Ethical decision-making models applicable to the policy

A policy is an assertion or statement that governs how an organization’s human resource management issues will be handled (Ramesh, Holwett & Wu, 2017). It lays forth typical organizational operating procedures while also expressing the business values and employer expectations to personnel. Rules make it easier to manage employees since they specify the appropriate nature of relationships between employers and employees. The ultimate goal of a policy is to establish acceptable and unacceptable workplace behavior as well as the consequences of noncompliance with the policy (Leslie & Clark, 2016).

The ethical issue I highlighted is employee drug and substance usage during work hours. I observed that some employees arrived at work drunk or inebriated. Others were seen sneaking out during work hours to smoke. At times those drinking got fully intoxicated and ended up disrupting work in an organization as they disturbed other colleagues who were busy attending to their duties. Others were totally unable to fulfil their errands and ended up sleeping reeling with a hangover. Employees could not stand the tobacco stench emanating from colleagues who were smoking. They complained of personal space intrusion and unfavourable working conditions. This workplace misdemeanour has adversely affected productivity within the organization with its impacts rippling down to employees’ safety which prompted me to formulate a drug and substance abuse policy.

Recommended policy

“Employees must not be in possession of alcohol and any other illegal drug when reporting for duty and he or she must not be impaired by alcohol or any other illegal drug which inhibits the ability to perform assigned task proficiently. All employees are therefore mandated to be fit and in good shape when turning up for work and remain so for the rest of the working day.”

Ethical decision-making models applicable to the policy

A five-step decision-making model proposed by Holly Forester-Miller and Thomas E. Davis (2016) applies to the formulation and implementation of this policy. The steps are:

Problem identification

Problem identification involves gathering information on the identified ethical issue, sieve facts from hypothesis to have clear data on what should be addressed. It involves examining the ethical issue from all dimensions.

Generate potential courses of action

The stage involves drafting possible remedies to the identified ethical issue. You outlay all potential solutions which should be in line with legal provisions and the ACA Code of Ethics.

Consider potential consequences selected action

Consider the selected potential course of action and how each of the actions will affect the employer and employees. Assess the consequences of each option and eliminate those that may not yield desired outcomes. Select the options that best address the ethical issue.

Evaluate the selected course of action

This step involves reviewing the selected course of action and if it presents any ethical considerations. Determine if the policies align with legal provisions which can be evaluated using three parameters which include justice, publicity and universality.

Implement the course of action

The last step involves laying down the course of action which in the actual scenario will be communicating the policy to employees which are reinforced by follow-ups and close assessment of the action to determine the effects and consequences and recommend adjustments if deemed necessary.

How the recommended policy is socially responsible

The policy is an ethical framework which suggests an individual obligation to act accordingly to benefit the surrounding the society. The recommended policy strives to strike an equilibrium between individual liberty and logical societal restraints. Drug and substance abuse is a social catastrophe, and this policy aims at combatting this problem since drug and substance abuse work restriction come with provisions for treatment of affected individuals. Use of drugs impedes the integration of an individual into the social and economic systems. This policy undergirds guidelines which enhance social progress.

Policy Analysis

The recommended policy has two main components, i.e. possession and use. By possession, the policy means ownership or being in custody of substances and non-medicinal drugs that impair judgment. The first segment of the policy says that when an employee is reporting to work, he or she should not carry alcohol or any other drug. Thus it means that even if the employee does not use the drug or substance at work, he or she is not supposed to carry it to work. The second section of the policy is used, which means consuming the drug or substance. The employee is not supposed to use any drug or substance which impairs his/her judgment during work.

Drug and substance abuse is empirically known to reduce productivity. Furthermore, it places both the employee and those he serves at risk through impaired judgment. By drugs and substance, the policy specifically refers to alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, opium, inhalants and stimulants like cocaine. When an employee uses any of the aforementioned substances, the results will translate to either improper judgments, hangover, withdrawal, reduced attention and concentration, absenteeism, illness, psychological stress and (or) illegal workplace activities like selling illegal drugs. This policy is, therefore, the solution to the above imminent repercussions.

Strategy for Communication

The policy will be publicized first through writing to all employees through human resource management. The writing will include the reasons for the policy and how the organization and staff stand to benefit from the same. There will be employee education on the jurisdiction of the policy, applicability and employee responsibility concerning the policy. The policy training will help the staff understand the policy and increase cognizance, acceptability and pave the way for feedback and tailoring the policy to suit the demands of all the employees. With the approval by the CEO, a memo will be placed within the office notification desk, the policy will also be sent via email to all employees and updated in the organization policies. To further embed this policy, the consequences of non-compliance will also be outlaid in writing.

Limitations of the Policy

Lack of appropriate mechanisms and equipment for work drug testing is one of the expected limitations of implementation. The organization does not place budgetary allocations for such equipment. Most of the monitoring will be based on observation unless in extreme cases. The cost of monitoring is usually relatively high

There is the likelihood of negative employee perception through accusations of privacy violation. There are legal restraints towards drug testing as there is a grey area on it, most people interpret legal drug testing is as privacy violation which again is protected by law. Monitoring compliance mostly involves screening and testing which might be seen as an invasion of personal space.

Strategies for Monitoring Compliance

The main strategy of monitoring compliance will be observation both by management and colleagues. The management will always be on the lookout for any employee displaying signs or effects of drug and substance abuse. The organization can also have a reporting desk for employees to report suspicious behaviour among colleagues. Observation can be done through human resource or cameras placed within the area of the organization’s environment.

The organization will conduct occasionally conduct random screening of employees. Having regular drug and substance frisk on employees’ desks and work areas will help in monitoring compliance.

Conclusion

An organizational policy is a prerequisite in attaining the goals, vision and mission of any organization. For an organization to operate without collisions, having policies to guide day to day working and relations is imperative. Therefore, formulating an organizational policy which legally befits employers and employees are necessary for addressing a noted ethical issue. Policies should should be in tandem with legal provisions and employees should be consulted and involved in the entire process of formulation. However there are still pressing limitations in formulating policies, the limitations are which emanate from legal and social underpinnings call for in-depth study and research on policy formation.

References

Forester-Miller, H., & Davis, T. E. (2016).Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making

(Rev. ed.). Retrieved on 19th September, 2017 from http://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/practioner’s-guide-toethical-decision-making.pdf

Leslie A. Pal, Clark D. (2016). Teaching Public Policy: Global Convergence or

Difference? Policy and Society. Retrieved on 19th September, 2017 from

www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1016/j.polsoc.2016.11.006

X. Wu, M. Ramesh & M. Holwett (2017) Policy Capacity: A Conceptual Framework for

Understanding Policy Competence and Capabilities. Retrieved on 19th

September, 2017 from www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s144940351500272