The Importance of Honesty and Integrity in the Workplace

The Importance of Honesty and Integrity in Business

Honesty and integrity. These two traits are paramount to human existence. As the Bible tells us, “better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.” (Proverbs 19:1) Unfortunately, these two traits often go overlooked in society, with recent studies suggesting that humans lie in approximately one third of their social interactions. (Hill, 2008) The workplace is no exception to this statistic. In today’s marketplace, it is common to hear of business management being accused of deceptive and dishonest practices. Two recent examples of this is illustrated by consumer complaints made against large discount retailer Target Corporation and the national ride-sharing service Uber.

As the second largest discount retailer in the United States, Target Corporation is a well-known company across the nation. While often praised for the company’s “Community Giving and Service” programs, the company has recently received backlash for reaching a $2.8 million settlement with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), stemming from the company’s alleged illegal screening practices for upper-level management candidates. According to complaints presented by the EEOC, Target Corporation’s search for upper management candidates disproportionately filtered out candidates on the basis of their race or gender. (Walsh, 2015) In particular, the complaint alleges that African Americans, Asians, and women were unjustly denied employment opportunities as a result of Target’s filtering system.

Additionally, the EEOC indicated that Target Corporation reportedly required applicants to complete a pre-employment medical exam, a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Despite these allegations, Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder defended the company’s hiring practices, stressing that management believes no improper behavior occurred throughout the company’s hiring processes. However, the company decided to settle with the EEOC as the company has since revised its hiring procedures after the EEOC’s accusations, and significant resources would be required to litigate the case against the corporation. (Walsh, 2015)

The dishonest hiring practices utilized by Target Corporation are significant because it is damages the employees’ and consumers’ trust in the company, fails to establish community among the workforce, and fails to preserve the dignity of the workforce – all three traits which ethicist Lewis Smedes contend to be crucial in social interactions. (Hill, 2008) Without trust among the workforce, there can be no community among the workers. Additionally, as image-bearers of God, the applicants in Target’s job selection pool are entitled to accurate information so that they are able to make free and intelligent choices. (Hill, 2008)