Doing what you have the right to do — as in doing something that is not illegal — is not always identical to doing what is right.
We are becoming increasingly intolerant of businesses that are not doing anything against the letter of the law, but against its spirit. Read more now. We have detected that JavaScript is disabled on your browser. Features of this site require JavaScript to function.
Please ensure JavaScript is enabled. Menu Search. Subscribe to the newsletter. Why ethics and law are not the same thing Ethics Leadership 01 Apr April Table of contents. Other times, they are not. Ethics are a set of standards that govern the conduct of a person, especially a member of a profession. While ethical beliefs are held by individuals, they can also be reflected in the values, practices, and policies that shape the choices made by decision makers on behalf of their organizations [1].
Legal behavior follows the dictates of laws, which are written down and interpreted by the courts. In decision making, determining the legality of a course of action is facilitated by the existence of statutes, regulations, and codes. Unlike ethical considerations, there are established penalties for behaving in a way that conflicts with the law.
However, as society evolves, what constitutes legal behavior also changes. For example, until recently, the possession or use of marijuana was illegal in the State of Colorado. As a result of the legislation that legalized marijuana, existing laws will need to be reinterpreted, and undoubtedly additional laws will be enacted to govern what was formerly illegal behavior. Whether or not an individual thinks it is ethical to use a potentially harmful substance, the fact is that the law now allows such behavior.
If the company dictates to employees about smoking, what else can they decide for employees? Does the company set Body Mass Index BMI limits for potential employees to reduce the cost of medical coverage for obesity-related illness? As you can see, such decisions are complex—and, some would say, a slippery slope. A company can require that employees not smoke during their shift or anywhere on company premises, but does it have the right to require them not to smoke when not at work or not on company property?
Ethics is something to consider when taking actions, sometimes even disregarding the laws. For example, a company has an ethical responsibility to pay its employees what their labor is worth such as giving them bonus and salary increments and to provide a respectful workplace free of harassment etc. This is not legal compliance, rather an ethical responsibility since this is a choice. Legal compliance refers to acting in accordance with the laws of a particular organization, company etc.
Thus, this is the main difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility. Ethical responsibility is proactive while legal compliance is reactive. Hence, this is another major difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility.
Compliance is following the law while ethics is doing what is right, sometimes even regardless of the law.
Legal compliance and ethical responsibilities go hand in hand. However, they are distinct principles. The main difference between legal compliance and ethical responsibility is that legal compliance is bound to obey whereas ethical responsibility is a choice. Fredman, Josh.
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