The document outlines the steps taken to address an ethical dilemma regarding hiring a candidate with a criminal record against company policy. The dilemma involved a candidate with a felony forgery conviction from 2000 who had been rehabilitated. After getting the facts, identifying the options of hiring him or not, and testing the options, the decision was made to hire him based on evidence of his rehabilitation. He was given a role without financial access and has now worked successfully for 6 months with no issues.

1. Tiffany Lansaw

2. Tiffany Lansaw

3. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #1: Recognize the Ethical Dilemma
Step #2: Get the Facts
Step #3: Identify your Options
Step #4: Test Each Option, Legal? Right? Beneficial?
Step #5: Decide Which Option to Follow
Step #6: Spot Light Questions
Step #7: Take Action

4. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #1: Recognize the Ethical Dilemma
My Ethical Dilemma: Hiring a candidate with a criminal
record even though there is an unwritten but known
company policy against doing so.

5. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #2: Get the Facts
My Ethical Dilemma: He was charged with 1 Count of Felony
Forgery in 2000. Served 10 Years in Prison, had a perfectly
clean prison record for behavior. Took time while in Prison
to get a college degree. He was released from Prison in
2010. Immediately got a job as a farm hand cleaning
barns, was the only place to hire him. Has BA in Business
Management and provided perfect attendance records for
an Ex-Felons Counseling Group.

6. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #3: Identify your Options
My Ethical Dilemma: Hire him and go against the
unwritten company policy about ex-felons, knowing I
will not lose my job but will be reprimanded if it is
discovered. No hire him and be disappointment that I
was not able to assist him in rising above his situation.

7. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #5: Decide Which Option to Follow
My Ethical Dilemma: I decided to follow my gut and hire
him. I knew I had enough evidence of personal
development both while in prison and outside of prison
to validate my consideration. I put him in a position
where he would have no access to financial records and
would not be tempted to make previous mistakes.

8. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #4: Test Each Option, Legal? Right? Beneficial?
My Ethical Dilemma: Both options are Legal. Both
options are right in some ways. Hiring him is Beneficial
for my business, not hiring him is beneficial if he
doesn’t work out.

9. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #6: Spot Light Questions
My Ethical Dilemma: How will I feel if my family finds out about
the decision? I will feel good, knowing I was able to look beyond
his situation and find the value in him regardless of his criminal
background. How will I feel if it is reported to the Newspaper? I
guess that would depend on whether or not the article was
positive or negative? If it is being reported that I put my
company at risk? I would feel bad if it were a negative article but
proud if it was a positive article.

10. Ethical Dilemmas Checklist
Step #7: Take Action
My Ethical Dilemma: I went forward with hiring him. So
far he has worked for the company for 6 months with
no attendance, performance or co-worker issues.