Ethical Dilemma in the Workplace: Witnessing and Addressing Unethical Behavior
Describe a situation when you witnessed an unethical behavior of a coworker. How did
you solve this situation? How did you respond?
Your initial post should be at least 450 words, formatted, and cited in the current A.P.A.
style with support from at least two academic sources. Your initial post is worth 70
points.
You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or
adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 30 points.
, Introduction
Ethical behavior is a cornerstone of professional integrity and trust within any
organization. Witnessing unethical actions by coworkers can be challenging because it
forces employees to balance loyalty, workplace harmony, and moral responsibility. In my
experience working within a healthcare administrative office, I encountered a situation
where a coworker engaged in unethical conduct that directly violated organizational
policy and patient confidentiality standards. This paper describes the situation, the actions
I took to address it, and how I reflected on my response using ethical theories and
professional standards.
The Unethical Behavior Witnessed
While working as a healthcare administrative assistant in a mid-sized outpatient clinic,
one of my coworkers, who had authorized access to electronic health records (EHR),
began discussing patient information openly during lunch breaks. This coworker would
occasionally share identifiable details, such as patient diagnoses, medication lists, and
even financial billing information, often to express frustration about workload or difficult
cases. Although these disclosures may have seemed casual, they constituted clear
violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the
organization’s confidentiality policy.
Initially, several colleagues, including myself, felt uncomfortable but hesitant to
intervene. The coworker had seniority and a strong personality, making confrontation
intimidating. However, over time, the behavior escalated—she began sending patient
Describe a situation when you witnessed an unethical behavior of a coworker. How did
you solve this situation? How did you respond?
Your initial post should be at least 450 words, formatted, and cited in the current A.P.A.
style with support from at least two academic sources. Your initial post is worth 70
points.
You should respond to at least two of your peers by extending, refuting/correcting, or
adding additional nuance to their posts. Your reply posts are worth 30 points.
, Introduction
Ethical behavior is a cornerstone of professional integrity and trust within any
organization. Witnessing unethical actions by coworkers can be challenging because it
forces employees to balance loyalty, workplace harmony, and moral responsibility. In my
experience working within a healthcare administrative office, I encountered a situation
where a coworker engaged in unethical conduct that directly violated organizational
policy and patient confidentiality standards. This paper describes the situation, the actions
I took to address it, and how I reflected on my response using ethical theories and
professional standards.
The Unethical Behavior Witnessed
While working as a healthcare administrative assistant in a mid-sized outpatient clinic,
one of my coworkers, who had authorized access to electronic health records (EHR),
began discussing patient information openly during lunch breaks. This coworker would
occasionally share identifiable details, such as patient diagnoses, medication lists, and
even financial billing information, often to express frustration about workload or difficult
cases. Although these disclosures may have seemed casual, they constituted clear
violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the
organization’s confidentiality policy.
Initially, several colleagues, including myself, felt uncomfortable but hesitant to
intervene. The coworker had seniority and a strong personality, making confrontation
intimidating. However, over time, the behavior escalated—she began sending patient
