Eating for Free
Milan is a part-time employee at a local burrito restaurant called Ponchos. She usually works at night after her classes. Milan believes she is a good employee—she shows up on time, is polite to customers, and listens to her managers. The official policy at Ponchos states that employees, not including managers, must pay for food. Managers are allowed to eat one meal for free per day.
Milan is close friends with Kai, one of the managers. Kai is lenient with the employees about Ponchos’ food policy, and sometimes lets employees, including Milan, eat for free. As a result, when the restaurant closes at night, Milan often makes herself a burrito and quesadilla without paying for them. Although Milan knows this is against the rules, she believes she is not doing anything wrong because Kai gave her permission. Milan also thinks the food she takes is compensation for not getting paid well. She also knows that leftover food is not saved but thrown directly into the garbage.
Suspecting that employees have been stealing food, Ponchos installed video cameras and announced that employees caught taking food without payment will be fired immediately. Milan is caught on tape, and is fired.
When Milan confronts Kai, who had given her permission to take the food, Kai says that when they’re at work, she is a manager, not Milan’s friend. Kai does not feel responsible for Milan’s firing. Kai believes that Milan was aware of Poncho’s policy, and consciously made the decision to keep stealing food.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What constitutes stealing? Is Milan stealing even when the food is going to be trashed? If Milan secretly took napkins, plastic-ware, and condiments packages instead of food, should this action be valued the same?
What moral obligations do managers have to subordinates who are also their friends? Are they different from the moral obligations managers have to subordinates whom they are not friends with?
It is the manager’s responsibility to supervise the compliance of employee rules and ethical standards. When employees violate the rules due to unclear standards, how can ethical lapses between managers and employees be prevented or limited? Provide an example.
Do restaurants have a responsibility to its employees (managers and staff) to provide a meal? Are there benefits to providing employees with free or discounted meals? [1]
References
[1] http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/education/restaurant-management-and-operations/managing-employee-meals-in-the-restaurant/c28034.aspx
