By Marjorie A. Gordon-DeLee, MA (November 30, 2018)
Business Ethics and the South Carolina Code of Laws Title 8- Public Officers and Employees
When we are talking about Business Ethics, we are primarily referring to doing things right and wrong. There is a right way to do it and there is a wrong way to do it. In being ethically correct, we always want to make every single decision based upon what is best for the state agency in which we are employed. It is not about what we think it should be but always based on what is within the South Carolina Code of Laws written as a reference point to abide by as government employees. As a public employee of the State of South Carolina, the job responsibilities must be adhered to according to the guidelines in the S. C. Code of Laws Title 8 – Public Officers and Employees.
Remember, if you are employed by the State of South Carolina in any capacity, be it in the public-school system, any of the many state government agencies, in whatever county of residency in the State of South Carolina in which you reside, the same laws apply within each agency for each individual employee, for every citizen that the public employee who is paid through the State of South Carolina payroll system serves. All duties performed by the public employees of the State of South Carolina must know the requirements of their job, how the laws are applied to meeting those requirements and serving the South Carolina citizens accordingly, based upon the laws of the State of South Carolina.
Those individuals who are employees of the State of South Carolina, it is your duty and responsibility to learn and to adhere to the S. C. Code of Laws to administer the obligations that each employee has been hired to perform. Provided below are the 30 Chapters in the S. C. Code of Laws Title 8 – Public Officers and Employees to study. Become familiar with and adhere to so that as an employee of the State of South Carolina, you will be better able to perform your duties in accordance within the guidelines in which you were hired to perform by the standards of the S. C. Code of Laws.
Below is documentation of the 30 Chapters and a link to connect with and learn the laws associated with your job descriptions.
South Carolina Code of Laws Title 8 - Public Officers and Employees
CHAPTER 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 3 - COMMISSIONS, OATHS AND BONDS
CHAPTER 5 - BUYING AND SELLING OF OFFICES PROHIBITED
CHAPTER 7 - ABSENCES IN MILITARY SERVICE
CHAPTER 9 - DELIVERY OF BOOKS, RECORDS AND MONEY TO SUCCESSOR
CHAPTER 11 - STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
CHAPTER 12 - INTERCHANGE OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES BETWEEN AND AMONG FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
CHAPTER 13 - ETHICS, GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, AND CAMPAIGN REFORM
CHAPTER 14 - UNAUTHORIZED ALIENS AND PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
CHAPTER 15 - LOCAL OR LOCAL AND STATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES GENERALLY
CHAPTER 17 - STATE OR LOCAL EMPLOYEES GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 19 - MERIT SYSTEM FOR STATE-AIDED AGENCIES
CHAPTER 21 - FEES AND COSTS GENERALLY
CHAPTER 23 - DEFERRED COMPENSATION PROGRAM
CHAPTER 25 - GOVERNMENT VOLUNTEERS
CHAPTER 27 - EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION FOR REPORTS OF VIOLATIONS OF STATE OR FEDERAL LAW OR REGULATION
CHAPTER 29 - VERIFICATION OF LAWFUL PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES
CHAPTER 30 - RECORDING AND REPORTING IMMIGRATION LAW VIOLATIONS
Retrieved from: https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/title8.php
Each employee should become familiar with their position description and requirements for performing their responsibilities and duties as per hired to perform the assigned tasks. The better understanding of one’s job assignment, the better equipped the employee is in performing their jobs satisfactory for the agency in which they are employed and in serving the citizens of the State of South Carolina.
Additionally, some other basic Business Ethic knowledge is a most when performing the requirements in this professional business environment. Listed below are some definitions retrieved from Merriam-Webster that is directly associated with being an ethically correct employee with the State of South Carolina or in any other nonprofit organization, for-profit organization or company.
Ethics as the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. A set of moral principles: a theory or system of moral values.
Morals as of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior; moral judgments; conforming to a standard of right behavior; capable of right and wrong judgment.
Integrity is defined as firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility; and unimpaired soundness.
Incorrupt means to be free from corruption; such as obsolete: not affected with decay not defiled or deprived: upright; free from error
Corrupt is to change from good to bad in morals, manners, or actions. Officials were corrupt by greed; was accused of corrupting the youth; also: Bribe. To degrade with unsound principles or moral values
There are a vast amount of people working in this world today to include the Baby Boomers who are living longer and remaining active in employment; dismissing the notion of days past to retire at a certain age.
Then there are the Millennials, the Gen Yers and the Generation X. With so many different age groups in the workforce, people have a tendency to want to compete and when competing they sometimes allow themselves to get caught up in winning at whatever means that is necessary at the time. With that said, they will not always do the right things for the right reasons, thereby become corrupt in their own behaviors within these organizations and companies.
As a reference point, the quote below is provided:
“The world has gotten so competitive these days that it seems some people will do whatever it takes to be the best. That means ethics are often pushed to the wayside. But this can land a company and its leadership in hot water. When a company or its leaders don't adhere to a moral code, then unethical actions are almost inevitable (Forbes Coaching Council).”
