Ethics in an Unethical Company
How to handle the moral dilemma of working for an unethical company?
In today's world, thousands of companies do questionable, immoral, or illegal things daily. Whenever a wall street CEO goes down for a slew of crimes, news pundits and politicians act outraged and shocked, but nobody is shocked.
But what about the workers behind these criminal corporations? What about these secretaries, office managers, assistants, and accountants? These regular people just going to work to earn a paycheck and support their families surely have nothing to do with nasty business, but did they know? Working for a company like nestle or Koch, these people cannot plead ignorance to things like child slavery, exploitation, and ecological destruction. Do these people hold some of the guilt for the decisions made by the leadership? Do we, as workers, have a moral obligation to check out a company before accepting a job?
It is a difficult question. To plead ignorance is lazy. To try and rectify this at the level of middle management is impossible. To refuse a job based on this is not possible for someone who needs the job. However, something must be done with an estimated 152 million children engaged in child labor globally and many more vulnerable groups also being exploited. If companies cannot handle their garbage, it may be time workers tried.
As I was planning what to write for this article, I struggled. I have a lot of privilege, and it is easy for me to make a grand moral stand, but when push comes to shove, would I have the strength to stand on those convictions? On the one hand, I have strong convictions, and I would never want to set aside my morals for a bit of money. On the other hand, working for a questionable corporation was the only way to feed my child. I would have a hard time turning that job down. In a meeting about this piece with KC Misulis, CEO of Misulis Group, I asked him his take on the idea of ethics vs. job security. He points out that you only have two choices you can make in any situation.
"When you encounter shady things that a company is doing, you have two choices. One, You can try to find a better job with a more ethical company. Two, you can try to use your influence in order to make the company more ethical."
Is it even possible in our global supply chain economy to avoid exploitation and harm to others? As KC put it…not really.
"The fact of the matter is, no company will ever be perfectly ethical. They will all have issues, especially because the different people have different ethical values."
We, as individual workers, cannot take on the mantle of changing an entire corporation from the inside out. It is unrealistic and an unfair burden to put on already-taxed laborers. That does not mean we do nothing. We can use our voices and positions to create change in a company. If that is not possible, maybe it is time to consider looking for a company that can turn a profit without blurring the line between success and evil.
"There is a whole bushel of jobs in Georgia [where KC is currently based] for Japan Tobacco Company. However, can you feel especially good working for a company that produces cigarettes? For some people, it's too much. For some people, it is a way to transition to be healthier; for some, they do not mind. So honestly, it is a personal choice. Where do you prefer to be? The Inside Man or the Bailer?"
The long and short of it is this: do we have a moral obligation when choosing where we work? Yes, in my opinion, we do. Everyone's morals lie on a different line; each worker can decide for themselves what they can live with. Suppose you can stomach working for a chocolate company that uses enslaved children or in a fruit company that destroyed a culture for cheaper pineapples. In that case, you have the freedom to do that.
After researching companies, looking into labor practices, and trying to find the answer to these questions, what have I come up with? In my opinion, we do have some moral obligations. When possible, we should reject all job offers from known offenders like nestle and company. As we advance through the ranks of a company, it's our moral obligation to try and put a stop to these harmful practices.
If we cannot prevent or influence unethical practices without jeopardizing our jobs, we must actively search for a less corrupt company. While easier to ignore the problem and plead lack of ability to make a change, we have a duty to humanity to try and hold corporations accountable. Unchecked corporate greed has destroyed our planet, caused wars, murdered children, and stolen livelihoods from millions of people. If we participate in the capitalist economy, we must try and change it from the inside out.
6 ways a CEO can ensure ethics as their company grows
Leading a company is hard. CEO's have many responsibilities. In today's late-stage capitalist economy, ensuring your company and supply chains are ethical can seem too hard. Of course, it's tempting to buy the cheapest materials wholesale. Sometimes the cheapest option comes at the cost of genuinely horrendous things. Here are six ethical practices to incorporate into your leadership as you guide your company to an honest and profitable future.
Always ensure that your business is value-added for your clients and employees.
Compliance is considered the bare minimum. If you can go above and beyond to stay transparent, that builds trust with internal and external stakeholders
Always divest decision-making to the team. No one is perfect. Everyone will make mistakes, so farm out decisions to the people it matters to the most and give them the autonomy to pursue them as they see fit.
Download the company chain app from ILAB to gain information on reducing child and forced labor in global supply chains.
Download the sweat and toil app from ILAB to find accurate information on countries' efforts to eliminate child labor and help you keep your supply chains squeaky clean
Call out exploitation in your industry as you see it. Silence is compliance
6 ways workers can make their company more ethical *with caution for your job
It's no secret that corporations suck. The reality of our economy is that a lot of corporations skate by on questionable ethics. Some, like nestle, hide their child slave labor and water theft in a million subsidiary brands. Others, like fast fashion brands, proudly display it at obscenely low prices on their tags. Whatever the industry, there are probably some shady practices. If you are working for a company behaving unethically, here are six steps to push your company in a more ethical direction.
Report any abuse you observe or hear about to your supervisor. If they brush you off, consider going to their supervisor
If asked to do something legal but unethical, say no. Your job description isn't an iron-clad contract to commit morally questionable acts
When possible, suggest and push for ethical alternatives for established unethical practices.
When proposing projects or ideas, only offer ethical options for materials, labor, and supply chain options.
Do your research on your company to see how ethical they are. You have to know what it is before you can work on it.
Call out exploitation in your industry as you see it. Silence is compliance
