Question: 1: I think that each individual person is responsible for establishing an ethical standard's and culture for an organization. We all know as human beings right from wrong, if we allow ourself to do wrong because we someone else is doing it and getting away with it does not make it any better. I tell my children, sometimes adults learn from kids too, there are some adults that see a child who is behaving with more respect and care and in return the adult corrects there own behavior. I believe it can and is like this everywhere. Of course the initial person in charge is supposed to build the guidelines and set the stage for the ethical behavior to be followed, but if they don't, that doesn't mean everyone else should ignore it. So an HR manager, or the boss or owner even may have terrible ethical view but the employees don't, it is still the employees responsibility to continue to build or establish the ethical culture within the business they work for as long as they are there.
2: Well put, sadly to often we have heard of countless stories of unethical behavior, and I would have to say although I'm sure many line level employee have participated in unethical behavior, in most cases it involves the CEO or owner or some executive. Ethical behavior should be modeled if expected to be practiced by all. I believe it most cases greed or lack of a moral compass causes most lapses in ethical behavior, which is why we must have policies in force, it protects the employer, the company and the stakeholder as well.
3: So, if an employee does something they should not, and HR has to intervene, do you believe this becomes an issue of ethics requiring HR to sign a disclosure?
4: The areas are fairly obvious questions about age, race, religion, sexual orientation all are discriminatory in nature asking a potential candidate about these types of subjects would only lead to you to ask why. Employers must stay away from these types of questions of face a potential law suit. There are also some questions that might not be so obvious and employers must be extra careful, such as questions about height and weight or questions about medical status. Employers and HR managers must be educated in this area in order to avoid potential problems that might occur if they cross the line.