HillaryLawson FSM120L:A03 JoanFrank November13,2012 EthicalDecisionsintheFoodserviceSetting Whenworkinginafoodservicesetting,maintaininggoodethicalbehavioris

essentialtobuildingabusinesswithintegrity.Creatingacodeofethicsthatismoral,that abidesbyfoodsafetystandardsandprofessionalstandardsisevenmoreimportantina foodservicesettingbecausethepossibilityofcompromisingaclientorpatientshealthand safetyissogreat.Itisnotalwayseasytoadvocateandenforceastrictcodeofethical behaviorinthefoodserviceprofessionbutthosebusinessesthatdofindthattheir employeestakeprideintheirbusinessandthattheirclientsnoticeandappreciatethe attitudeofthebusinessasrepresentedbytheiremployees. Themostcommonprinciplesofethicalbehaviorfollowedbymanyfoodservice

organizationsarecalledtheCodeofEthicsfortheProfessionofDieteticssetbythe AmericanDieteticAssociation.Theprinciplessetforthinthiscodemaintainrespectforthe customer/client,profession,colleagues,andthepublic.Unfortunatelywithoutvigilant supervision,theseprincipalscanbeeasilyignoredandlinescrossedandIhavewitnessed violationsinmyownworkexperienceandnowbetterunderstandwhatcodesarebeing violatedandhowI,asaprofessional,couldbetterhandlethesituationinthefuture. RecentlyIwasatworkandacolleaguewasabouttogoontheir15minutebreak.Now,the policyofthisfoodserviceorganizationisthateveryemployeegetsafifteenminutebreak whentheyareworkingandiftheyareworkingmorethanfivehourstheyarealsogivena

lunchperiod.Thisparticularemployeeisapproximatelysixtyyearsoldandshehas indicatedthatsheintendstocontinueworkinguntilshecanretire,whichisjustaroundthe cornersincesheisalongtimeemployeeofthecompany.Thisfoodserviceemployeeheaded intoaplatformdirectlyintheviewofcustomersandshepulleddessertstowardsherin ordertograbsomeforherselfpriortowhensheofficiallywentonbreakandwhile customerswerewaiting.Shegrabbedonedessert,brokeitapartinfrontofthose customers,andthen,withherunglovedhands;shealsograbbedathicksliceofricecrispy treatoffofaspeedrack.Theemployeethenactedasifshewasgoingtoputthericecrispy treatbackamongsttheothertreatsfromwhichthefoodserviceworkerwouldthenserve. Myimmediatereactionwasshockgivenherseniorityonthejobbuthermanyyearsof experiencemayhavebeenwhatledtohercasualandinappropriateactionsinfrontofour customers.Asadietaryprofession,Ifeltthattherewereanumberofethicalimplications thatneededimmediateactionincludingprivatecounselingoftheemployeeonherlapsesin goodjudgment.AsadietaryprofessionalIwouldthinkthatprivatecounselingwould appropriatesoasnottocriticizeasenioremployeeinfrontofherpeers.Astotheother ethicalissues,themainvaluesdisregardedbytheemployeeinthiscasewerecustomer focusandsocialresponsibility.AccordingtotheAmericanDieteticsAssociationsCodeof Ethics(2009),thevalueofcustomerfocusisdescribedas[meeting]theneedsand [exceeding]theexpectationsofinternalandexternalcustomersandthevalueofsocial responsibilityis[making]decisionswithconsiderationforinclusivityaswellas environmental,economic,andsocialimplications(pp.1462).Whenanemployeebehaves inamannerthatdevaluestheproductandcausestheclientstoloserespectforthewayin

whichtheemployeeshandleorconductthemselvesisnotthetypeofimagethatthe AmericanDieteticAssociationorfoodserviceanddieteticsprofessionswantperpetuated. Theimportantprinciplesthatadieteticprofessionalwouldhavetoconsiderinthe

