Ethical Dilemma

[hive_king]

Alright, I have an ethical question for pwebbers:

I started working at Jamba Juice a few months ago. for those of you who don't have them where you live, its a store that makes and sells fruit smoothies and other healthy food. Well I've noticed that a few employees, including shift leaders, when the manager isn't around, will freely make themselves smoothies or other things that I know is against the rules. (We're allowed a free smoothie every shift, but that's it.) Now I haven't really said or done anything, but as I see it there are three options on what I could do. Do you think I should mention it to my manager, start partaking in the fruitful harvest myself, or just not do anything at all either way like I have been so far, figuring that while they can risk their jobs, I'll play it safe.

[zeroguy]

Missing option: say something to the people doing it.

[hive_king]

so not only do they keep on doing it regardless (or perhaps just when i'm not around), I've alienated myself from my coworkers in a job i'm at way too often.

[jotabe]

Being the new guy, i really wouldn't do anything, for the reason you said: playing it safe. If you tell the manager, if he doesn't do anything about it, or even if he does, but your coworkers don't end up fired, which is likely, then your coworkers will give you a hard time. If you start doing it yourself, then your job might be on risk (specially being new).

If the manager is competent, then he should notice the pilfering... it is his job to realize that. And it is his job to decide if it is serious enough to take action.

A different matter would be if you were a senior worker, or shift leader... then yes, you would be kind of responsible for the newer guys. But still, the responsability would lay on the manager, not on you.

[Jebus]

What jota said, play it kool and the gang.

[zeroguy]

so not only do they keep on doing it regardless (or perhaps just when i'm not around), I've alienated myself from my coworkers in a job i'm at way too often.

Not if you have sufficient charm . And really, I don't see the more ethical decisions here being popular.

With that said, I probably just wouldn't do anything, unless I thought they were causing significant damage, which I can't really imagine being true.

Or, if you're more the "take on additional suffering when it's not your problem" type, you could stop taking anything free yourself to try and compensate. Or hey, just start putting money in the register! It's not like you need it, and Jamba Juice is crumbling under the economic problems of employee embezzlement.

[Scott]

I would probably join in for the free smoothies myself, but I am a bad person.

The way I see it, doing nothing at all is a lesser form of making with some free goods.

I voted tell the manager because you seem like an ethical guy. I would approach the manager and simply ask if you could help yourself to extra smoothies, do so in a joking manner. Then gauge his reply, if he gives an OK, then help yourself. If he gives the HELL NO vibe, then ask what would happen if an employee did that, but don't rat your co-workers.

All this is probably moot since you asked this back in March, but give us an update on what happened.

[eriador]

I voted do nothing. That way you don't violate any trust that people have put in you.