Personal and Business Ethics Assignment



Assignment

# 8

Confidentiality and Ethics

Instructions:

1. Read the Simcoe County District School Board and Bear Creek Secondary School – Confidentiality and Ethics for Co-op page.

2. Read the Different Influences on Codes of Ethics

3. Read the Code of Ethics for Co-op Students

4. Complete the Confidentiality and Ethics Assignment – questions #1-7

5. Complete the Student’s Declaration of Confidentiality Regarding Protection of Confidential Information. Sign the declaration and have your teacher sign it.

Confidentiality and Ethics Assignment

SIMCOE COUNTY DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD and BEAR CREEK SECONDARY SCHOOL

CONFIDENTIALITY AND ETHICS for CO-OP

Students MUST be made aware of the nature of confidential information, the ease with which it can be breached, and the possible ramifications of doing so.

What is Confidential Information?

Any private information that is written or otherwise, to which any employee might have access but which should never be communicated to anyone other than the employer or supervisor.

How Do Students Acquire Confidential Information?

1. BY ACCESSING personal files or written correspondence. (e.g., medical or legal records)

2. BY OBSERVING people interacting with the employer.

3. BY RECEIVING information in the relaying of telephone or other types of messages.

4. BY OVERHEARING remarks made in casual conversations at the workplace. (e.g., coffee breaks)

Ways of breaching Confidential Information

1. Inadvertently making reference to names of information in a casual conversation.

2. Including such information in log sheets or summary reports.

3. Participating in conversations with co-workers.

4. Discussing information with peers and/or parents.

5. Discussing information with customers.

Implications of Disclosing Confidential Information

1. The student will be “fired” and also risk removal from the Co-op program.

2. Customers and/or co-workers may be hurt and angered (this could extend to entire families or other businesses).

3. Employer’s reputation could be damaged and subsequently result in a loss of business.

4. Co-op program will lose credibility and the specific placement might be lost for future students.

|Different Influences on Individual Codes of Ethics |

|Personal Values |Organizational Values | Societal Values |

|Caring for family |Caring for the organization (employees and |Caring for other member of that society |

| |management) | |

|Caring for friends and relatives |Caring for the public (customers, creditors, |Caring for the global society |

| |suppliers) | |

|Obeying family rules and the law |Obeying company rules and the law |Obeying societal rules and the law |

|Being a responsible citizen (community) |Being a responsible member of an organization |Being a responsible citizen (community, province, country |

| | |and the world) |

|Protecting and caring for the home and community |Protecting and caring for the human and physical |Protecting and caring for the human and physical environment|

| |work environment | |

Code of Ethics for Co-op Students

1. Avoid any personal involvement in conversations in the workplace. Don’t talk about yourself or others.

2. Avoid repeating anything overheard in conversations among co-workers or fellow students.

3. Avoid communicating anything that is of a confidential nature with co-workers, other students, family or friend.

4. Avoid sharing privileged information about school with those in the workplace.

[pic]

Confidentiality and Ethics Assignment

Bear Creek Cooperative Education

Answer the following questions:

1. In your own words, define the term ethics (do a google search or use a dictionary if needed).

2. List as many rules as you can which form the code of ethics in your home, at school and in a workplace. Refer to the “Different Influences on Individual Codes of Ethics”. Use the chart below.

|Ethics at Home |Ethics at School |Ethics at the Workplace |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

3. What is confidential information? List the types of information that you think should be kept confidential in a company.

4. In what ways might a co-op student breach confidential information?

5. What might the implications be of disclosing confidential information?

6. Read the following case study and answer the questions that follow:

You are a co-op student at The Bank of Montreal. You have access to the account of Mr. and Mrs. Jones, your neighbours down the street. While on a trip with your friends discussions start up about your co-op placement. Your friends want you to share everything with them. Your friends ask specifically about Mr. and Mrs. Jones and you tell them all about Mr. and Mrs. Jones’ banking information including bank balances, the amount of their mortgage, and the purchase price of their home. You also tell the group that your neighbours owe a large sum of money in loans and that they are behind in their payments.

As a co-op student, what is unethical about the situation that occurred and what consequences would you expect to happen as a result of this incident?

7. Re-write the 4 “Code of Ethics for Co-op Students” here:

Your Name: ___________________ Completion Date: _______________

STUDENT’S DECLARATION OF CONFIDENTIALITY

REGARDING PROTECTION OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

[pic]

Bear Creek Cooperative Education

I, ____________________________________________________________,

your name

have been made aware of the confidential nature of information concerning Cooperative Education employers and its clients or other confidential type of referral information. Whether or not such confidential information may be available to me in the normal performance of my duties, or occasionally and inadvertently, the confidentiality will be respected.

I will exercise all reasonable care and caution in protecting printed or written confidential information from casual observation, unauthorized perusal or other abuse.

I also understand that confidential information which shall be disclosed to me or which may come to my knowledge may not be divulged within or outside or the employer or client relationship unless required in the performance of my normal duties or expressly authorized by Administration.

________________________________ ___________________________

Student Signature Witness (your guardian/parent)

__________________________________

Date

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download