Decision-Making Model

Decision-Making Model

Step 1: Determination of the facts

The non-smoking policy is a constraint that targets all company employees while at the workplace and as they conduct their private conducts at home. The constraint (smoking ban) is also applied to the spouses of the employees if they are covered by the employee's medical insurance. A test is done to all employees in order to reveal if they have smoked. It is important to determine if the rights of the employees are violated by the non-smoking policy and if the policy violates discrimination laws in order to define the ethical issue in the company.

Step 2: Define the ethical issue

The stakeholders, in this case, are the employees, their spouses, and the employers. These are the people who will be affected by the cost of healthcare that results from smoking. Smoking in the company will affect or harm the non-smokers in the company (second-hand smoking). Non-smokers will have to put have with the risk of smoking-related illness even when they do not smoke. There is a conflict of interest between the employees and the company as employees feels that random testing and smoking ban is a violation of their rights while the employers believe that the policy is for the benefit of the employees. There exists a tension between the rights of the employees and those of the employer. There are no rights that are being ignored, and no one is failing in his or her obligation. The policy is aimed at ensuring a level playing field for all employees (fairness) - to prevent second-hand smoking and first-hand smoking effects. The issue is an ethical issue arising here is whether those employees who are smokers are being discriminated in the workplace. The issue arisng, in this case, is the casue of the tension between the rights of the employer and the rights of the employee.

Step 3: Identification of principles, rules, and values

Values: Respect and fairness

Principle: To increase productivity by quitting smoking...