2. Resolve this ethical dilemma posed by Carl Kaufmann of Du Pont 89; (Carl Kauf

Question

2. Resolve this ethical dilemma posed by Carl Kaufmann of Du Pont 89; (Carl Kaufmann, “A Five-Part Quiz on Corporate Ethics,” Washington Post, July 1, 1979, pp. C-1, C-4.)
Assume that federal health investigators are pursuing a report that one of your manufacturing plants has a higher-than-average incidence of cancer among its employees. The plant happens to keep excellent medical records on all its employees, stretching back for decades, which might help identify the source of the problem. The government demands the files. But if the company turns them over, it might be accused of violating the privacy of all those workers who had submitted to private medical exams. The company offers an abstract of the records, but the government insists on the complete files, with employee names. Then the company tries to obtain releases from all the workers, but some of them refuse. If you give the records to the feds, the company has broken its commitment of confidentiality. What would you do?

Explanation / Answer

It depends on whether or not they got a court order. If they get a court order, unfortunately their 'privacy' doesn't matter. It honestly seems like the company is trying to cover something up.. not the employees. What employer has health records of employees anyway if it is so 'private'. or Any time a government agency requests records, you usually hand them over. Only if those medical records contain information that could cause harm to an employee fo they were released (such as a positive HIV test or something of that nature) then you may hide the employee name

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