Business ethics is about going beyond what is legally required by law and is about doing
what is morally right.
Being an ethical business means operating in a way that is fair to its employees, suppliers,
customers, and the environment.
This approach can sometimes be counterintuitive for a business as implementing ethical policies
can sometimes come at the expense of profits.
But what changes can a business make to be more ethical?
Well, the first thing a business can do to be more ethical is treat their employees well.
This can be done through providing an employee with a safe place to work and by paying them
a fair wage.
This does not mean just paying the minimum wage but is about paying them a fair wage
that properly reimburses them for the work they do and that allows them to live a comfortable
life.
Companies can also provide other financial incentives that benefit employees when the
business performs well.
Such as bonuses or a share scheme where employees receive shares in the company they work for.
By owning shares in the company the employee directly benefits from share price increases
and dividend payments when the business operating successfully.
One business that always tops the charts for employee satisfaction is Google.
Not only do Google pay their employees well but they have a whole host of employee benefits
that help create an excellent working environment for employees.
Some of the benefits include free food, free medical and dental care, gyms, money towards
student loan payments, flexible working hours and excellent communal spaces where employees
can relax and socialise.
Google does not have to provide these things by law but they do so in an attempt to be
more ethical and treat employees well in the hopes of them being happier and more productive
at work.
The second step to being more ethical is treating suppliers well.
Paying fair prices and making payments on time are ways a business can act ethically
towards their suppliers.
Fair trade prices have been established to ensure suppliers are paid a fair price for
the materials they produce and sell.
A popular industry that has fair trade products is the coffee industry.
If a product has the fair-trade logo on the packaging this indicates that among other
things the business has paid the grower fairly for the coffee they have produced.
The fair-trade logo has become a symbol that a business is acting ethically towards suppliers.
Another way that businesses can move toward being ethical is by only using materials that
are ethically sourced.
Meaning that the materials have not been sourced through the exploitation of workers and that
environmental and social impacts have also been considered.
One excellent example of a business that has a track record of treating their suppliers
well and sourcing goods that are ethically produced and grown is Lush.
Lush has an ethical buying policy that outlines exactly how they treat their suppliers, covering
things such as making sure their suppliers have good workers’ rights, safe working
conditions (including no child labour), that the products they buy are never tested on
animals and that the materials have been produced in an environmentally sustainable way.
By having these policies Lush is taking a stance against suppliers that act unethically
in turn increasing their ethical credentials.
Lush has built a business around treating their suppliers well but mainly around the
ethical sourcing of the materials that go into their products.
Paying their fair share of taxes is another ethical approach to business.
Tax payments can be substantial for major corporations and ensuring these are paid fully
is vital if the business it to be seen as ethical.
This is because many global brands use legal loopholes in the tax law to avoid paying tax
legally.
But remember what is ethical and what is legal are two different things and although tax
avoidance is not illegal it is not looked upon favourably by consumers and governments
and can instantly give a business an unethical reputation through negative press coverage.
Starbucks is an excellent example of this, as they paid 0 corporation tax in the UK in
2011, which resulted in a public boycott of the brand and an eventual payment of 20 million
pounds to HMRC.
Companies paying their fair share of tax is a hot topic and if the correct tax is not
paid it can instantly impact a business’s reputation.
Many argue that being ethical comes at the expense of profits.
This is because for a business to pay workers well, source ethically produced materials,
pay suppliers fairly and pay their share of tax all means increased costs to the business,
which in turn can have an impact on their profit margins in comparison to businesses
not taking an ethical approach.
However, there is a strong argument that there does not have to be a trade-off between ethics
and profits as many businesses can recoup these increased costs because ethical credentials
allow a business to charge premium price for their products in comparison to their unethical
rivals.
Plus, an ethical business also benefits financially from things such as improved public opinion,
a better brand image and increased customer loyalty due to the business having values
that align with their customers.
In fact in today’s climate where customers are much more aware of how businesses operate,
it can be financially costly not to take an ethical approach to business as companies
are increasingly exposed in the press and most noticeably on social media when they
act unethically and take advantage of employees, suppliers and the environment.
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