What are the ethical issues?

The main ethical issue Jane encounters is Ralph. What would be the best decision to make as Ralph’s boss: firing him because of alcoholism, or keeping him in the company because his sales figures improved?

The second ethical issue appears when Jane is asked to warn Ralph about the new blood test he would have to take in order to determine if he is an alcoholic or not. Because she was worried about her personal responsibility, she has decided not to tell him about it, so he would keep his job and his performance would still be beneficial for COBA. But was it a good idea to hide the truth from her employee?

Another ethical issue for Jane is when Michelle, the vice president at EASEL Corp., asks her some information about Ralph, because he has been applying for a regional position after he has quit his job at COBA. Jane knows that if she decides to tell the truth to her friend about Ralph, it would have a negative impact on EASEL’s performance and on their friendship. But at the same time, would it be a good idea to lie to Michelle and let Ralph “destroy” EASEL for the sake of COBA?

When Jane’s boss – COBA’s vice president of sales – calls her, he puts her in a difficult situation. He makes her understand that the company needs Ralph, who appears to be his nephew. Jane realizes that her boss has chosen to close his eyes on Ralph’s situation and to keep focusing on the company’s performance. However, what he ignores is that Jane has already fired Ralph.

The last, but not least, ethical issue is about the phone call Jane receives from the sergeant, who is also one of her friends. Once again, the manager does not know what to do when the police tell her about what happened to Ralph. Would it be a good idea for her to come get him at the station after he has been arrested for drunkenly driving so he would not be charged? Even if Ralph is not a part of COBA anymore, she has been his boss for two years and thus knows him