Organizational Ethics: Memo on Workplace Harassment and Discrimination

This memo, addressed to the CEO, Kate Cullen, from Organizational Manager Adam Smith, highlights the rising issue of discrimination and harassment within the organization. The memo details the negative impacts on employee morale, mental health, work quality, and business reputation, particularly affecting culturally diverse employees. It outlines a plan to combat these issues, including a zero-tolerance policy, a complaint procedure with designated contacts, and a program named 'Not Anymore' to address past incidents. The memo emphasizes the importance of diversity and a positive work environment, proposing various measures such as investigations, penalties for offenders, and communication of complaint procedures to employees, supported by relevant literature on workplace harassment and ethics.

MANAGEMENT
BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

ETHICAL ISSUES 1
MEMO
TO: Kate Cullen (Chief Executive Officer)
FROM: Adam Smith (Organizational Manager)
DATE: January 27, 2020
SUBJECT: A zero tolerance against unethical behaviour
This is to draw in the attention of our CEO on our degrading organization culture. I wish to
acquaint every employee about the issue and its devastating impact on our personal selves
and our organization. I expect that the authority will offer require support and adhere to the
plan to maintain the ethical culture of our reputable organization.
From the past few months, I have acknowledged the ethical issue of ‘discrimination and
harassment’ in the workplace. Some employees of HR Department are not developing
positive behaviour with our culturally diverse employees. By personal observation and
through feedback, I have assessed that level of discrimination and harassment is rising in our
organization. It is affecting the mental health, work quality, working environment and
business reputation. In previous month, I have come across two cases where two talented and
skilled culturally diverse employees have resigned our organization due to this issue.
Additionally, I have received complaints from other employees that they are prone to
harassment from their colleagues. They are experiencing such unethical behaviour from
multiple employees. They are experiencing high depression and it is laying a direct impact on
their overall health. Therefore, they are experiencing health issues of headache, anxiety and
loss in appetite. This problem is making the employees lose their attention towards the work
and customers have to experience poor quality service. The rising problem is affecting
multiple stakeholders and it includes employees and customers.
Diversity is one of the success key our organization. It has assisted in building goodwill and
raising reputation of our organization in market and business world. As a responsible senior
of the organization, it is my duty to correct each employee on his/her wrong deed. Therefore,
I have framed a plan against harassment and discrimination.
I have made a feasible and effective complaint procedure to prevent and deal with harassment
and discrimination. The employee should communicate the issue within next 24 hours to our
respective senior named ‘Suzy Jackson’. Her team will quick look into the issue and provide
reasonable solution to the victim. All the employees will be provided with a ‘link’ on their
employee account. This link will directly connect the employee to the ‘Director’ of our
company named ‘Paul Winchester’. Therefore, one move towards harassment and
discrimination will put the employee’s job at risk. Any individual found indulgence in such
unethical behaviour will lose all the job benefits.

ETHICAL ISSUES 2
From January 30, 2020 till February 1, 2020, we are launching a program named ‘Not
Anymore’ in west north corner of Westside Road. It offers an opportunity to all the respected
members of our organization to report past harassment and discriminatory issue within the
workplace. It will allow our organization to take necessary action in response to such
behaviour. There were multiple activities will be held on theme of ‘Discrimination and
harassment’. It will involve speech, storytelling and role play and these activities will be
performed by interested members of our organization. It will enable our organization to raise
voice against these malpractices. This program will provide a chance to employees to raise
their suggestions and ideas in response to such behaviour. It will allow the organization to
develop better and effective policies for our human resource.
Additionally, we will communicate our procedure for harassment complaints with employees.
It is listed below:
1. We will take every complaint seriously
2. A proper investigation will be developed for addressing these issues
3. Undertake every measure to not to make credibility judgement on the reputation of
victim and bully.
4. The bully may account to heavy penalties based on the complaint.
The program will be economical in nature as it does not include any external parties. This
will also help us in making our employees secure and minimize termination rate. Therefore, it
is a fun and appealing program to solve the issue.
It is a duty of our organization to provide healthy, safe and positive work environment to our
employees as they are the core asset. Therefore, I expect the authority to look into the issue
and take undertaken every possible measure to solve this issue. Additionally, I request to
permit my plan to initiate a change towards the ethical culture.
Regards

ETHICAL ISSUES 3
Bibliography
Becton, J., Gilstrap, J., & Forsyth, M. (2017). Preventing and correcting workplace
harassment: Guidelines for employers. Business Horizons, 60(1), 101-111.
Branch, S., Ramsay, S., & Barker, M. (2013). Workplace bullying, mobbing and general
harassment: A review. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(3), 280-
299.
Cowan, R. (2011). “Yes, We Have an Anti-bullying Policy, But…:” HR Professionals'
Understandings and Experiences with Workplace Bullying Policy. Communication
Studies, 62(3), 307-327.
Deery, S., J., W., & Guest, D. (2011). Workplace aggression: the effects of harassment on job
burnout and turnover intentions. Work, employment and society, 25(4).
Memo. (2020, January 27). General Memo Writing Guidelines. Retrieved January 27, 2020,
from Memo:
https://www.uc.edu/content/dam/uc/aess/docs/LACResources/MEMO_template
%20and%20tips_5_29_2012.pdf
Pastorek, S., Contacos, J., & Thomas, B. (2015). Creating a no-tolerance policy for
workplace bullying and harassment. Competition Forum.