Free An Ethical Dilemma In The Workplace Essay Sample

While working as an assistant to a supervisor, he ordered me to book several airline tickets for his family while using the company computer. As an employee, I was aware that while this task would take only a few minutes, I knew that this was prohibited under the rules in the company handbook. The rule was that no personal business was to be conducted while on company time and while using company premises. I wanted to please my boss and follow all his orders, as he was a reasonably good boss who always saw to it that my workload was just enough for me to do for the day. He also was concerned when I would have to go on overtime, asking me if he could purchase dinner for me or to have some takeout ordered. I always declined on these offers. However, I knew that the rules in the company handbook were very clear, and that the IT department would be able to trace these transactions when necessary.
I had been very tempted to follow his orders, but in the end I decided against it. However, I decided to talk to my boss about my dilemma. Being the professional that he was, he said that it slipped his mind, and that all he thought of was being able to get bookings. His wife was not tech-savvy, and so he had to do it on his own. I offered then a solution – that I would go out for lunch, get coffee at a Starbucks store, then bring my smartphone and book the tickets for him. I would save the tickets and then send them to his personal email as well. He then said that he liked the idea, as it would protect both of us from any future investigations from the company, and that he would not be harassed by his wife at the same time. I also normally go out for coffee for lunchbreak, and so this would be like hitting many birds with a single stone.
I have learned a few lessons from this experience. The first one is that it is important to stick the rules as they will protect one from any future investigations or doubts about one’s performance and actions while in the performance of his duties. I instinctively knew that I had to consult the company handbook so as to find out if my boss’ instructions would constitute an employee offense under the law. The second lesson is that it is valuable that one has a good professional and personal relationship with one’s co-employees. I was able to open up to my boss about the predicament I found myself in because of his orders without much hesitation. This is because I have always strived to maintain good professional (and to a certain extent personal) relations with him. In return, he has always treated me with respect and with the utmost professionalism as well. This good working relationship paved the way for being able to talk with him about almost anything, with this dilemma being one of these issues. The third is that I also learned part of the art of negotiation. To make my boss feel as if he was not going to accomplish the task on hand, I offered him the opportunity to still get the job done while I was doing something that I normally do on my lunchbreak. In this way, my boss would be saved from any potential company infraction, his tickets could be purchased, and I could still get my favorite cup of coffee during my break as I normally do. Most of all, the professional and personal relationship with my boss would be enhanced more than ever.
I also learned that I could overcome hurdles not only in the workplace but in my personal life as well. All I had to do was focus on the issue on hand, think of possible solutions and think of the best win-win solution in the end.