Ethical Dilemma With Lavonda Lavonda\'s

Ethical Dilemma With Lavonda

Lavonda's situation is replete with legal and ethical implications. First is the issue of her engaging in a romantic relationship without reporting it to the Human Resources department. In doing this, Lavonda and Allen both broke fundamental rules of the company. As Karline told Lavonda when Lavonda presented her complaint, Karline should fire Lavonda for breaching the superior-employee ethics code. But because Lavonda has been able to retain her job in spite of her error in breaching this code, Lavonda now works in an extremely uncomfortable situation. As Karline told her, Lavonda would be taking a huge risk in formally reporting Allen's behavior since Lavonda has no proof of any wrongdoing on Allen's part and since it has been established that Lavonda has previously operated in violation of the company's superior-employee code.

Legally, Lavonda should be fired, but from an ethical standpoint, Allen is the one at fault in this situation. On more than one occasion, Allen has used his position of superiority as leverage to bed young women who work for him. At this point in the situation, Allen is attempting to bribe Lavonda with both a promotion and distance in the company from him, the man who is making her uncomfortable. This seems like a good business decision, but ethically it is wrong. Lavonda would have to put another young woman in the uncomfortable situation she is in, and she would have to accept a promotion based on something other than the merits of her work.

Lavonda now has a decision to make. She can choose the outcome that is better for her professionally and personally but is in violation of a number of ethical standards, or she can choose the outcome that is ethically upstanding but would almost certainly lead to disaster in both her career and in her family. If Lavonda chooses to lead Soo-Chin into Allen's bedchamber, Allen will give her a promotion. Lavonda would then have the money necessary to help her mother live in comfort. Lavonda would also have the benefit of working in a section of the company that does not contain Allen, the man who has become the bane of her existence. However, this option is ethically deplorable. Lavonda would have Soo-Chin's eventual misery on her conscience in addition to everything else.

On the other hand, Lavonda can take her chances with pressing formal charges against Allen. This option comes with the possibility that Lavonda will walk away with less than nothing. If the case against Allen goes the way Karline seems to think it will, not only will Lavonda lose her job, but she will also lose the ability to get another job in the same field. If the case against Allen goes Lavonda's way, not only will Lavonda be able to continue her career in a promising position without the undue pressue Allen has put on her, but she will also save future young ladies from the same type of situation that she has been through. Lavonda's final option is to walk away from the job without doing anything. This option would leave Lavonda without a job, but there is a chance that Allen would not poison the ears of his colleagues in other companies. This would give Lavonda the chance to continue her career with another company in the same industry.