WWYD: What would you do?

WWYD: What would you do?

Posted on April 25, 2008 by lstrattan
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News item: A Cerritos, Calif., man last week found a bag of unmarked $20 bills that had literally fallen off the back of a truck. Eli Estrada is a struggling landscaper with credit card debt and an upcoming wedding to pay for; he sure could use the $140,000 the bag contained. Should he keep the money or return it to Bank of America? What Would You Do?

 Here’s what our experts have to say:

Dan Lowney

Lowney is a sergeant and court liason with the Swansea Police Department.

Earn your keep

This is a no brainer. you have to return the money. It is not yours, you did not earn it or win it or have it given to you. You know that it is accounted for (even if it wasn’t) and someone will be looking for it. Even though I could surely use $140,000 to help get out of debt, I need to be able to obtain that money through legitimate means. I have in the past come across close to $70,000 in unmarked small bills stuffed into a grocery bag when I arrested some clown years ago and I knew he had obtained the cash illegally and I knew if some of the cash went missing he wasn’t going to report it, however, I always keep in mind that whatever amount of money I could “score” illegally will never substantiate ruining my reputation, my family’s reputation, or their trust in me. I have strong feelings toward the laws of the land and unless one perilously jeopardized the well being of my family, I will abide by them, however corny that sounds, but it is the truth.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure the devil on my left shoulder would be telling me to take the money and run, however, I’ve got a good history with the angel on my right side and he won’t let me fall to temptation.

Pastor Gerard Martel

Martel is the pastor of Grace Gospel Church in Swansea.

God sees all

If I found the money in the street, and it was clearly marked and obvious who it belonged to, I would definately return it to its rightful owner. To keep it under these conditions would be outright stealing. God sees all things, even when no one else is watching, and He rewards our acts of faith in His precepts.

Sally Souliere

Souliere is an independently licensed psychotherapist and owner of Tapestry Psychotherapy in fall River.

Karma concerns

Finders keepers, losers weepers?? No way.

Understanding how someone operates under stress or when no one is watching is important. How do they behave when the chips are down? 

Wikpedia states, “In the criminal law, theft (also known as stealing) is the illegal taking of another person’s property without that person’s freely-given consent…”.   For Eli to keep this money would constitute theft, morally, spiritually and legally.

Furthermore, he is about to enter into a commitment of marriage that should be based on honesty and trust. To steal money for any purpose, let alone a sacred engagement, is egregious and ethically wrong. This is a “test” for him that will affect both him and his fiancé. He earned the credit card debt and needs to earn the funds to relieve the debt.

Eli will have not morality if he is not willing to give things up for the sake of upholding his moral code in life, whether he “needs” the money or not. A strong morality is not earned easily in life. We often struggle for it.

While this situation is incredibly tempting, actions have consequences. Sometimes one careless, out of character action can have disastrous consequences. Perhaps he should consider that the money was placed there on purpose and he is being watched by authorities. Would his reaction be different?

The karma and sense of peace he will receive from returning the money will outweigh any possible gratification he would have from being a thief and making his life “easier”.

Your employer’s cheating

Posted on April 3, 2008 by lstrattan
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Welcome to WWYD? “What Would You Do?” offers different takes on hypothetical, yet common everyday dilemmas we all face.

Don’t agree with what our experts have to say? Do you have something to add to this discussion? Weigh in here.

What would you do if you caught your boss cheating on the business’ taxes?

Here’s what our experts have to say:

KEEP QUIET

Dan Lowney

Lowney is a sergeant and court liaison with the Swansea Police Department.

I see three possible resolutions to this situation but can honestly only favor one of them.

The first choice would be to use this information to your advantage. Let the employer know you have the goods on them and get a raise or a nice bonus with your knowledge. Unfortunately it is highly unethical and usually only works in the movies. I would not personally choose this one.

The second choice would be to notify the Feds of the illegal activity and hope that now you’ve become a whistle blower you will be protected by the government for doing what is the legally responsible thing. You would also hope your employer doesn’t go belly up and you are out on the street. In a perfect world, this would be the correct response. However, the world is far from perfect.

The third choice and in all honesty the choice I would strongly consider for myself would be to just act as if you know nothing. With the condition of the economy these days, the high rate of unemployment, the high cost of everything and the looming recession, I could not put my employment on the line by turning the employer in.

Should the employer get into the mix with the federal government over taxes, there is a strong possibility the company could fold and close up. I have an obligation to work to support my family and my future, and if keeping my mouth shut for this type of situation is what I need to do — since I know the government is not going to take care of me or my family for the information I give them — I think I can live with the fact that I made the right decision for the betterment of my family.

Sometimes you cannot bite the hand that feeds you.

SEVER TIES

Pastor Gerard Martel

Martel is the pastor of Grace Gospel Church in Somerset.

If I knew that my employer was cheating on their federal income taxes, I would first go to my employer and explain the wrong they are committing and allow them the opportunity to address the issue and correct it. If no action is taken to correct the matter, I would tell the Human Resource manager, and document that I did so.

If still nothing is addressed, I would leave that place of employment because I believe that if that employer felt comfortable being dishonest with the government, then they would undoubtedly have no problem being dishonest with me also.

HONESTY IS BEST

Sally Souliere

Souliere is an independently licensed psychotherapist and owner of Tapestry Psychotherapy in Fall River.

As St. Thomas Aquinas said, “We become the choices we make.” Do not choose to be part of the problem in this situation.

Making unethical decisions is one thing but reporting or speaking out against unethical behavior in one’s workplace is something different. Assuming that what you have discovered is more than speculation or hearsay, this situation should be reported.

Morally, legally and ethically you will be doing the right thing. However, it will be normal to experience a fear of retaliation from your boss or fear of being perceived as a “snitch” by other employees. But remember that you are not being asked to pass judgment on your employer; you are reporting facts and fraud. This is not about your emotions or feelings toward your boss.

To be silent about what appears to be fraudulent activity means that you could share some responsibility in the consequences that would follow should this fraud be discovered. How would you feel then? Would you have regret?

The demise of many large, well known companies may have been avoided had their wrong doings been reported by employees who chose to look the other way and remain silent.

Know that there are laws that protect whistle-blowers who lawfully disclose information about their employers as part of a fraud investigation. The IRS also has a hotline for this kind of reporting and you may want to check out the Whistleblower Tax Reform Law for more information.

Most importantly, it is essential to remember that we exist to make the world a more just and humane place. With this responsibility, comes a need for the courage, strength and commitment to make the right choices when we feel like ignoring, avoiding or running from a difficult situation. The most important fundamental ethical value is honesty!