CodeofEthicsfortheProfessionofDieteticsandProcessofConsiderationofEthicsIssues includestheconsiderationsofthepublic,clients,andtheprofession.Thefirsttwo principles,whicharebaseduponintegrityandobligationtoprotecttheclients,public,and theprofession,arecrucialtoafoodservicesettinganditsfoundation(1461).The principlespertainingtothepublicandtheirhealth,safety,andwelfareatalltimes,are crucialtokeepingthepublicsafe.Theprinciplespertainingtotheresponsibilitiestothe profession,13and15,interpretinginformationwithoutpersonalbias,recognizingthat legitimatedifferencesofopinionexist,aswellasbeingalerttotheoccurrenceofarealor potentialconflictofinterestandtakesappropriateactionwheneveraconflictarises (14611462)arecriticaltomaintainingrespectandintegritywhendealingwithcolleagues. AsadieteticprofessionalIwoulddealwiththeaforementionedscenariodelicately

inordertoprotectthefoundationoftheprofession,protectthepublicfromcontamination, adjustthebehavioroftheemployee,andattempttodoallofthiswhileremainingimpartial. Myfirststepwouldbetotakethefoodserviceemployeetothesideorinmyofficeastonot drawthepublicsattentionorthatofotheremployees.Iwouldaskfortheemployeeto recountthesituationthatIobservedfromtheirprospectivesothathersideofthestory waspresentedinorderformetomakeaknowledgeableandthoroughassessment.After hearinghersideandbarringanyextenuatingcircumstancesthatIlearnedfromher recountingofthesituation,Iwouldwarntheemployeethatheractionsandbehavior compromisethesafetyofthefoodweareprovidingtoourclients.Theuseofbarehandsto

obtainfoodfrombehindtheservicelinecompromisedtheentiretrayofdessertsthereby exposingthemtopotentialcontaminationand,inturn,exposingourclientstotheveryreal possibilityofbecomingsickorworsefromourbehavior.Iwouldfurtherexplaintoher that,asfoodserviceprofessionals,itisourobligationandresponsibilitytoprovideour clientswithsafefoodthatwillnourishtheirbodiesandnotnegativelyaffectthem. Secondarytothiscriticalissueofsafetyisourownpersonalintegrityandtheimagethat we,asabusiness,wanttoportraytoourcustomers.Bygrabbingfoodfrombehindthe servicelinewhilecustomersareobservingandthenbreakingapartthefoodis disrespectfulanddisturbingtoourcustomers.Inafoodservicesetting,itisourgoaltohave asafeandcleanenvironmentandshowrespectforourcustomersandthefoodweserve. Oneofmykeyobjectivesinhavingaprivatediscussionwiththissenioremployeewouldbe toimpressuponthemhowotheremployeeslookuptoherasarolemodelandthatitis imperativethatshepresentthebestpossiblebehaviorwhenhandlingfoodinfullviewof ourcustomers. Secondarytotheissueregardingtheimproperhandlingoffoodistheissueof

improperlytakingalongerbreakperiodthenwhatisallowedsinceshewaspreparingher foodpriortolegallybeingonascheduledbreak.Whenoneemployeetakesalongerbreak thanthescheduledbreakperiodthenotheremployeesmayobservethisbehaviorandfeel thattheyareentitledtoactthesameway.Iwouldexplainthatasasenioremployeesheisa rolemodeltoourotheremployeesandthatherbehaviormustbeaboveethical, professional,andabovereproach.Iwouldaskhertoupdatehertimecardtoaccurately reflectthebreakperiodthatshetookandexplaintoherthatIdonotexpecttoobservethis behavioragain.

Afterexplainingtheseprinciplesandtheviolationscommittedbyheractions,I wouldclarifythatsheisavaluedemployeeandthatthisinfractioniswarning.Ifshe continuestocarryoninthismanner,furtherdisciplinaryactionswillhavetobetakenand uppermanagementwillbeinvolvedsoastoremainimpartial. ThisscenariothatIobservedisonethatIfearmaybealltoocommoninthe

foodservicesetting,anditisuptothedieteticprofessionalstokeeptheenvironmentsafe andethicalinregardstothehandlingoffoodandrespectoftheclient,amongstother things.Thesafetyofclientsisparamountandmisbehaviorcannotbetoleratedwhenit conflictswiththeprimarysafetygoal.Maintaininganethicallyempoweredfoodservice settingisveryimportantand,thoughitsnoteasytoenforceethicalbehavior,businesses thathavehighethicalstandardsfindthattheircustomersnoticeandappreciatethe attitudeofthebusinessasrepresentedbytheiremployees. . References: CodeofEthicsfortheProfessionofDieteticsandProcessforConsiderationofEthicsIssues. (2009).[Code].JournaloftheAcademyofNutritionandDietetics,109(8),14611467.