<p>I see in business it is often fluid, what’s true today, may not be the case tomorrow. The example I gave about employer not letting employees know prior to cut back is because they don’t want employees to jump ship too early. </p>
<p>The example you gave, I am not sure if it applies. First of all, I wouldn’t know if an applicant would be giving up a “better” job, only he could make that decision. The job with a longer prospect may not turn out as such. I would tell someone if a position is for less than 6 months, it would be a temp position, and I would advertise it like that. If it’s for 1+ year, it’s a long term employment, and anything could happen. </p>
<p>In OP’s son situation, he has not been accepted to a school, so there is no commitment. He may think he wants to go back to school in a year. But if this job turns out to be great, he could change his mind. His situation is still fluid.</p>
<p>“Honesty and integrity” cover all situations, or they’re meaningless. No one gets any prizes for being honest when it’s easy and convenient; integrity is defined by how we behave when honesty might cost us something. </p>
<p>The OP’s son could still be honest about this. He could go back and tell them, “I need to clarify the 2-year commitment question. You should know that I’m applying to grad school and, if accepted, I may be leaving before the 2 years is up. If I’m not accepted to grad school, I can commit to the full 2 years.” If they’re willing to hire him on that basis, he can accept the job AND leave in year – integrity intact.</p>
<p>Oldfort -
The job would be ‘at will’, on that point I’m clear, but I wouldn’t lie to a direct question if I ‘knew’ it’d be terminated in a year and the employee asked me directly if I thought it’d last at least 2 years. That’s the scenario in this thread - only flipped around to the applicant. If I worked for a company so unethical it wanted me to directly lie in a situation like this I wouldn’t do it and would look for another company to work for. Fortunately my company’s never asked me to lie.</p>
<p>
Exactly - that’s the point I’ve been making - the S can still do the right thing here and it’s not a matter of accepting or rejecting the job - it’s a matter of being straight with the employer and then the employer can decide what they want to do. Again, the employer might even offer some options the S hadn’t thought of where it could be a win/win for both.</p>
<p>He shouldn’t bother because he won’t get the job. He could make his mom proud or he could support himself, and maybe save up some money for grad school later. </p>
<p>At most I would say is “grad school is in my future plan, depending on the job, I may push it up or delay it.”</p>
<p>Actually, from the first post, the son hasn’t even been offered the job yet. He simply was interviewed.</p>
<p>I hope that the employer offers the job to a well-qualified candidate who is happy to make the 2 year commitment. If the OP’s son doesn’t fit that description, and someone else does – then I think the other applicant deserves the position. </p>
<p>There is no need for the OP’s son to do anything right now, but if he is offered the job he should be honest about his intent.</p>
<p>If I am told that my firm is going to sell certain branch or division, when asked, i am suppose to tell the truth? The ethical thing to do is to not to say anything until it is publicly announced.</p>
This scenario has nothing to do with the S’ situation but no - you’re not supposed to lie in the situation you describe. You’re supposed to state what you were told to state which is usually to tell them to send any of their queries to the company communications department or answer that you have no comment on it. You shouldn’t just tell a blatant lie about it. I wouldn’t.</p>
<p>It think it does. An employee asks me if his branch is going to be closed down, if he would still have a job, if not, he may have to look for another job soon(or already had a job lined up, and If this employee is also a key man for the operation, what should I say? Sometimes we have come out to tell the truth, and offer some incentive for them to stay until the transition is completed, but sometimes it is not possible. </p>
<p>There is a lot of ethical dilemmas when it comes to business. It is not as black and white as people like to think. My firm sent us on a week course to discuss this issue. How we could bring our personal values to work, what do we do when there is conflict</p>
You tell him what you’re permitted to tell him. If you’re not permitted to tell him anything then you tell him that - you say ‘I’m not at liberty to say anything about it right now’. That’s the truth and it isn’t lying to the employee. Managers are sometimes put in this situation in business and most employees realize that. I’ve made similar statements to employees myself but I’ve never ever lied to an employee.</p>
<p>Do you say “No, there will be no cuts in your department” or do you say you can’t guarantee it or you don’t have the information at present to give a definitive answer? If, as stated above, that you “knew it to be the case” that there will be cuts and you lie to the applicant, I don’t see how there is any question whether you are acting with integrity. It seems you are talking about knowingly lying to people in order to “protect the company.” In this situation, you may be “doing the right thing” for the company, but that is not the same thing as acting with integrity.</p>
<p>^^ And it seems to me that most companies wouldn’t put their employees in that position. I sometimes will find myself in the position of having information that’s not supposed to be generally know yet. My employer has given me cover, in case I am asked about it. I can either say “I’m not at liberty to talk about that.” Or I can refer the questioner to someone further up the food chain. Either way, my employer does not expect me to lie.</p>
<p>Why wouldn’t it be ok for this applicant to not fully disclose his intention or be intentionally vague about it to protect himself. People seem to think it is ok to lie and tell half truth to protect one’s company, but it’s lacking integrity when one tries to protected themselves. </p>
<p>For me to say “I am not at the liberty to talk about it now” about my firm’s lay off, is no different than this applicant saying, “I am not sure about my future plan, it really depends on the job.”</p>
<p>When I know something about lay off, it is the information I am suppose to have, and sometimes I am it in the food chain. As someone who has experienced a lot of corporate turmoil, I think this sense of protecting the firm at all cost and having integrity above else are a bit misplaced and unrealistic.</p>
<p>But as the OP presented it, even saying “I am not sure about my future plan, it really depends on the job” is lying. He intends to apply to graduate schools and begin in the fall of 2012. He has no intention of staying on the job.</p>
<p>^^^You are right. I read into it that he didn’t know for sure if he would get into grad school, so is not certain he will stay or leave, not that it depended on the job. My bad.</p>
<p>“An employee asks me if his branch is going to be closed down, if he would still have a job, … what should I say?”</p>
<p>Better yet, an employee comes to you and says he’s been offered a fabulous opportunity elsewhere, but that he feels loyal to you for the support you’ve provided during his time at the firm. You know he’s on the list to be “right-sized” in three weeks. What should you say, keeping in mind that saying what’s “permitted” is equivalent to saying “Thank you for your loyalty. I hope turning down that fabulous offer won’t sting too much when you’re laid off at the end of the month. And yes, I realize you will lose all respect for me when that layoff notice hits your desk.”</p>
<p>I’ve been on both sides of the company/employee table. I understand the importance of policy. I don’t understand why policy trumps clear thought. And the clear thought here is that IF all ducks line up for the OPs S the way he hopes, then he MAY have a decision to make a year down the road … but at this point there’s nothing definite.</p>