As competition continues to get tougher, organizations adopt practices to keep up and get ahead. But this “survival of the fittest” mindset attracts questionable tendencies that become norms in the organization. Over time, the lines between fair and unfair business practices blur. In trying to gain higher profits and better margins, organizations put their employees in situations that are unfair to their professional growth.
The difficulty with identifying unethical business practices is that these operate in the gray areas. Something unethical isn’t necessarily illegal. Practices that are considered illegal are those that go against the law; while those that are unethical are just morally wrong. But that doesn’t mean the latter should be tolerated.
Understanding Unethical Business Practices
The biggest victims of unethical business practices are the employees that are being taken advantage of. When you get a better understanding of what constitutes these types of practices, you can determine whether or not you will need employment mediation services. ;
Unethical practices take advantage of human frailties. No one wants to get sanctioned or fired; some people look at this and use it to their advantage. They implement practices that are supposed to improve processes but are at the expense of employees.
Protect yourself and your co-workers by finding out about common unethical business practices. Once you’ve learned how to identify the red flags, you are better equipped in making an informed decision.
Violation of Conscience
There might be moments in your career where your boss will have you do something wrong. This can range from anything, from lying about a co-worker’s behavior to asking you to take the fall for a mistake they made. These are all examples of how violation of conscience occurs in a workplace. The prevalence of these unethical practices creates an uncomfortable work environment that will impact productivity and efficiency.
Failure to Honor Commitments
When someone goes back on their promise, it is considered unethical. This is a common occurrence in several organizations across different industries. It’s easy for the person who made the commitment to say that they forgot or that they ran into obstacles that prevented further action. But when it happens too often, it might be a sign of questionable character. The consequence of this failure to honor commitments is discord in the organization. Employees lose trust and respect for those who backtracked on their word.
Deliberate Deception
No company is wholly truthful in their day-to-day operations. White lies or the withholding of information is typical to protect an organization’s competitive advantage and other confidential information. But there comes a point when these minor deceptions can become harmful.
Misrepresenting products, taking credit for another’s work, or sabotaging someone’s work can all be classified as examples of deliberate deception. Anyone can be guilty of this. Be mindful of the people who do this in the organization. Even if you aren’t directly affected, it might have an impact on you in the long run. Protect yourself at work by learning about common unethical business practices.