Is it always right to be a whistle blower? Your coworkers routinely pad their expense accounts. Do you blow the whistle?An argument for telling your boss: Except in unusual circumstances, stealing is unethical. A society in which property is unjustifiably wrested cannot survive. Even if the company makes plenty of money and underpays you, that’s insufficient justification for stealing. The appropriate response is to ask for a raise and/or look for an employer that will treat you better.An argument for not telling your boss: A few employees padding an expense account has minimal impact on most organizations’ bottom line. And study after study shows that whistle blowers normally lose their jobs and have a hard time finding new work. For a relatively venial sin, is it worth jeopardizing your and your family’s financial security? Besides, many organizations and their leaders make far more money than the workers—and that’s unjust. Not ratting on your coworkers is a mere bit of justifiable Robin-Hooding, income redistribution.So what would you do? Would your decision be different if it were your boss padding his or her expense account? Would it matter if it were a small company, large company, non-profit, or government agency? Why?
