Subscribe to my Feed
Business Ethics
« Previous EntriesWhat will the Mariner Energy platform explosion mean for the Gulf?
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010Just a couple of hours ago, the Coast Guard received word that a second oil rig has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, not far from where the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April. According to The Wall Street Journal, the explosion injured one of thirteen workers on the rig, which is owned by [...]
Should CEOs be rewarded for laying off their workers?
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010MSNBC reports today that CEOs who laid off more workers than average raked in more money than their peers. According to a new report issued by the Institute on Policy Studies, the fifty CEOs who led the charge on laying off rank-and-file employees during the recent economic turndown received $12 million on average in [...]
Shouldn’t the Deepwater Horizon spill serve as a wakeup call?
Monday, August 30th, 2010The New York Times reports today that, despite the mess caused by the Deepwater Horizon leak, oil companies are taking increasing and largely unscrutinzed risks as they drill deeper for offshore petroleum. According to the Times, rigs are becoming larger and more complicated, are farther than ever from the coastlines (and immediate support in [...]
Empower your people
Friday, August 27th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s focus on a recent experience I had with my own family. To celebrate my oldest daughter’s 10th birthday, we went to Disney World … in August. It was a great trip overall but the heat was nearly unbearable, and I’d decided [...]
Mortgage fraud is on the rise again
Monday, August 23rd, 2010Well, this is depressing … The Wall Street Journal reported today that mortgage fraud is once again on the rise, less than two years after the international financial meltdown. As you’ll recall, recession set in, world financial markets tumbled, home values plummeted, and unemployment skyrocketed when it was discovered that Wall Street investment firms [...]
Why did HP give Mark Hurd a $37 million severance package?
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010When former CEO Mark Hurd resigned from Hewlett-Packard Co. last week, he joined a lengthy list of top business executives who have stepped down after being accused of personal ethical lapses. Of course, this isn’t HP’s only recent scandal. HP suffered considerable public embarrassment just a few years ago when its chairwoman, Patricia [...]
Observe health and safety rules
Friday, August 6th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s look at a high-profile story that’s back in the news. Four months ago, an explosion at the Big Branch mine killed over two dozen workers. According to news reports, the mine had been repeatedly cited by inspectors for safety violations, but [...]
Is it ethical for insurers to put a beneficiary’s money in a retained asset account?
Monday, August 2nd, 2010For the past several days, the Internet has been ablaze with stories about how big insurance companies have allegedly mistreated military families. These companies are among many that participate in the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program, or “SGLI,” which provides low-cost life insurance to active duty military service personnel. When those active [...]
Get the whole story
Friday, July 30th, 2010Continuing my Friday series on keeping your business out of court, let’s look at a potentially disastrous mistake made recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One of its employees, Shirley Sherrod, recently got caught in the cross-fire of accusations of racism between the NAACP and the Tea Party. In an effort to [...]
Before you travel, check your ticket … and uncheck the boxes
Monday, July 26th, 2010It’s summer and the economy is bad, which means that people are hunting online for bargain airfares to their favorite vacation destinations. There are a number of sites that offer discounted airfares. However, if you’re not careful to read the fine print, you may pay more than you intended.
It seems that some of [...]