If I was asked by a coworker to adjust the records so that way we could use the
extra supplies and an event put on by the company. I would have to see with my
supervisor if it was something done in the past or just common practice to make sure
I wouldn’t be breaking any rules. I know from past experiences in the military we
would use funds from our budget to plan training operations in a different quarter or
fiscal year to make sure we were not on a time constraint later on. So I would be
open to the request as long as I wasn’t the highest “ok” in the chain of command
and it wouldn’t fall solely on me if things were done incorrectly. To add to it as well
if the request list was item that made sense to order that would really be used at said
event. I wouldn’t just ok extra random items like 50 extra brooms or 20 extra tables
when I know they can not be used correctly. If my coworker requests to have me
adjust the records so these supplies could be used at the nonprofit, I would have to
definitely start asking questions before agreeing to it. I would need to make sure that
it is being used for what it said. I would ensure that it is an approved thing we can
do within the company, and that it follows proper procedures when being tracked in
the records. I would make sure that it is done by the books because if it is not and
not used for the nonprofit or not used correctly, it could be considered stealing. I do
not want to be wrapped up in a sandal of any kind. As the accountant, I need to
ensure my job is completed to the best of my abilities as it is very important for
numbers and records to be accurate. If all documentation is presented and it turns out
to be a reasonable and legit request that lines up with the values and procedures of
the company I would do it. If it does not, I would explain to my coworker that I can
not do so and I would move the request up higher if needed. would personally talk
with the co-worker and let him know that the company most likely does have a
contributions budget that they use to provide specific charities with items or grants. I
would ask them if they have gone through the process to see if this particular non
profit was one that the company wanted to contribute to in that a lot of times there
are company polices where they won't donate to ones that are tied to employees and
things since it may show up as favoritism. If he says no, then I would explain the
importance of that process and tell him that he should get it on the list for review
with that committee to see if he can get the supplies donated and at that time we
would account for it.
If he or she said that they did approve it and just needed it accounted for, I would
say, that's great, but we need to account for it in a different manner. We will account
for the office supplies used by the company as a supplies expense and credit the
supplies inventory for those and then we will credit the rest of the supplies inventory
for what is going to the not for profit and expense our contributions account. This
way we have visibility for tax and other reasons on what we are contributing. Most
companies have a specific budget on what they donate every year and this needs to
be reflected in that budget and thus needs to be accounted for in the proper manner.
"Managers across the country dread the call from accounting at this time of year —
we need your accruals. Many managers feel that the process of putting together their
accruals is tedious, and, dare we say, a waste of time. They wonder, “Why does
accounting need this information? Is this another piece of information that goes into
the black hole of a spreadsheet, never to be seen again?”
Accruals, especially at this time of year, are critical to good accounting. They help to
ensure you have good information about the financial health of your company. And,
they help to keep the books “clean,” that is, keeping things that happened in 2009 in
2009 so that the picture your company presents with its financials tells the 2009 story
in its entirety. I am all for helping non-profit organizations, as long as the action
aligns with company policies and procedures. Falsifying records to acquire extra
supplies is a compliance and ethics infraction and should be dealt with accordingly.
This would be a fire able offense at the company I work for. I would refuse the
request, review the company policy with the employee making the request, and report
this to my manager, and also with our compliance and ethics hotline.
it’s quite possible that the employee had good intentions and were unaware of the
policy, standard, or violation, however, it is important that they understand the
consequences and policy. It may need to be communicated to all employees for better
awareness and adherence to company policy. I would not do as my coworker
requested because recording larger supplies adjustment compared to what is leftover so
the extra supplies can be used at a nonprofit organization, to me sounds like stealing.
Although it is for a good cause manipulating records is unethical because if one were
to get caught by superiors, they would see that as stealing and their job could be at
stake.
