Have you ever been assigned a task that you felt uncomfortable with? Additionally, have you always handled these situations properly? Ahh – that’s where the tricky part comes in. The rules of ethics can often seem to be perfectly black and white, while in other instances they may appear to have a grey area. Sometimes what is ethical for some may not be ethical for others, and so unwanted confrontations and conflict can arise (sometimes more than just your typical eyebrow-raiser O_O). When it comes to the workplace, while we all want to adhere to our ethical standards, we also want to be very careful of the way in which we handle these somewhat uncomfortable, yet common situations. There are a few things you can do in order to protect yourself, and the company, from engaging in what you believe to be unethical behavior/tasks while also keeping away from being labeled as an insubordinate employee; you do not want the latter!

That’s not right, so I’m not doing it.

One of the things you should be aware of is what the meaning of insubordination actually is. Insubordination in the workplace is defined as defiance of authority (refusal to obey others), disrespectful behavior, and/or a confrontation between an employee and a supervisor/manager. So, before refusing to do a particular task due to it appearing unethical, take a moment to brainstorm over the situation. Something you definitely want to refrain from is being disrespectful. The abrupt refusal of doing your task may come off as disrespectful behavior, consequently placing you in disciplinary action or putting your job in jeopardy. Take the time to analyze whether it truly is an unethical task, or if it is a biased opinion on your behalf (which can happen, we all have awesome, unique brains 🙂 ). That being said, once you’ve properly evaluated your circumstances, if the task seems to remain unethical you are now ready to decide on what your next step should be, and ask yourself some reasonable questions.

Question no.1 – Can they do that?

The greatest tool you can have at your disposal is information. When encountering a “grey area” in the topic of ethics, something that can help you greatly is your company handbook, and/or a list of company policies and procedures. Reviewing these will often help you make the distinction between having ethical vs unethical requests. The reality is that your boss might not be a bad guy, so give her/him a break; your boss may just be trying a different means to an outcome that could or could not be in line with company policy, without having analyzed the situation further. Therefore, keeping up with proper procedures on your end is essential. Another thing you should be informed about is your legal rights. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (our great friend, OSHA) does protect you in the event that your refusal to work is truly due to an unethical issue. Hence, if you refuse to do a certain task because you believe “in good faith” that what you were asked to do is unethical, it will not be considered insubordination.

Question no.2 – This is obviously unethical! …Or is it?

Again, what may be unethical to some may not be unethical to others, so communication is important here (and use your words!). I’ll give you an example: during a previous position I held as an admin, I was in charge of all the billing. Company procedure was to bill/charge all orders once they had already shipped, and not before. During month end, however, those billing numbers were important to our goals. One of the things I personally struggled with was charging an order before it actually shipped or had been completed – it just didn’t sit quite well with me. While I was only trying to follow company procedure, there was a grey area; would you say billing an order that perhaps didn’t leave the building just yet, but would leave first thing the next morning, was unethical? What about an order that was not leaving the building until next week? This was a discussion that I needed to have with my supervisor, which resulted in a reasonable and understanding conclusion – we worked out what was acceptable without disturbing my ethical standards. While billing something that was ready to leave the very next day was reasonable to me, I was uncomfortable billing an order that was not to be complete until, say, a week later. My boss was very understanding and did not require me to do so. Moral of the story: simply refusing to perform a task may not be the best option, and it can land you in the insubordination platform. Expressing your concern to your supervisor is not only the right thing to do but it also shows your appreciation for the company and its policies, as well as your good ethical standards. Just make sure that you remain respectful, honest, and open to a reasonable discussion 😉 .

Question no.3 – Are they still expecting me to do this?

Let’s say you’ve reviewed your handbook, the company policies and procedures, you’ve spoken to your supervisor about your concern, and yet the answer is still: “just do it.” What’s there to do? In this situation, the Human Resources department becomes your best friend. Your HR department is in place to make sure that you are protected and that all company policies are being followed. If all else fails, your best option will be to bring your concerns forward to someone in HR, and explain the situation as best as you can. Additionally, as tempting as it is, what you will not want to do is bring the matter out in public by talking to your coworkers about the issue, as this may cause you to be seen as insubordinate. As Reference.com puts it, “If it becomes public knowledge then it can be considered insubordination, as the employee is considered to be ruining morale for the company.” Make sure you are well informed regarding your company’s policy, and contact HR (privately – refrain from the urge to gossip!) if you need to.

I still don’t feel comfortable here.

Whelp, you’ve done all you can, and although maybe your particular situation was resolved, it may have ended in a way which still caused you to believe that it was unfair, or unethical. This is the time you may want to think about how the company culture lines up with your own ethical standards and personality. Although the company may have not engaged in what they would consider unethical (how we love that grey area, huh?), the fact that you still feel it is may be an indicator that you will thrive much better in a different atmosphere and company culture. Of course, in cases of serious unethical behaviors such as harassment and/or illegal behavior, I’d advise you to never forget your legal rights and follow through with proper procedure when possible, but also don’t forget your health and well-being – do what is best for you. That being said, given that your situation involves, more or less, just differences in working style, if you do decide to explore different opportunities remember to do it with professionalism, and always end on a good note. Whatever your situation may be, don’t be afraid to stay true to yourself and your moral standards, all while making sure you remain professional and refrain from falling in the traps of insubordination! Nobody wants that :).

By Nayadee Wilson (who has an awesome new pic!)