Code of Ethics Core Values My Core

Code of Ethics

Core values

My core ethical value can best be summed up as follows: 'always put yourself in the other person's shoes.' I consider this to be a modified version of the Golden Rule of 'do unto others as you would have done unto you.' The Golden Rule suggests that you should treat other people as you would like to be treated. In my version, I have modified this dictum by asking: 'if I were like this person, with his or her experiences and perspectives would I like to be treated in such a manner?' For example, I might not mind having people tease me about my appearance, in good fun. However, someone who had been bullied for most of his or her life might feel threatened by what I consider friendly banter. It is not enough for me to say: "because I would not mind, he would not mind." I must put myself in the other person's shoes before I judge him or her, and before I act. I also expect the same consideration of others: that they treat me, my friends, and all other human beings with respect, even when we have different worldviews.

Empathy is a critical component of my ethical system. However, I am not a complete moral relativist. Although I believe it is essential to empathize with other human beings, that does not mean that I must completely suspend judgment of other people's actions. Just as I set a high standard of empathy for myself, I set a similarly high standard for other people. I do not condone cruelty or malice in others, just as I do not act with cruelty or malice myself.

The stress that I place upon empathy is based in another core principle of mine: my need to make my life meaningful. I do not believe that it is enough to live a life that is secure, or to make a great deal of money, or to fulfill societal expectations. The actions I perform should leave the world a better place. This does not mean being a 'people pleaser,' given that sometimes being a moral person requires making uncomfortable choices.

Moral character

I try to live with integrity. Living with integrity means keeping your word and honoring your obligations to others. This value was ingrained within me early on in my life. Growing up, I had responsibilities around the house, to do well in school, and to 'pitch in' when needed. I was expected to honor these expectations, just as my parents honored their obligations to me. Having a strong sense of duty, obligation, and a willingness to endure trying situations are all part of having a strong moral character.

Moral character means upholding one's core principles, even if there is pressure to deviate from them. I know from personal experience that when faced with peer pressure, it is all too easy to think: 'just this one time, I will give in.' But that one time can lead to another time -- and another time, until one's entire moral system collapses. Although morality is not a rulebook, and some flexibility is necessary based upon empathy and the situation, I try to be very rigorous with myself and not try to abandon my basic sense of what is right, except under extreme circumstances.

Ethics in my life

Because I think that being a good person, and making others feel at home and right with the world is the key to happiness, I do not think it is possible to live a happy life, unless one is ethical. Acting in an unethical manner means hurting the people you care about, and hurting others ultimately leaves you alone. Although deceitful and vengeful people may occasionally seem to be successful, this success is usually very fleeting in light of the damage they do to themselves as well as to the welfare of others in the long run.

Being ethical does not necessarily mean being unhappy, though. Very often, it 'feels good' to help other people. A sense of reciprocation binds friendships. Also, acting ethically and morally gives me a sense of efficacy in the world. A good example of this is volunteering. I began volunteering out of a sense of obligation for school. However, I gradually came to see that volunteering boosted my self-esteem. It made me feel as if I could make a difference, and I loved seeing the smiling faces of the people I helped. I gained practical and social skills through my efforts. By acting ethically, I increased my happiness and the happiness of others.

Application of my code of ethics

Case study

One of the most common ethical dilemmas that occur in the workplace is the issue of harassment. In almost every office, one or two people do not seem to 'fit in,' because of personality conflicts with others, because they do not come from the same background as the other employees, or because of long-standing conflicts related to the job. Or sometimes, an employee, usually a woman, is the subject of unwanted sexual attention. Sometimes, this person becomes the target of constant harassment. This places an innocent bystander who wants to be ethical in a bind: does he or she stand above the fray, and try to be neutral? Does he inform his or her supervisor about the fact that harassment may be taking place? Does he try to be nice to the affected employee, and urge the employee to inform others of the problem?

Turning a blind eye to harassment is a serious issue on a personal as well as on an organizational level. On a personal level, it feels wrong to see someone suffering everyday. Also, it can affect workplace morale and productivity if the harassment is not dealt with, and as an employee, every worker has an obligation to his or her employer to note when he or she sees something that is against company policy.

Facts: A female colleague is receiving inappropriately flirtatious emails from a supervisor. This makes her uncomfortable. She confides in a friend (me). However, she is unwilling to bring up the matter to HR and asks that I keep the matter private.

Stakeholders: The moral agent is myself, who must decide whether to inform on the supervisor to HR against my friend's wishes. The moral recipients are the harassed employee and the harassing supervisor. The woman has the most at stake, given that her quality of life at the job and possibly her future promotion are at stake. The supervisor could be potentially disciplined or dismissed if his or her behavior is found to be harassing. I have a moral obligation to do something as the woman's friend, and also as an employee at the company.