This incorrect recording will make the books show the incorrect number of supplies
that is actually being used. To cover up this overage by making up other expenses is
also unethical. I wouldn’t want to be the person responsible for incorrect books, so
after denying the request I would recommend that they speak to someone of upper
management to get the okay to order the additional supplies. If it is done the correct
way all the supplies can be accounted for. If the charge is approved, I would then
order the additional supplies. From there we can come up with agreement of what the
company should order monthly for non-profits. Based on what extra supplies the
company has left over, that supplies could be used as well and help the company cut
down on its losses. I think as much as a nonprofit organization may need the extra
supplies, I don't think that no person should do anything to put there job or company
in jeopardy of anything. For myself, I wouldn't do as my co-worker requested to help
give the nonprofit organization can have these extra supplies. By a co-worker asking
someone to make a false report by making a record larger with supplies then making
the right notation on the report. If a person would lie on a report for a co-worker and
is willing to cover up someone's activity then who knows what they are really willing
to do. Now some people will have different opinions about this because they would
see the said of how it was good that the individual to those extra supplies and used
it for the nonprofit organization. I do myslef feel like it is always good to help out a
nonprofit organization in the right ways, but not by lying or stealing from someone or
from a company. Those people that were involved in making false reports would
definitely be in trouble if someone found out. Many companies approve a budget for
the upcoming calendar or fiscal year. This helps them stay within the approved limits,
save money, keep track of how much is left for additional expenses, and to gauge
future needs. Past usage is a huge factor in determining future budget estimates.
What is being requested in the scenario above seems unethical to say the least and I
might even guess that it can be considered theft if it was not approved by owners,
council, or management. Those supplies are owned by the business and even if they
were approved to be donated to a non-profit organization, recording the transaction as
indicated above is not the correct manner. Donations to an entity or Individual should
still be expensed by the business. Also, the organization runs the risk of depleting
their supplies sooner than anticipated. They will most likely have to appropriate funds
for the purchase of additional supplies. Consequently, doing what the coworker asked
will negatively impact the cash, expense, and supplies accounts as it will fail to
provide accurate accounting.
I would not help the coworker with their request but would question them to see if
they understand why their would be a problem. If they don't comprehend, perhaps
additional training is necessary. The supplies adjustment is an record keeping for the
company to see how much utilization of supplies are used each month, this record
keeping is ultimately used for future office supplies procurement. If this is overstated
in one month it impacts the forecast for the future. Although the coworker is making
the request to help a non profit and it may feel charitable this request is still
dishonest and is considered stealing. I am sure the company has other more honest
ways to ask for the company’s support of a nonprofit. If I was asked to overstate the
office supplies I would not do it as it could cost me my job. And, it is completely
dishonest. Although I would decline the request because it goes against company
policy and my own personal moral compass I would see if there were other ways we
could help the nonprofit organization. zz At my company we are able to submit requests
through our Philanthropic committee to ask for support for various organizations which
is nice to have a process in place to ask for help. If a co-worker were to ask me to
record larger supplies adjustments, I would decline their request. It would be nice to
help the nonprofit organization but only if the company was their own business. It
would not be right to help the nonprofit without a manager’s directive or approval. If
my coworker feels as if this nonprofit really needs the supplies, then they should find
another alternative to help them out. This would be brought up to a manager’s
attention, so they are aware in case this coworker decides to go and ask someone else
for this request. But they should not use the companies supplies without a manager’s
approval. Taking request from a coworker that has to do with the company’s supplies
or financials is something I cannot comply with. These types of coworkers might be
testing you to see how much they can get away with and taking advantage of your
kindness. Working with the company’s financials I like to make sure everything
balances out or that if supplies stock is low, I like to have backup of where the items
were distributed in case it is questioned. I would not comply with my coworkers
request to adjust the office supply records. By manipulating the the accounting
records, you are going against company policies and your own morals. The supplies
are for the office, and unless it is a formal donation, the records should not be
touched for anything besides office supplies. If the supplies would be for a formal
donation, the records would not need to be manipulated, and this would be recorded
in a separate account. But since this does not state that it is for a formal donation, I
wouldn't touch the records. One thing that comes to mind when thinking about if I
did go against my better judgement would be that if I did record the larger supplies
adjustment like my coworker asked, and then forgot to account for that adjustment in
the following month, then that discrepancy would fall on me. Overall, it is best to do
the right thing and to be sure that you are not putting your job on the line for
someone else's actions. If the office keeps adjustment records, then we can definitely
add any adjustments accordingly. However, if there is extra supplies left over, then
those need to be added to the adjustment record also. So, no, I would not agree to
record something that is not.
