Philosophy 330/ Spring 2001 /T White/ Paper #3

1. Why is this an ethical issue?

Employees who were fired: financial security, being treated with justice and fairness, having their rights and dignity respected

Employees in plant: need for comfortable working environment

Dow (employees, shareholders): financial security (protection against cost of sexual harassment lawsuits); need to have people they make agreements with them honor the terms (employees acceptance of policies).

2. Did the employees do anything wrong (deontological issues)?

Action in question: posting and forwarding such material

Did they violate any agreement with the company? (historical toleration of such behavior vs. “Respect and Responsibilities Policies”)?

Is distributing such e-mails consistent with respecting the dignity of individuals?

Is there anything intrinsically wrong with such images or humor? (Is it treating other people as objects or using others as a means to an end [with or without their consent]?)

3. Did the company do anything wrong (deontological issues)?

Action in question: firing/punishing employees

Does Dow have a right to have policies about e-mail usage?

Was the company meeting its duties and responsibilities to all members of the company to protect them from a hostile environment and to provide a working environment consistent with respect for their dignity?

Did Dow violate employees’ rights?

* privacy

* freedom of expression

* fairness (appropriate warning, due process, selecting one date [arbitrary treatment?])

* just treatment (did the punishment “fit the crime”?)

* equality (possible bias against union members or against veteran employees?)

* not to be used as a means to an end (were the employees being used “as an example” to other employees)

Did Dow violate any agreement with the employees? (historical toleration of such behavior vs. “Respect and Responsibilities Policies”)?

NOTE: If you find a “T” in the margin, it means that you’re offering more of a teleological than a deontological argument.