Confidential Information on the Termination of a Friend
Read the story and complete the Ethics Matrix Worksheet.
You are a human resource generalist for the Information Systems Department (IS) at BMI. One of your unpleasant job responsibilities is coordinating employee terminations. This includes scheduling and handling the paperwork for exit interviews. You are typically notified a week in advance of any impending terminations or layoffs. It is your professional duty, as well as that of all 300 Human Resource Department employees, to keep this type of employment-related information confidential.
Lee Payne, your closest friend within and outside the organization, is a senior analyst in the IT Department. Lee was responsible for getting you hired at BMI through connections in the Human Resource Department. Lee and Lee’s spouse have been friends of your family for years. Your two children and Lee’s two children attend the same grade school. Both families are very excited because Lee is in the process of purchasing a very expensive house on your block. Due to a tight budget and the peculiarities of the buyer, Lee will sign the final papers for selling the current house next Friday and sign papers for purchasing the new house the following Monday.
On Monday morning, Steve Meili, an IT manager, informs you that next Monday he will terminate three of his 100 employees due to budget cutbacks. As usual, you assure Mr. Meili that confidentiality in this matter is guaranteed. While glancing over the list, you are shocked to see Lee’s name on it. To make matters worse, Lee will be notified about the termination on the same day that Lee is planning to purchase the new, expensive dream house. This is three days after Lee will have sold the current house.
You wonder whether you should tell Lee about the impending termination. If you tell Lee immediately, then Lee can back out of selling the old home and purchasing the new home. However, Lee, who believes that a senior analyst position is very secure, has a nasty temper. If forewarned, Lee is likely to confront key decision makers about the inevitable termination, which could cost you your job because it is your professional duty to keep this type of employment-related information confidential.