Using the extra supplies for a non profit organization is a nice thing to do, unless we
haven something already organized with management where this was already set to
happen, everything needs to continue as it usually does.
Let's say I did make the adjustment, then the next month the "extra supplies" aren't
ordered, because we recorded them as extras. The whole situation would become a
conflict, the extra supplies are not there and then we still have to order them throwing
off the plan or timeline already in place. If a co-worker asked me to record a larger
supplies adjustment than what is leftover, I would immediately say no. Although,
giving to a non-profit seems like a good idea at the beginning, the way the co-worker
is asking to allow this is wrong. If I were to record the larger amount, I would be
committing fraud and that breaks so many codes of ethics, not to mention laws. I
would go to my co-worker and politely tell them that I am unable to complete this
request for that very reason. If the co-worker insisted, I would then escalate the
situation to the head of the department to make sure that others are aware of what is
going on before I did anything. If, at that point, I received authorization, I would be
more inclined to make the adjustment. I would still have to enter it as a separate
transaction, so that the record shows what type of transaction it is and who authorized
it. If I were approached by a coworker who asked me to record a larger supplies
adjustment so that they could give them to a nonprofit, I would say no. while
donating school supplies to a charity seems like a good deed at first glance, it would
require me to commit fraud to do so in the manner my coworker suggested, which
breaks the code of ethics. Rather than recording a larger supplies adjustment, I would
suggest to my coworker that they donate supplies to the nonprofit out of their own
pocket. While my coworker likey had positive intentions regarding the donation, this
is not a justification to commit fraud- especially at work. It would be an
uncomfortable situation, but I would report my coworker's actions to my employer
because it is likely that my coworker has tried this before and doesn't realize the
significance of his or her actions. It is important to hold everyone accountable to
avoid the same situation from reoccurring. No matter how "justified" ones reasoning
is, fraud is still fraud. one needs to take a personal moral judgement and an ethical
stance on what would be appropriate for both the co worker and yourself. I think
even if there were extra quantity of supplies leftover, it would not be a great idea to
just speculate and think these will go to the non-profit no matter how good the
intention is. I am a firm believer on transparency especially when you are loyal to an
organization and are associated on professional terms. The wise thing to do would be
to get the attention of a peer or potentially your boss and ask if this would be the
correct usage of the supplies. If there are no immediate necessities for additional
supplies then that would be a clear shot answer from your higher ups that you can
use them at your discretion. I in my role cannot be dishonest with my work nor can
i make up illegitimate numbers even if there was no malice. As someone recording
the data and numbers they have to be accurate tallying not just the total supplies but
the residual and leftover as well. This is something despite it's intentions being
harmless not something i would jeopardize my career over. There is a beginning and
an end amount of supplies on hand. We can always make an adjust in entries when
needed to update the supplies account balance, this keeps the balance sheet supplies
account from being overstated, but the most important is to keep the current assets
accurate. I Would not do what my co-worker ask me to do, so the nonprofit
organization can have the extra supplies, because it is unethical and it would be
cheating, stealing. Donations are always possible when they are done in the right way,
like approved by the company and/ or manager in an authorized transaction, in an
authorized charity event maybe? only then we would be authorized to do such
adjustment and adjust the supplies account, and not because any co-worker ask. In this
case, I think the co-worker is not doing the appropriate thing in the right procedure.
If it is all about donations, then I think he should have a meeting with teh company
high management team and discuss what to take to the non-profit organization for the
donation. otherwise, telling me to record larger amount of inventory is a sign of
trying to steal from te company. I think I should also have a meeting with my cp-
worker and remind him about the best approach to donation because he or she seems
not t understand. It is not ethical to accept the request to make such adjustments. As
a worker, the company expects you to behave and portray the best ethical behaviour
to the company that won't compromise the desires of what the company aims to
achieve. The compnay has also entrusted you with its records of invenmtories and
therefore failing them and through missapropriation can lead to its downfall.
