Should Ben Take the Bonus Fund? Ben Freeman has worked for three years with Jane

Question

Should Ben Take the Bonus Fund?

Ben Freeman has worked for three years with Jane Smith, Marc Dupré, Susie Wong, and Jim Dexter at the Provincial Power Corporation. He feels that PPC underpays him. His boss, Mary Jenks, recently passed him over for a promotion, and he would like revenge. Ben is from a background that expected everyone to look out for him or herself. Ben’s neighbours always locked their doors. Local people thought that anyone who did not lock up carefully was stupid and deserved to have their possessions stolen. Ben’s parents were both from the neighbourhood, and brought up Ben to take care of himself first, and to take advantage of any opportunity for acquiring a little extra money. The Provincial Power Corporation has a dog-eat-dog corporate culture. All the people working there, from the CEO to the typists, share a view that life is “every man for himself,” and that “she who dies with the most toys wins.” People expect each other to lie, cheat, and even steal when they can get away with it. The prevailing corporate culture is one of rampant self-interest. Ben plays poker with some other men in a room above the local flower shop. He knows that that the people who organize the game are rather shady. Recently, he has gone behind and borrowed $500 from the game-organizers. He cannot borrow the money anywhere because he has reached the limit on his bank-overdraft. He knows that the ruthless characters who loaned him the money will hurt him if he does not pay his debt very soon. Every holiday season, Ben’s department collects a holiday-bonus fund by allowing department members to pay $5 to wear blue jeans to work on Fridays. Just before the holidays, everyone puts his or her name in a hat, and the boss gives the money to the department member whose name she draws. Ben is in a situation where he could easily steal $500 from this bonus fund. $500 is just enough to pay off his gambling debt. He may just act impulsively, but if he thinks before he acts, then he will find reasons both pointing toward taking his opportunity and pointing against doing so: He needs the $500 to stop the gangsters from hurting him. Someone might catch him, and then he will lose his job. On the other hand, he thinks that he can make everyone think that Susie took the money. When Jane, Mary, Marc, Susie, and Jim notice the loss and make inquiries, there will be an atmosphere of suspicion in his department for some months afterwards.

Should Ben take the money?

Your moral gut reaction will tell you what Ben should do. Here, however, you should analyze Ben’s situation as a way of practicing ethical analysis. Look at whose interests Ben’s decision will effect, and find as many relevant ethical considerations as you can, both for and against him taking the money. After you have done that, consider the interesting question of whether we should hold Ben morally accountable if he decides to take the money. Does either his cultural background or the threat from the gangsters imply that he cannot do otherwise than steal the money?

(500 words)

Explanation / Answer

The crisis that Ben is facing is not only ethical but also the belief system that he has been facing since his birth, around his family and community and now in the workplace also.

The choices that Ben will choose depends not only on the moral high ground that any external audience will take but also on the real-life challenges that Ben faces every day. These are life-threatening challenges and also to mention, there is no reward and appreciation for choosing a righteous path. The people at work are corrupt and they only think about themselves. The self-interest and vested interests are running high among the people he knows.

With these pointers in light, there are only two options with Ben – to take the money and keep on the path of misery and self-degradation or does not take the money, fight with difficulties for a while and get onto the path of right things to do.

Based on the dilemma facing Ben, I would recommend that he should not take the money and try to be a glimmer of hope in all the darkness that is around him. This might be an opportunity for him to get towards the righteous path. This act might motivate others also to follow the right path rather than fall down because all others are also doing the same.

We can hold Ben morally accountable as he has no choice but to defend himself. There is no other way through which he can self-preserve himself. Also, the environment in which he grew up and the workplace where he is working, all are teaching him the wrong path and self-preservation as the final outcome. The only logical to them is the man who dies with the more toys has lived his life. Such kind of a philosophy has marred the life of Ben, so he is not totally responsible and accountable for his actions.

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