With all of the corruption that is taking place in this world on today, we must not succumb to the actions of the masses and always do the right things for the right reasons. Never lose sight of doing good at all cost (within the laws of the state and the federal government). In the end you will be better able to sleep at night and live with yourself knowing that you took the high road and not lowered your value system for a quick fix or a quick result that will almost always end disastrously when not done correctly the first time choosing good moral judgement.
Bruce Weintein, a Contributor with Forbes shared 20 statements from proven Leaders of what ethics mean to them. See below:
"Ethics means knowing the difference between what is morally right and wrong – and then acting accordingly."
--Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management
"Ethics is the inner voice that drowns out rationalization and focuses us on what we know we should do."
--Thomas J. Gentzel, Executive Director and CEO, National School Boards Association
"Doing and being that which I feel, believe or know to be right and good."
--Cory Tholl, CEO, Klymit
"Ethics is doing what you said you were going to do when you said you would do it and in a way that is respectful to all stakeholders."
"Doing the right, decent thing even when you have the power to do the convenient, self-serving thing."
--Elizabeth A. Schartz, Employment lawyer, Thompson & Knight LLP
"I prefer the ethical path in life; it's good for my soul, and there is less traffic."
--Tony Haines, President, Small Planet Pictures
"Ethics means making decisions in the context of relationships with others."
--George Telford, Senior Associate Director of Major Gifts, Haverford College
"That you operate from a set of values and principles from which you will not
deviate; such values and principles including - but not limited to - honesty, integrity, fairness, and honoring and respecting others."
--Bob Burg, Co-author with John David Mann of The Go-Giver series
"I have an interpretation of the Hawaiian word, kinaole: Do the right thing, at the right time, with the right spirit to our customers and clients every time."
--Mary Kelly, PhD, Commander, US Navy, Co-author with Peter B. Stark, Why Leaders Fail and the 7 Prescriptions for Success
"Doing what you believe to be right and owning it -- regardless of outcome."
--Vincent Talucci, CAE, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, International Association of Chiefs of Police
"Ethics means doing what’s right even when no one else is looking, and holding yourself accountable to your colleagues, your organization and most importantly your principles."
Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association
"Doing the right thing is the right thing to do.”
--Stephen Sandherr, Chief Executive Officer, Associated General Contractors of America
“Acting in a way that furthers our best impulses to do good.”
--B. David Joffe, Partner, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
"Ethics means doing the right thing when it is not easy, pleasant or convenient."
--Arthur Schwartz, CAE, Deputy Executive Director & General Counsel, National Society of Professional Engineers, Executive Director, National Academy of Forensic Engineers
"For me, key ethics include the principles of honesty, integrity, fairness and empathy."
--John Fithian, President and CEO, National Association of Theatre Owners
"Ethics means consistently acting to deliver personal performance that instills trust, confidence, and credibility, that then allows one to influence others in ways that promote the greater good of all."
--Rosalyn Sue Edrozo, P.E., a Process Safety professional for Marathon Petroleum Corporation
“At the risk of oversimplification, to me, ethics means doing the right thing; listening to our internal alarm that goes off when we’re not doing what we know to be the right.”
--Bill Cates, Relationship Marketing Expert and Author, Beyond Referrals: How to Use the Perpetual Revenue System to Convert Referrals into High-Value Clients
"At the heart of ethics is a personal dedication to sincerely put the needs of others and the decency of the consequences of your actions before those of your own."
-Joel Gibbs, Director, Love The Arts In Philadelphia
“Above all else, ethics is the measure of someone’s character and credibility as a respected leader, coworker and friend,”
--Richard Hunt, President and CEO, Consumer Bankers Association
"Acting in a way that does not negatively impact the well-being of anyone involved, including yourself."
--Tony Chatman, Author, The Force Multiplier: How to Lead Teams Where Everyone Wins
After reading all of the 20 statements shared by leaders in the corporate industry, are you too practicing any or all of these same ethical standards? If you are not, today would be a good day to start. An organization’s leader is there to make the company and the companies’ employees better. The employees are also the companies’ customers (Weintein, 2018)
References
Corrupt. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Retrieved November 29, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corrupt
Ethics. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Retrieved November 29, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic
Forbes. (n.d.). 11 Ways to be a more ethical leader. Retrieved November 29, 2018 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/08/06/11-ways-to-be-a-more-ethical-leader/#ba771e6cd48f
Incorrupt. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Retrieved November 29, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incorrupt
Integrity. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Retrieved November 29, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity
Morals. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. Retrieved November 29, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/morals
S. C. Legislature. (n.d.) S. C. Code of Laws, Title – 8 Public Officers and Employees. Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/title8.php
Weintein, B. (2018). Is there a difference between ethics and morality in business? Retrieved on November 29, 2018 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bruceweinstein/2018/02/27/is-there-a-difference-between-ethics-and-morality-in-business/#2cb03f542088
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