This assignment has been written by Savino Giuralarocca & Gina Nehrlich Each member of the group has contributed equally to the completion of this assignment Business Ethics Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective Assignment Agenda Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 2 #TopicPresented by 1Employee rights for modelsGina Nehrlich 2.Different types of privacySavino Giuralarocca 3.Union Initiative by Sarah ZiffSavino Giuralarocca 4.Work Life BalanceGina Nehrlich Introduction Employees are subject to a strict managerial rationale of minimizing costs and maximizing the efficiency of the resource Body as a mean to success Model feel desparate and lost No social network Recruitment with 12+ Models are treated as human resource only: Relevant is only their body as a mean to maximize the gains Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 3 Introduction Employees are subject to a strict managerial rationale of minimizing costs and maximizing the efficiency of the resource Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 4 Introduction Employees are subject to a strict managerial rationale of minimizing costs and maximizing the efficiency of the resource Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 5 Employee Needs Discrimination Privacy Due Process Employees rights Participation & Association Healthy & Save working conditions Fair wages Freedom of concious & speech Right to work Maslow Justice Employee Rights for Models (1/4) Discrimination : Discrimination takes place when preferential treatment not being directly related to the employees qualification leads to job-related advantages or disadvantages (Crane & Matten, 2010) Assessment Model agencies use age as selection criteria and prefer young girls (age discrimination) Sexual harassment is prevalent in the model business. Photographers often ask models to solicit them. Models declining such requests often jeopardize their career and are disadvantaged with regards to lucrative jobs Privacy: Individual right to control information about oneself, and to control situations where such information could be gleaned (Cranford 1998) Assessment Models are not given the right of privacy. Physical privacy is missing in their life completely (joint accommodation with other models, no privacy at backstage) Also psychological privacy is violated. Embarrassing comments about the models in the backstage rooms are normal Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 6 Due Process : The right to due process says that procedures must be transparent and criteria's applied must be job related (i.e. during promotion, disciplinary proceedings and firing) (Crane & Matten 2010) Assessment Girls are fulfilling all photographs and agencies requirements to secure their success They give up their whole live (i.e. school) just to be successful as a model Employee Rights for Models (2/4) Participation & Association: The right to participation claims for the employees right to influence their tasks or job environment. The right to association is the right to join in work councils or trade unions Assessment Girls are fulfilling all photographs and agencies requirements to secure their success They give up their whole live (i.e. school) just to be successful as a model Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 7 Healthy & Save Work Conditions : Employers must take care of their employees safety and allow for healthy life (i.e. sufficient rest periods) Assessment Models are exhausted and overtired (the sets often leave them 3 hours per night for sleep for 14 days in a row) Cocaine consumption is common to stand the work conditions Many models suffer at anorexia to fulfill the requirement to be slim Employee Rights for Models (3/4) Fair Wages : Wages are fair when they fulfill the industry average, allow to satisfy all basic needs of the employee and if the required effort is in relation to the requested performance Assessment Models are exhausted and overtired (the sets often leave them 3 hours per night for sleep for 14 days in a row) Cocaine consumption is common to stand the work conditions Many models suffer at anorexia to fulfill the requirement to be slim Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 8 Freedom of Conscious and Speech: People must not be restricted in conscious and speech based on threats of unfair ramifications for talking about ethical issues (i.e. whistleblowing) Assessment The feeling of being desperately dependent on the model agencies and photographs will not provide the models with the necessary level of freedom of speech Employee Rights for Models (4/4) The right to work : The right to work leads to the right to equal and fair conditions in hiring and firing (i.e. freedom from discrimination) Assessment The feeling of being desperately dependent on the model agencies and photographs will not provide the models with the necessary level of freedom of speech Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 9 Physical Privacy: The right to physical inaccessibility to others and to ones own space (Crane & Matten, 2010). Assessment Access of photographers in backstage areas of shows deprive models of physical privacy (Model Business). Organizations placing surveillance cameras in employees private rest areas (bath rooms, changing rooms, staff rooms) compromise physical privacy (General). Different types of Privacy (1/2) Social Privacy : Freedom to interact with other people in whichever way we choose (Crane & Matten, 2010). Assessment If a famous singer cant behave in public as he wishes because his producer is afraid of a potential image loss due to his exposure to the press, his social privacy is threatened (Music Business). Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 10 Informational Privacy: Having the control about how, when and to what extent private data about us are released to others. The biggest threat to employee privacy comes from electronic surveillance (Crane & Matten, 2010). Assessment The archiving of employees data by the employers medical consultant is not an issue. If this data though is accessed by the employer, the employees privacy is broken (Doctor employer relation). Different types of Privacy (2/2) Psychological Privacy : Controlling emotional and cognitive inputs and outputs, and not being forced to share private thoughts and feelings (Crane & Matten, 2010). Assessment Psychological privacy is violated when embarrassing comments about the models in the backstage rooms are normal (model business) Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 11 Sarah Ziffs Union Initiative Model Alliance Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 12 Chances of success: HighMedium Where and why could the union initiative (Model Alliance 2013), launched by Sara Ziff, show an effective momentum and, where likely not so. Low Work Life Balance Excessive Working Hours and presenteeism Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 13 Work Balance Employee health (physical and mental) and well being are increasingly threatened by the effects of excessive working hours: Why do people choose to work excessive hours and what are possible consequences? Reasons Excessive working hours Possible effects Job security (Safety)Exchange social time for employment time Low wages (Safety)Presenteeism (working long hours) Career ambitions (Esteem)Decrease in social relations Self-realizationDecrease in childcare Health issues (physical and mental) Life Work Life Balance Flexible Working Patterns Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 14 Changing working environments have led to the introduction of flexible working arrangements. There are various such arrangements: Part-time work Temporary work (limited contract) Self-employment Teleworking This trend towards flexible working hours brings positive and negative aspects for employees: Positive aspectsNegative aspects Greater flexibility for employees Arrangement of social life Avoidance of traffic (best use of time) Rights of employees can be limited Less or no fringe benefits Less Training possibilities Working hours (shifts) Opportunities for women or disadvantaged groups Child care Different interests can be pursued Management arbitrariness Flexible positions are more at risk Hire and fire Work Life Balance What is Happiness Work Life Balance is more than finding the equilibrium between job and private life; It is finding the balance between all our needs! * researchers at the University of Illinois put Maslow's ideas to the test with data from 123 countries representing every major region of the world. Results of Study performed by Ed Diener & L. Tay Fulfillment of needs identified by Maslow correlates with happiness. Happiness can be generated without fulfilling the needs sequentially along the pyramid Fulfilling different needs produces different types of well-being Study* Assignment Ethics from an Employees Perspective 15