What is an example of an example that might be considered unethical but not illegal?

Asked by: Prof. Cullen Koss  |  Last update: October 3, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (38 votes)

Upkeeping safety and health standards isn't illegal, but it's a crucial aspect of running any business that shouldn't be overlooked. Not licensing your staff is an example of an unethical practice. It simply involves hiring untrained and unlicensed staff to clean client homes, which may result in poor quality of work.

What is an example of unethical but not illegal?

Things that are immoral (for many) but are not illegal.

Cheating on your spouse. Breaking a promise to a friend. Using abortion as a birth control measure. People can not be arrested or punished with imprisonment or fines for doing these things.

Where you consider something to be unethical, whether or not it is illegal?

'Unethical' defines as something that is morally wrong, whilst something being 'illegal' means it is against the law. In an illegal act, the decision-making factor is the law. For an unethical act, the deciding agent is the man's own conscience. An unethical deed may be against morality but not against the law.

Which of the following is considered unethical but not necessarily illegal?

For example, cheating on a test or lying to someone may be considered unethical, but they are not necessarily illegal. On the other hand, murder or theft are both unethical and illegal.

Which is an example of an unethical?

Deliberate Dishonesty in the Workplace

Asking for recognition for someone else's job, calling in sick to go to the hill station, sabotaging someone else's work, and, in sales, falsifying the product or service to fulfill the target are all examples of unethical behavior in the workplace.

What is an example of unethical but not illegal

25 related questions found

What is the best example of unethical behavior?

5 Most Common Unethical Behaviors Ethics Resource Center (ERC) Survey
  • Misuse of company time. Whether it is covering for someone who shows up late or altering a timesheet, misusing company time tops the list. ...
  • Abusive Behavior. ...
  • Employee Theft. ...
  • Lying to employees. ...
  • Violating Company Internet Policies.

What is an example of ethical but illegal in the workplace?

Ethical, but Illegal

A common example of this is “whistleblowing,” or an individual's disclosure of dishonest, corrupt or illegal activity. While it may be ethical to denounce such activity, doing so may violate organizational policies and thus be considered illegal.

Can something be unethical but legal?

Industries and businesses operate within regulations to enforce ethical standards, but the subjective nature of ethics means that even perfectly legal business practices can be scrutinised as unethical behaviour.

What is an example of legally right but morally wrong?

Another example of legally right but morally wrong behavior is cutting corners on the quality of service you provide to your clients. Some businesses may try to save time, labor, or resources by skipping some tasks or using substandard materials or equipment.

What does "not illegal" mean?

Yes, "not illegal" is a double negative and thus means "legal". However, there is a shade of meaning differentiating how they are used. Usually "not illegal" is used to emphasize when there is no statute / law / etc. making something illegal, but also no statute / law / etc. explicitly making it legal.

What is an example of something that is moral but not ethical?

Can a person be moral but not ethical? Yes, a person can be moral and not ethical because what they might find to be morally correct might not be morally correct in the eyes of the ethical code. For example, a doctor might operate on a person in pain during an emergency without having them clear their past dues.

What is considered unethical?

Unethical behavior can be defined as actions that are against social norms or acts that are considered unacceptable to the public. Ethical behavior is the complete opposite of unethical behavior. Ethical behavior follows the majority of social norms and such actions are acceptable to the public.

What is an example of legal but unethical in healthcare?

Something can be unethical but perfectly legal. For example: if the emergency room is constantly backlogged, it's not legally required for the healthcare facility or hospital administrators to speed up their work.

What is wrong but not a crime?

On one hand, we have moral wrongs (represented as “A”) that are not necessarily criminal acts. For example, adultery is frequently considered immoral, but few believe such an act should give rise to criminal liability.

What is the difference between non ethical and unethical?

For those who subscribe to a specific code of ethics, all their actions are ethical when not in violation of the code and unethical when in violation; for those who do not subscribe to a code of ethics, all their actions are non-ethical.

How do you know if something is morally right or wrong?

There are many ways in which we can achieve moral understanding: by perception, by first-personal experience, and even by moral testimony. In particular, agents can achieve moral understanding of why, for example, sexual harassment is morally wrong even when they lack the ability to articulate their understanding.

What is amoral evil?

amoral/ immoral

If you call someone immoral, you are saying that person knows better. If you call him amoral, you are saying that person does wrong but doesn't understand that it is wrong. It can be a fine line, other times it's clear: If a giant wave turns your boat over, that wave isn't being mean, it's amoral.

What is an example of a right in ethics?

Right ethics are ethics that most important to human rights. According to the right ethics theory, human rights is the ultimate appeal and it should be respected. Human rights are entirely different from legal rights. A few examples of human rights are freedom of speech, freedom of expression and right to privacy.

Why is stealing morally wrong?

From a deontological perspective, stealing is considered morally wrong because it violates the principle of respect for property rights and undermines the social contract that maintains order in society.

Can behavior may be unethical but not illegal?

Likewise, breaking the law regarding speed limits and getting speeding tickets does not equate to unethical conduct. Therefore, illegal activity is not always unethical. The reverse is also true. For example, while being disrespectful and demeaning to patients is unethical, it is not necessarily illegal.

What is something that is both legal and ethical?

Ethics never stands alone, nor does the law. Some issues that have both ethical and legal components include: Access to medical care. Informed consent. Confidentiality and exceptions to confidentiality.

What act is morally right but unlawful?

Civil disobedience is a prime example of this. People engaging in nonviolent protests or demonstrations may knowingly break the law to bring attention to an unjust policy or to promote social change. While their actions may be morally justifiable, they are still considered unlawful within the legal framework.

What is something that is unethical but legal?

Two examples of legal but unethical behaviors are price gouging and exploiting tax loopholes. Three examples of illegal but ethical behaviors are breaking into a property to rescue someone in danger, using illegal drugs for medical purposes, and defying segregation laws to fight against racial discrimination.

What is an example of unethical?

Ethics: In a professional setting, lying about product safety in a report would be considered unethical. Many would also see it as immoral, but the focus isn't just on honesty as a virtue.

Is abortion an ethical issue?

There are a range of moral and ethical issues which may arise about unplanned pregnancy and abortion. At the Pregnancy Advisory Centre we support a woman or pregnant person's right to make their own decision about their pregnancy, based on their unique circumstances, in relation to their own personal values.