Unit 7 Questions Johnny Palafox

1. How much obedience and loyalty does an agent employee owe to an employer? What if the employer engages in an activity—or requests that the employee engage in an activity—that violates the employee’s ethical standards but does not violate any public policy or law? In such a situation, does an employee’s duty to abide by her or his own ethical standards override the employee’s duty of loyalty to the employer?

When there is an agent employee to an employer relationship, obedience and loyalty are to be given to the employer almost fully, if anything completely. For example, when I go to apply for a job and upon signing a contract, the employer will only hire me, if I decide to give them complete loyalty and obedience. Trying to negotiate employment terms won’t get me far in the signing of my employment. When we have an agent to principal relationship, the agreement between these two entities, is agreed upon a mutual trust. The agent agrees to performance, accounting, loyalty obedience, and lastly notification. When it comes to obedience, agents must abide to the principal’s instructions, as long as it is legal. Obedience and loyalty can be the most difficult thing when one is dealing with an unethical person. For example, (Parkinson, 2006) puts a situation like this, “A producer of advertising knows that he or she is helping to sell fraudulent securities, he or she can be charged with securities fraud. ‘I was only following orders’ is not a defense (P.351). It is up to the agent to decide whether their participation to abide to the employer’s activities is ethical or unethical because if an agent decided to follow the orders of an unethical employer, they will not be fired but can face civil lawsuits. In which an employee can abide to his or her own ethical standards to override his or her duty to loyalty to the employer due