Workplace ethics Feed

Fraud Scams Are Increasing Exponentially

Internet and Digital Fraud on the Rise Recently, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission disclosed that consumers reported losing more than $10 billion from fraud in 2023, This is an astonishing number and reflects the decline of ethics in society over an extended period of time. Consumers alone reported losing more... Read more →


Sanctions Imposed On Draymond Green Miss the Mark

What Message Does it Send? Under California Penal Code § 240 PC--California Assault Law-- an assault is the unlawful attempt, along with the present ability to cause violent injury to another person. Simple assault is a [standard] misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and fines of up... Read more →


NCCA Collegiate Athlete Pay Proposal Needs to be Carefully Scrutinized

From NIL to Paying Athletes, to Making Them Employees. What’s Next? I recall the furor about paying college athletes for their efforts just a few years ago. Some said it was the end of amateurism in college sports, especially football. College amateur athletics used to be a moniker worth being... Read more →


The Story of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried

An Example of Hubris, Incompetence, and Greed I always tell my students that the best way to learn about ethics, or the lack thereof, is through a case study. What follows is a mini-case study of the FTX fraud. Last week Sam Bankman-Fried was found guilty of misappropriating and embezzling... Read more →


Senior Rights and Protections in the Workplace

Dealing with Age Discrimination We are facing economically turbulent times, which may include layoffs and companies downsizing. Unfortunately, older workers often bear the brunt of these cutbacks because employers use the opportunity to get rid of older workers who sometimes command the highest salaries or prevent the business from projecting... Read more →


Can We Teach Someone to Be Ethical?

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” (Aristotle) Can we teach students to be ethical? This is something I’ve thought about a lot during my 30+ years teaching ethics at the university level. On the one hand, I know that I can teach it. I... Read more →


Does Private Equity Ownership of CPA Firms Violate Audit Independence

Independence Standards at Risk Perhaps you are aware that private equity firms have started to acquire a controlling interest in accounting firms, which these days are better referred to as “professional services” firms. The first such acquisition was in August 2022, when Tower Capital Partners purchased the stock of Eisner... Read more →


Ethics & AI: Unanswered Questions

Ethics in the Age of AI: Addressing Moral Challenges in the Era of Automation I have previously blogged about the problem of creating an ethical framework and processes for AI. AI can improve human decision-making, but it has its limits. The possibility exists that bias in algorithms can create an... Read more →


Does ChatGPT Get it Right?

Matching Accomplishments to ChatGPT Responses: Not an Exact Science It's tempting to ask ChatGPT about your accomplishments as a professional. I did just that, first asking about my pseudonym-- "Ethics Sage,' and then about me professionally. The responses are below. ChatGPT does indicate that I am a blogger but provides... Read more →


21st Century Anti-Fraud Best Practices: What has Improved and What Still Needs to Change

OVERVIEW OF THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS: I am moderating a panel at the 2023 Ethics Symposium presented by the Public Interest Section of the American Accounting Association (AAA). The panelists are well-known observers of financial statement fraud and critics of audit failures. They will look back and forward to assess where... Read more →