In the world of business, large private companies today control a large portion of the circle of labor and employment. The systems in 21st century are so complex that some sectors cannot be monitored well. We cannot have a system that is perfect in every single way. Included in this system would be today’s labor and employment. Employment is the basic need of a civilized man to survive. Commonly, a person, who is of legal, supplies his every need with certain job because when a person has a job then he would have a salary.
Because of this, having certain problems in employment is a significant issue.
This paper will discuss one problem that large companies are allowing which are privacy issues with its employees. One cannot be too careful in regards to these issues. A small slip of private information among employees could violate a law. This goes to show that a small problem could lead to a large crisis if it is not properly resolved while it can still be solved.
A specific firm that the paper would focus on would the Pizza Hut Corporation. Pizza Hut® Pizza Hut® is a fast food chain restaurant that has been established in 1958.
It has been one of the leading companies in the world in the production of pizza. Its success is manifested by its fast production. Its effectiveness as a restaurant gave them the edge over other competitors. A Pizza Hut® outlet can be seen in over 100 countries. Its success on the many aspect of business can be seen on its prevalent standing. Pizza Hut® is a member of the Yum! Restaurant Inc. (cited in Green, 2007) The other fast food chains that is a member of the Yum! Restaurant Inc. would be KFC Corporation, A&W Restaurant Inc. , Long John’s Silver Inc. and Taco Bell Corp.
One cannot deny the fact that Yum! Inc. is truly one of the most influential and powerful corporations in the fast food business sector. (cited in Green, 2007) Employment Agreement Perfecting every single detail in the company’s business system is difficult to control. One problem can be seen in their employee agreement. Privacy policies differ by every country but doesn’t deviates to its main purpose which is to protect the privacy of the people. When one would sign up for a job at Pizza Hut, one would give his/her resume and also answer some questions that the restaurant would want to be filled out.
It is understood that all of the field must be answered truthfully and completely. (“Privacy Policy,” 2007) Some of the basic personal questions are asked in the information sheet. Some questions even have choices so that the employees’ answer wouldn’t diverge from one another. But after these certain questions with choice, one are given questions that needed to be subjective manner. An example of that certain question would be “Who or what referred you to apply to this restaurant? ” (“Pizza Hut Employment Information Sheet,” 2007) and then one is given a blank space to answer and then you would be required to supply your relationship.
This question may be insignificant at first and may be treated as regular personal information but once one looks at it closely, some privacy issues would rise up. Privacy Issues We might ask why is does that certain question create an issue about the privacy of employment. When an aspiring employee answers a question in the personal information sheet, such as the one stated above, then it wouldn’t be personal anymore because it is now classified an exterior information from your personal background.
All the other questions asked your age, address, previous job experiences. (“Pizza Hut Employment Information Sheet,” 2007) All of that primarily relates to that person and it could be used in a good purpose such as to have primary background on your personality and skills. But in the question stated above, a subliminal message can be read. The question asks who referred that aspiring applicant to the restaurant, in other words, it asks the statement “Who do you know? ”.
The interpreted question now would be followed by, “How would the relationship to that person affect your performance in this company? ” This now becomes the issue of privacy in the employment agreement of Pizza Hut® because this would start the problem of inequality. For what purpose would the company use the fact that you will give them which digresses from your personal information? Badly enough, the privacy policy of the company states that it can share the personal information of its employees to the other Yum! Inc. members.
One of these members is the KFC Corporation which had a history of terrible employee treatment which includes unpaid overtime works, evading employee benefits and full-time employment promotions. (Yun, 2007, p. 9) Going back to the question in the employment agreement, for example, the person that an aspiring applicant indicated in that question has an impressive background with the Pizza Hut Corporation then he could have an edge between the other employees, not only because the person he knows has a great reputation but because he might have been influenced by that person too.
And as a result that person with an impressive background might affect the aspiring applicant’s chances of getting hired and having a progressive career. And thus, that certain question in the employment agreement of Pizza Hut® creates a certain question in business ethics “Does the people you know defines your effectiveness? ” Biases are bound to happen.
That certain question proves that deeper understandings of some questions are made with inequality which is one of the basic problems that business ethics tries to remove. But as stated earlier, nothing is perfect; there is only endeavor to perfection. This is only one question in the employment agreement that questions the business ethics of the company. It won’t hurt to be a little more careful. Let us always remember to be cautious at all times.
