Ethics are not the same as laws. However, governments often develop laws based on unethical behaviors. For example, it is unethical to steal from someone else, and in the United States, it is also against the law. Show Many laws address ethical aspects of health care to protect patients, healthcare professionals, and the public. For instance, a state law may require hospitals to report cases of very contagious diseases to monitor and protect the health of others. Laws can also help define ethical and unethical behavior. For example, it is both illegal and unethical for a company to discriminate against employees based on their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. Professional standards of care are rules or guidelines for carrying out a job that people in a profession or at a workplace are expected to follow. Those standards outline specific responsibilities and goals for a profession. They may be set by leaders in a given profession, or by a facility or other workplace. A code of ethics outlines the way a provider gathers information, makes decisions, and works with patients, coworkers, and others. A code of ethics is often part of professional standards of care, but sometimes it is a separate document. Professional standards of care and codes of ethics are not laws; people are not arrested for violating them. However, they are regulated by healthcare organizations, and when they are not followed, the consequences can have serious effects that could get people into legal trouble. For instance, if an ethical rule about safe behaviors in the workplace is broken, patients could be harmed. The harm caused to patients could then turn into a legal issue with consequences such as fines or being fired from a job. 1. A CODE OF ETHICS influences an employee's behavior by informing the employee of what actions are considered ethical/unethical. The code of ethics guides employee decisions when the "right" thing to do may not be very clear. Thus, in a workplace context, the code of ethics tells an employee how to act ethically while at work. Additionally, the passage of the Sarbanes Oxley Act in 2002 now requires public companies to have a code of ethics for top executives, so these individuals are constantly reminded to make ethical decisions. 2. WHISTLEBLOWER HOTLINES allow employees to report potential ethics violations to an anonymous hotline. This influences employee behavior because it deters other employees from acting unethically. If employees fear that they may be reported to a hotline, then they are likely to make a more ethical decision. 3. ETHICS HOTLINES allow an employee to anonymously call in to a hotline to receive advice on the correct/ethical decision to make. This influences employee behavior because the ethics coach on the other end of the phone call can encourage an employee to take an action that is the most ethical. Thus, the employee can rely on the ethics coach to help make the decision, rather than his/her own personal judgment. 4. Implementation of an ETHICS OFFICER within the company helps to improve compliance with the code. If employees know that they have to report to an ethics officer, then they are more likely to act ethically. Additionally, the ethics officer can require trainings or seminars for individuals to ensure compliance with the code of ethics. 5. ETHICS TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION allow employees to go through various ethical-dilemma scenarios and can help an employee in the future determine correct and ethical decisions when the time calls for it. These trainings influence behavior because employees may remember "practice" scenarios during real life, and thus apply what they learned during these sessions to their job functions. Recommended textbook solutions U.S. History1st EditionJohn Lund, Paul S. Vickery, P. Scott Corbett, Todd Pfannestiel, Volker Janssen 567 solutions Ways of the World: A Global History3rd EditionRobert W. Strayer 232 solutions
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World Civilizations: The Global Experience, Since 1200, AP Edition8th EditionMarc Jason Gilbert, Michael Adas, Peter Stearns, Stuart B. Schwartz 263 solutions Who should you contact if you have concerns about unethical behavior?8. For serious issues: When you find out a serious legal or policy issue you can head to the human resource department directly. As an employee you have the obligation to report directly when there is any unethical behavior or act violates the policy and the law.
Who is responsible for ethical behavior in an organization?Every person in an organization is morally responsible for his or her own behavior, and any efforts to change that behavior should focus on the individual. Individuals are members of communities and organizations that are partially responsible for the behavior of their members.
Who should be most responsible for a company's ethics program?Leaders are responsible for shaping the ethical policy of an organization. In a large company, upper management might task a committee with handling ethical aspects of business -- for example, drafting workplace policies, defining punishments and rewards and helping resolve ethical dilemmas.
What can be some of the concerns of unethical practices?Unethical behaviour has serious consequences for both individuals and organizations. You can lose your job and reputation, organizations can lose their credibility, general morale and productivity can decline, or the behaviour can result in significant fines and/or financial loss.
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