Book Review: The Good Ones by Bruce Weinstein

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Mark Willen

This is a book that anyone concerned with ethics in the workplace—and we all should be—needs to read for a number of reasons and on a number of levels. It’s packed with practical information and telling anecdotes that together provide an easy, informative and enjoyable read. Most important, it explains not only what “the good ones” do to earn the title, but also how we can learn from their success and why we ought to try to emulate it. That will help us become better people and, yes, will help create a better and more profitable business. Continue reading →

Holidays Pose Ethical Challenges

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Mark Willen

The holidays can be full of stress on a number of levels, but they also create some unusual ethical situations. Here are a few to be careful of:

Is there anything wrong with regifting? What else can I do with the presents I get that I don’t want or need?
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Company Gag Orders May Be Legal, But How Ethical Are They?

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Mark Willen

Nondisclosure agreements are becoming increasingly common, with many employers now requiring all workers to sign them, not just top executives. And that is beginning to make a lot of people uneasy, myself included.
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Deciding When It’s Okay to Lie

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Mark Willen

One of the age-old problems in ethics is whether and when it is permissible to lie. While most of us might agree in principle that truth and transparency are critical ethical principles and that lying and deception are intrinsically wrong, we don’t always agree on how to apply this to everyday life. Is truth always required? And if not, just when is it okay to lie?
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Ethics Quiz: Selling Tactics

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Mark Willen

Ethical dilemmas come at us in all kinds of ways, large and small, with a surprising frequency. This week, we’re looking at five “everyday ethics” problems, presenting one each day. Think them over, decide what you believe is the best course of action, and then compare your views with mine, which you’ll find at the bottom of this post. Be sure to comment if you disagree. Here’s today’s problem:
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Should Workers Know What Colleagues Earn?

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Mark Willen

There’s been a lot of debate lately over whether information on salaries should be shared with the staff. Those who favor making the names and numbers available to others at the firm argue that transparency is crucial to fairness and ethics. Employees need the information to conduct salary negotiations on a fair footing, and if two people are doing the same work and one is getting significantly more money, the boss should be forced to explain and justify the difference. In short, secrecy gives the boss an unfair advantage. If the pay scale is fair, no one has anything to hide.
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When To Squeal on the Boss

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Mark Willen

One common but difficult ethical dilemma is the “when to tell” problem. When you see someone engage in unethical behavior, it’s sometimes hard to know how to respond.
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Talking Ethics

by Mark Willen

Tag Archives: workplace