Me or My Employer?

You are returning from a business trip. As you wait in the departure lounge for your flight to begin boarding, the gate personnel announce that the flight has been significantly overbooked, and that they are offering incentives for passengers to take later flights. After several minutes, the offer is raised to a free round-trip ticket anywhere in Canada or the continental United States, plus meal vouchers for dinner while you wait for your later flight. You give the offer serious consideration. You realize that even though you'll get home a day later than planned, the inconvenience will be minimal. Plus, the next day is Sunday, so you won't miss any work. You decide to give up your seat and take the free ticket and meal vouchers.

1. Since you are traveling on company time, does the free ticket belong to you or your company? Defend your choice, but you must cite ethics values, virtues, and theories for support.
2. If the later flight was actually the two days later, and you would miss a day of work, would you make the same choice? Explain your answer.
3. If the later flight means you miss work, who else should be involved in the decision?
4. What if the offer only reached a $100 discount coupon on another ticket would you still take it? If so, would you hold the same opinion about whether the coupon belonged to you or your company?

Should your company offer a clearly stated policy on this issue, or should it trust its employees to "do the right thing"? Explain your answer.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 The free ticket and meal vouchers would belong to the individual not the company From an ethical perspective this decision aligns with values such a... View the full answer