People face several challenges in their professional lives. It is difficult to make decisions in situations that test what is right versus what is wrong because that line is often blurry. Each individual decides for himself or herself what is right and what is wrong, and therefore, society cannot always define good and bad. However, there are certain acts that are deemed as just. For example, bullying is perceived as an act that should be immediately stopped when seen by bystanders. Personally, I have faced countless dilemmas in which my character and ethical values were tested.
Over the summer, I was confronted with a situation I have never dealt with in a work setting. It was a rather uneventful night at the Movie Tavern. I was placing drinks on a tray when I caught one of my coworkers pacing back and forth in the hallway. My coworker was repeatedly whispering suicidal thoughts to himself. He was even telling other employees that he wanted to kill himself because he had nothing better to do. I was four hours into my shift when a few coworkers came up to me saying that he had been contemplating killing himself for a few hours. To my knowledge, not one employee reported this problematic situation. The next day at work, it was the same story. I felt like no one was acting on the situation, so I decided to myself.
Before going to a manager, I decided to individually confront my coworker. I pulled him aside in the hallway and asked him what was going on and if needs help with anything. I have had friends in the past who have joked about committing suicide, but I knew that joking could often mask the real complication. Even after the tenth time of asking, he continued to joke around. This prompted me to talk to a manager in the back office. I told my closest manager, and he decided to confront the employee and notify his guardian.
I take mental illness and suicidal thoughts very seriously because I have dealt with similar issues in the past. From personal experience, I know what it feels like to be alone and how that feeling can tear a human apart. An ethical dilemma appeared: Do I report my coworker’s suicidal thoughts to a manager or do I leave him alone because I should not get involved in his personal life? I realized that this situation should have been dealt with when I first overheard his suicidal thoughts. Although I was angry with myself for not acting sooner, I knew I had to act now. I would not be able to live with myself if my coworker committed suicide and I knew about it. This situation put my ethical values of friendship, respect, and responsibility to the test. I realized that reporting him was the not only the right thing to do out of respect for him as a person, but also the humane thing to do. Everyone deserves to be cared for. Although I was not sure if my coworker was joking, a joke can easily turn into a reality.
