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

Asked by: Bryce Hickle I  |  Last update: March 28, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (52 votes)

Ethical, but Illegal legal standards dilemma, a decision can be ethical but violate certain laws. A common example of this is “whistleblowing,” or an individual's disclosure of dishonest, corrupt or illegal activity.

What is an example of something that is unethical but legal?

Answer and Explanation:

An example of something that is legal but unethical is paying employees minimum wage without any increase over time, which leads to them struggling to manage their living expenses. An example of something illegal but ethical is driving over the speed limit.

What is an example of illegal but morally right?

Here are some examples of actions that are illegal but are thought to be moral (for many)! Drinking under age. Driving over the speed limit. Smoking marijuana.

What is an example of behavior that is illegal and unethical?

If it is against the law, it is illegal and unethical, and as a result, hold lead to serious consequences such as prison and heavy fines. Some examples of illegal business practices are: Discrimination or Harassment – This could be based on age, gender, sexual orientation, or race (just to name a few of many).

Can something be illegal and ethical?

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.

ETHICAL BUT ILLEGAL AND UNETHICAL BUT LEGAL

44 related questions found

What is an example of illegal but ethical 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.

What is an example of ethically right but morally wrong?

Can a person be ethical but not moral? Yes, it can be possible to be ethical but not moral. One example could be a person administering euthanasia. While killing people is usually considered to be morally wrong conduct, helping a person in pain end their misery could be seen as an ethical decision.

What are the five-five unethical actions at work?

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 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 are unacceptable work ethics?

Bottom Line: Demonstrate teamwork by avoiding bad habits like being selfish or self-centered, being secretive or dishonest, overpromising, underdelivering, being contentious, gossiping, taking credit for others' work, covering up mistakes or ignoring feedback.

Can an action be legal but unethical?

The answer is, Yes. An action is considered to be legal if it is acceptable in the eyes of the law. If a person's actions are not in accordance with the law, then legal action can be taken to him. An act is regarded to be unethical if it is not morally acceptable in society.

What is an example of morally forbidden?

According to a simple version of deontology the moral law says that certain listed act-types, such as lying, cheating, torturing, stealing, murdering and so on, are morally forbidden. These listed act-types are morally wrong, come what may, and under any circumstances.

Can something be morally right but legally wrong?

Such discrepancies between the practices of the wealthy and the moral repulsion felt by ordinary citizens are common. The practice appears to be illegitimate, but it is legal. The opposite phenomenon can also be observed. A practice may be considered morally legitimate, but is in fact outlawed.

Is it possible for a business to behave legally but not ethically?

Yes, it is possible for a business to behave legally but not ethically. Explanation: Legality and ethics are two distinct concepts. Legality refers to actions that adhere to the laws established by a governing body, while ethics pertains to moral principles and values that guide behavior.

What practices and actions may be legal but unethical?

Some practices may be legal but unethical such as; breaking confidence or romantic relationships with an adult. Some are both illegal and unethical such as; misrepresenting a skill, or stealing from a clients home.

What is an example of unethical behavior?

Any unlawful conduct, such as stealing someone's stuff or assaulting colleagues, are some common examples of unethical behavior in the workplace.

What is an example of ethical but illegal?

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 a legal and ethical violation?

A classic example is stealing to feed your family. Stealing is legally and ethically wrong, but if your family is starving it might be morally justified (Noel-Weiss et al., 2012).

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.

What is the biggest ethical issue in healthcare today?

Ethical Issues in Healthcare
  1. Patient Privacy and Confidentiality. The protection of private patient information is one of the most important ethical and legal issues in the field of healthcare. ...
  2. Transmission of Diseases. ...
  3. Relationships. ...
  4. End-of-Life Issues.

What is an example of unethical communication in the workplace?

Examples of destructive unethical communications include unwarranted attacks, vicious criticisms, or unethical use of harmful information. These come in the form of prejudice against individuals or groups or exposing harmful confidential information to slander a person, group, or organization.

What are some examples of ethical issues that can occur in the workplace?

5 Common Ethical Issues in the Workplace
  • Unethical Leadership.
  • Toxic Workplace Culture.
  • Discrimination and Harassment.
  • Unrealistic and Conflicting Goals.
  • Questionable Use of Company Technology.

What is an example of immoral actions?

Since morality refers to things that are right, immorality has to do with things that are wrong — like stealing, lying, and murdering.

What is an example of a conflict between ethics and morals?

The work of a defense attorney, for example, undergoes a constant conflict between the two concepts of ethics and morals as his morals instruct him to punish all murderers and his ethics require him to defend his client.

What are ethically wrong acts?

There are actions in human societies which are considered immoral/unethical. Most of them have to do with causing harm to other members of the community and violating their rights as they are defined within the community. For example murder is almost universally considered as an immoral act.