Biology Forums - Study Force

You are caught in the middle of a dilemma. You have been subpoenaed to be a witness in a work-related sexual harassment case involving your boss and a coworker. On many occasions, you heard your boss make statements to this employee that could be interpreted as sexual advancements. Your boss has made it clear that he will make things difficult for you at work if you testify in favor of the employee. You could choose to testify in a manner that would make it appear that your boss was not serious and that the employee was overreacting. On the other hand, it was clear to you that your boss was not joking with the employee and that he was harassing her. What kind of repercussions could there be if you testify in favor of your coworker? Would you be willing to risk those repercussions? Does it really matter if the case is dismissed because of your testimony?

Some could say that they would be inclined to testify in support of their coworker who was being harassed. This would be the ethical thing to do in the current situation regardless of the threats from the boss. As a repercussion, the boss could assign more work or give negative reviews. However, if the boss is unfair, the employee can approach someone superior to the boss to tackle the problem. If the students have a strong sense of ethics, it would really matter to them if the case is dismissed because of their testimony.

Thank you so very much, was really helpful