Therefore,. it would be ethical for you to inform your manager about the request and
try make the best decision abut donations. If my coworker was to approach me and
ask me to do such a thing like that I would say no. That is untrustworthy and
unethical to do. Asking your coworker to do that is basically asking your coworker to
steal and that can of course cost you your job. There is other ways to get your
company to make donations, and you can start by talking with your company and
presenting to them the organization and why you would like to donate to them and
give the company the chance to say ye or nay. You never want to steal from your
company to give donations and I don’t think the organization would like that
themselves to know that you went behind your companies back and did things that
were unethical to donate to their organization. I know me personally I would
definitely say No if my coworker was to ask me to do such a thing. I have actually
worked with someone who asked me to do something that they know was not the
right thing to do and I told them no. There is one serious mistake of compromising
the inventory of a company in the name of helping the non-profit organization. The
company expects perfect documentation from me and here is the co-worker requesting
me to record large amounts of inventories. Therefore, it is certain that the co-worker
will receive a straight no from me because that is stealing from the company. If the
co-worker seriously means to help in the non-profit organization, then there is a need
for him or her to talk to the company and discuss the matter to do with donations but
not stealing. I also tend to think that the non-profit organization won't be happy to
hear that the co-worker stole from the company for the purpose of donations to them.
Therefore, you may not know the main intentions of this co-worker because his or her
mind might be diversified beyond what you think. Maybe it is a plan to steal for his
own benefit from the company. Therefore, there is a need to take the necessary
precautions. I would not agree to the request from my co-worker. I would however
give an explanation to them. i would let he/she know it is unethical to agree to the
request. I would also let he/she know their heart is in the right place, just the
incorrect way of gaining supplies. I would also attempt to assist he/she the right way.
I would ask if he/she would like to partner up with me in gaining permission to
donate to the nonprofit organization. If we were unable to gain permission, I would
go outside the company. I am a humanitarian and I believe in human kindness. There
are several hundred resources in the communities from other agencies that normal
civilians could benefit from. I would assist he/she in researching, contacting, and
hopefully gaining the supplies. At the very least, he/she would see that I am willing
to help out as much as I possibly can, just the right way. If another employee were
to approach me, asking me to alter the amount that is entered instead of the correct
amount then my response would be a straight "No". Now I understand that my Co-
Worker may have been trying to do something nice for another Non-Profit
Organization, however what they have asked is considered stealing from the company
and I would not want to put my job at jeopardy. I would explain to the individual
that what they suggested is not the right way to do it. You could simply ask
permission, everyone tries to do things on their own and not ask for a favor from the
company. You could create a presentation and present an idea to help other Non-Profit
Organizations in the area with supplies that is not needed or if there is too much
supplies ask to put one or two to the side for the other organizations. It is hard for
Non-profits to stay afloat being that the only supplies they have are donated, which is
another great way to support the others. The supplies adjustment records the office
supplies used for the month. A co-worker asks you to record a larger supplies
adjustment compared to what is leftover so the extra supplies can be used at a
nonprofit organization.
Would you do as your co-worker requests so the nonprofit organization an have these
extra supplies?
Taking supplies is stealing from the company. I don’t consider the co-worker doing a
good deed because they are requesting me to steal and lie to help them do something
unethical. Just because the co-worker is stating that they are trying to provide help
and support to the nonprofit organization doesn’t constitute wrong doings. Nonprofit
organizations are a help to many communities, and they operate on donations and
grants to provide many services throughout the community. I am certain that the
nonprofit organization would not think kindly of someone stealing from one company
to give to them.
I would have to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the co-worker concerning
making true and fair decisions in life and at work. I would also tell the co-worker
that I am not the person to ask to lie and steal from work. I would also remind the
co-worker that it is unfair to provide the company with false documentation
concerning the inventory. I would tell the co-worker if they are serious about helping
the nonprofit organization why not talk to their manager or supervisor about donating
any extra supplies.
