Ethics is a doctrine that can be used as a guide to determine the appropriate behavior in any field of activity (Paul and

Elder, 2006). Within a commercial context, business ethics are a set of applied ethics used for decision-making to handle moral and ethical issues that arises in a workplace (Vilcox and Mohan, 2007). Personal ethics, on the other hand, are choices made on the basis of an individuals moral character and his held values (BSU, ND). For this assignment, my personal ethics will be the principle applied to examine the ethical issues behind CarFives and HiFives business processes. The first ethical issue identified is that workers hired by HiFive are exposed to mould and mildew (M&M) without adequate protection. According to US Environment Protection Agency, M&M can cause respiratory and skin problems (EPA, ND). Making workers handle fungi-infested items will put them at risk of the stated health problems. It is a basic human right to life and safety. Workers should not be required to put their health at risk in order to earn a living. HiFives management has the duty to provide workers with a healthy and conducive workplace. To resolve this, HiFive should install an air filter or dehumidifier to kill airborne bacteria and fungi. All items received from the ship should be sun-dried to kill all fungi and remove moisture that helps fungus to breed. They should also introduce safety guidelines to teach workers how to lower their risk of exposure to M&M (eg. Wearing gloves or suits to avoid direct contact). CarFive, similarly, have the responsibility to ensure its business partner is ethical in treating its workers. CarFive can produce a code of conduct for HiFive, audit factories, or even change partners in the handling of this particular process if HiFive fails to meet its requirements. Next, cotton items are put through a process that only removes 70% of M&M before it is combined and sewn as padding. This is serious as the product, which is later sold on shelves, still contains 30% of M&M. Fungus, like any living creature, has the ability to multiply itself and can easily reproduce to return to its 100% level. By selling such a potentially harmful product in the market, CarFive and HiFive are putting consumers at risk of fungus related health problems. Consumers have the right to safety and the act of selling fungi infested products are highly unethical in nature. To resolve this, cotton items should be put into a process that can remove 99% of M&M. Also, dry and sun the items to remove all moisture before sewing them into coats and jackets. A final quality control should also be administered to ensure that the products are safe for consumers. Another issue identified is that workers who experienced health problems due to M&M are not given medical assistance and even unfairly terminated without compensation due to the absence of fair terms in their contract. This is unethical as according to the principle of justice, workers have the right to fair compensation for harm done (Fieser, 2009). The cause of their health issues can easily be linked to the harsh working conditions and constant exposure to M&M. In respect of this cause and effect relationship, workers of HiFive have the right

to medical assistance in order to restore them to the healthy position that they had. By dismissing the health problems without conducting a study, they are not only being irresponsible to the ones that are affected, but also irresponsible to the remaining and future workers as they will continue to be exposed to hazardous conditions without fair medical assistance. Needless to say, the termination of contract is unjustified and is an attempt by the company to escape from all their duties and responsibilities towards their workers. To resolve this, the company should provide medical assistance to all workers that have work related health problems. They can set up an anonymous helpline for workers who fear prosecution and give clear guidelines for claiming compensation and medical assistance. The employee representative should also take an active role in championing the rights of the employee. Contract terms should provide for medical assistance and proper compensation should be given to workers who suffered from health issues in the workplace. To conclude, both companies have an obligation to ensure that their business partners and processes are run ethically. They should take care of their workers and give them a safe and healthy environment to work in. A healthy and happy worker will ultimately work harder to bring more benefits to the company. (748 words)

Reference 1. Richard Paul and Linda Elder (2006) The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning. 2. Mary W. Vilcox and Thomas O. Mohan (2007) Contemporary Issues in Business Ethics 3. Boise State University (ND) Retrieved on 20 October 2013, from http://cobe.boisestate.edu/csr/ethics-corporate-social-responsibilityand-sustainability-defined/ 4. United States Environmental Protection Agency, (ND) Retrieved on 20 October 2013 from http://www.epa.gov/iedmold1/moldresources.html#Health 5. James Fieser (2009) Retrieved on 20 October 2013 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/#H2