2. A friend of mine whom I was fairly close to
was stealing office supplies from work. I noticed
Karen taking computer paper, pencils, pens, etc. I
knew she was using them for personal use, not for
work-related use.
This is where my dilemma came in:
Do I say something to her and risk her
becoming angry?
Do I go to my boss and Karen be fired?
Do I ignore the stealing and let it continue?
I didn’t want to ruin my friendship, but I knew
this was wrong.
3. Is she truly taking it home or what is she really
doing with it after work?
Does she truly think this is immoral?
What is going on in her life to make her want
to steal and not go buy her own? Is she
struggling financially?
I started to watch her; I watched her leave from
work and study what she did with the
merchandise. I started to take notes on what day
and what time she took stuff.
4. I could confront her about it and risk losing a friendship.
I could tell my boss about it and my friend not know I was
the one who told.
I could tell my co-workers and ask them what to do, have
one of them confront her.
I could ignore it.
I could put a spreadsheet by the supplies and have my co-
workers record what supplies they are taking (when and
why). If the amount taken matches and each person does
not take more than necessary then I will let it go. If not, then
I will report to the boss.
Here is a YouTube video that shows exactly how hard it is to do
the right thing sometimes: (I do not like the ending though.)
Transit - YouTube
5. Confronting her: It is legal. Will it be beneficial? I am not sure, she
could decide to steal the products when nobody else is there, end
our friendship, and create a poor work environment for both of us.
Telling my boss: It is legal. I think this would be beneficial because
my boss could end it without an argument between Karen and I.
Telling my co-workers: Legal, but I don’t think it would be
beneficial. This would cause more office drama, rumors, and bad
feelings at work.
Ignoring it: Legal in a way, but ignoring it is just as bad as doing
in my opinion. This would definitely not be beneficial. Karen is
doing something illegal and wrong. I saw it, which makes me
responsible to do the right thing.
Putting up an inventory sheet: Legal and beneficial, but would
have to get boss’s permission. Also, this could cause office rumors
regarding the sheet (why is it up, who’s stealing, etc.)
6. I chose to talk to Karen; ask her what is going on
and why she is doing that. She is a very kind and
honest person, why would she behave so
erroneously? I will keep a close eye and keep an
eye on the supplies; make sure she quit. Make
sure she isn’t fooling herself into thinking this is
okay and not a big deal. There is a TED Talk that
discusses our society and why we think cheating
and stealing is okay sometimes.
Here is the link: Dan Ariely: Our Buggy Moral
Code
7. How will I feel if my family finds out about my decision?
They already know what is going on and I have talked to
them about it. They said I should go to my boss.
How will I feel if this is reported in the newspaper? I will
feel fine. I am not ignoring it and I am trying to tell my
friend and my boss without ruining my friendship or work
atmosphere. I should tell my boss first, but I believe people
are moral and honest. I think if I confront her about it, she
will burst out crying, tell me how ashamed she is, and stop
stealing.
How will I feel if my boss finds out (if Karen gets her act
together and I don’t tell my boss)? I will probably be afraid
Karen will be fired and afraid I will receive disciplinary
action since I did not tell my employer first.
8. Now for the good part! I talked to Karen about her
actions after work in the parking lot. We sat down in the back
of my truck and discussed why she did it. She explained she is
having financial trouble and her kids needed supplies for
school and homework. I explained I would help her out with
money; I am not rich or anything, but she can’t be saving that
much with stealing computer paper. I explained that this is
wrong and she can’t be doing this. I said, “You can’t be stealing
from work; they will make you pay for all the stuff you stole
and fire you. You have two kids and a husband to support. He
is out of work right now and you are the bread-winner. You
can’t risk losing your job!”
She agreed and agreed not to steal again. She knew it was
wrong but felt there were no other options. She told me she
would tell our boss what she did and will work extra hours
undocumented to make up for the items she stole.
9. As you can see, this worked out fairly well
for me; I was able to talk to her and she told
our boss herself. Karen was not fired, but
she did have to pay for the supplies she
stole. Our employer trusted Karen to tell
them how much she stole because she was
up front and honest with them about her
stealing. It worked out better for all of us.
There are not a lot of ethical dilemma
stories like this one, which is why I chose it!