Ethics dictates how to conduct operations in a morally right or just way, as well as acknowledging the dignity of employees in a business. Best practices involve using efficient and effective processes that yield optimum results with minimum risks or harm. They are critical requirements in any business environment; they determine the growth and success of a company; businesses that incorporate these features in their operations exhibit better performance than their competitors. Businesses ought to embrace ethics and compliance with best practices such as creating a healthy working environment, establishing favorable working conditions, compensating ill or injured workers, protecting employees from a disease outbreak, and contracting companies with integrity and security.
Businesses are responsible for creating healthy working environments for their own employees or their affiliates. They must install safe working equipment and provide protective clothing and footwear for their workers. Those engaging in contracting third parties must carry out a background check to ensure they maintain the dignity of their workers before entering any engagement; this will encourage other organizations to honor the welfare of their workers (Halbert & Ingulli, 2018). These measures will protect employees from exposure to harm or injuries and even death.
Countries or states must establish institutions that set and enforce favorable working conditions for workers. This will ensure business operations are per what human rights dictates; moreover, these agencies will oversee the implementation of the set requirements and initiate punitive measures for those acting in contravention (Halbert & Ingulli, 2018). Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an example of an institution responsible for developing health and safety standards for different industries; they are also responsible for overseeing the enforcement of these standards. Its main motive is to minimize the occurrence of accidents in workplaces and exposure to health hazards. For instance, the collapse of the Rana Factory could have been avoided if there were relevant institutions to set and enforce safety standards during its construction (Quest TV, 2021). No competent agency assessed the strength of the building’s foundation or made attempts to stop the construction of three additional floors on top of what was approved.
Companies must compensate workers who get ill or injured while on duty. This is a gesture of acknowledging and appreciating them for their critical role in the organization and wishing them a quick recovery. It motivates them to commit themselves and offer their best due to their confidence in their employer regarding their welfare. However, not all employers are willing to offer compensation, and some do not treat their workers as human beings who have rights (Halbert & Ingulli, 2018). The establishment of law to make compensation mandatory is critical since every organization is obligated to cater to the medical requirements of its worker; this relieves the burden of treatment costs on the employee. Organizations should commit themselves and contribute to a compensation fund that will be used to pay workers injured workers. It will reduce the back-and-forth cases with the employee demanding compensation.
It is a moral obligation for organizations to ensure their employees are protected from outbreaks of diseases. This is achieved by sensitizing and providing protective resources such as masks and sanitizers and even organizing for vaccination if necessary. Since most of these resources are sourced outside the business, it is important to ensure that they meet quality standards and that service providers, such as vaccination, must be qualified and approved by relevant agencies to carry out the exercise (Manuel & Herron, 2020). The organization should not only focus on its workers but also on the surrounding communities.
Organizations with fast-growing customer bases outsource third parties to assist them in producing or providing services. The contracted or affiliate organizations must comply with the best practices to avoid compromising quality or quantity compared to the set standards. It is important that honor every aspect of the terms of the contract to avoid creating a patent, copyright, or privacy crisis. An organization ought to asses and ascertain whether a potential company to be subcontracted meets integrity and security issues. This will ensure that any details regarding the contracting are not compromised or get into the possession of an unauthorized person (Anand & Goyal, 2019). Violation of the contract may lead to losses and compromise the reputation of the outsourcing company.
In conclusion, businesses are responsible for creating healthy working environments for their employees and affiliates by ensuring they have protective gear and are in safe surroundings. Countries or states must establish institutions to set up standards for favorable working conditions, oversee implementations in their respective industries and initiate punitive measures for any violation. This helps in minimizing accidents in workplaces and exposure to health hazards. Companies must compensate employees who get sick or injured while in the line of duty since they are working to ensure they deliver what was expected. Employers must ensure their workers are protected from the outbreak of diseases and provided with relevant resources for prevention purposes. Organizations must maintain integrity and security information security to prevent it from getting into unauthorized hands.
References
Anand, K. S., & Goyal, M. (2019). Ethics, bounded rationality, and IP sharing in IT outsourcing. Management Science, 65(11), 5252–5267. Web.
Halbert, T., & Ingulli, E. (2018). Law & Ethics in the Business Environment. Cengage Learning Inc.
Manuel, T., & Herron, T. L. (2020). An ethical perspective of business CSR and the COVID-19 pandemic. Society and Business Review, 15(3), 235–253. Web.
YouTube. (2021). Rana Plaza Collapse: “The Worst Garment-Factory Disaster Ever Recorded” | Disasters Engineered. YouTube. Web.