Unethical personnel practices

Exploitative hiring practices
Deceptive conditions of employment
Negligent personnel managers
Inappropriate award for services
Irresponsible engagement of staff
Malpractice of employment agencies
Abusive employment

Nature

Unethical personnel practices refer to actions by employers or employees that violate moral, legal, or professional standards in the management of human resources. These practices include discrimination, favoritism, harassment, unfair hiring or promotion, wage theft, and retaliation against whistleblowers. Such behaviors undermine workplace integrity, erode trust, and can lead to legal consequences, decreased employee morale, and reduced organizational performance. Addressing unethical personnel practices is essential for fostering a fair, inclusive, and productive work environment.

Background

Unethical personnel practices gained global attention in the early 20th century as industrialization exposed widespread abuses in hiring, promotion, and workplace treatment. Landmark investigations, such as those by the International Labour Organization, highlighted systemic discrimination, favoritism, and exploitation. Over subsequent decades, high-profile scandals and cross-border labor disputes further underscored the persistence and complexity of these practices, prompting international calls for transparent, equitable personnel management and the development of global standards to address such misconduct.

Incidence

Unethical personnel practices are reported across diverse sectors and regions, affecting both public and private organizations globally. Surveys by the Ethics & Compliance Initiative indicate that nearly one in five employees worldwide observe misconduct at work, with retaliation against whistleblowers and discriminatory hiring among the most frequent abuses. Such practices undermine organizational integrity, employee morale, and public trust, with significant economic and social repercussions.
In 2023, a major technology company in the United States faced public scrutiny after internal documents revealed systematic gender bias in promotions and pay, leading to a class-action lawsuit and regulatory investigations by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Claim

Employers may adopt a range of unethical practices ranging from explicit or implicit discrimination against job applicants, exploitative hiring policies, misleading employees as to the nature of work required or the conditions of work, and biased employee evaluations with a view to career advancement. Personnel may be hired illegally, as with the employment of minors or illegal immigrants. Hiring and promotion may be done on the basis of nepotism or in return for favours (whether sexual or otherwise). The form of salary payment may arranged to ensure tax avoidance or tax evasion.

Counter-claim

Unethical personnel practices are grossly exaggerated as a problem in today’s workplaces. Most organizations have robust policies and oversight, making such issues rare and insignificant. Focusing on these so-called “problems” only distracts from real business priorities and undermines trust in management. The obsession with unethical practices is overblown and does not warrant the attention or resources it currently receives. It’s simply not an important problem in the modern professional environment.