According to marketing consultant Heather Huhman, if a person's work was somehow impacted negatively, or that person was passed up for a promotion, because the person said something to a supervisor regarding the harassment he or she received, the company could be liable. When Mark Hurd was the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, he became "embroiled in a workplace ethics issue" because, according to Susan Heathfield, among other things, he "failed to disclose a close personal relationship he had with a contractor." That ethical lapse was not sexual harassment in the workplace, but it was sexual in nature because ethically, an executive cannot become romantically involved with a contractor (or a vendor) that supplies the company with products or services. He was fired due to the conflict of interest, that is, a breach of ethics.

In conclusion, every worker should carefully read the company's workplace guidelines regarding what is considered ethical and what is not, prior to settling into...

Moreover, every worker should also use good judgment and common sense, and protect his or her position by behaving appropriately / ethically.
Works Cited

Heathfield, Susan M. (2011). Did You Bring Your Ethics to Work Today? About.com.

Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://humanresources.about.com.

Huhman, Heather. (2011). How to Recognize Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://money/usnews.com.

Soylu, Soydan. (2010). Creating a Family or Loyalty-Based Framework: The Effects of Paternalistic Leadership on Workplace Bullying. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(2), 217-

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. (2011). Workplace Bullying and Disruptive

Behavior: What Everyone Needs to Know. Retrieved November 11, 2011, from http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Files/Bullying.pdf.