Sorry for English.
"
While dropping off documents in your manager's office, you glance at her computer screen and notice that she is drafting an e-mail to her own supervisor in which she indicates that she is going to fire one of your co-workers. Among other things, the e-mail states that your manager questions your co-worker's work habits and loyalty to Co.
While you don't consider the co-worker a friend, he did recently confide in you that he had a pending job offer from another company, but that he had decided to turn it down and stay and try to "make a fresh start" with Co.
What should you do? Should you say something to your manager? To your co-worker?
What if YOU were the manager in this scenario? If one of your employees told you that he had inadvertently read an e-mail on your computer and that an employee you were about to terminate was going to decline a job offer from another company, what would you do?
Compliance Center's opinion:
Although neither party intended any harm, your manager's carelessness and your curiosity have created an ethical dilemma.
One option would be to tell your co-worker what you knew (or at least give him a "hint") so he could accept the job offer from the other company and thus avoid being unemployed. However, this would entail disclosing to your co-worker confidential personnel information that you should not have seen and should not be sharing. Moreover, for all you know, your manager may change her mind or be countermanded by her own supervisor, so that you then may be giving your co-worker inaccurate information.
A second option would be tell your manager that you had inadvertently read her e-mail and that your co-worker was about to reject a job offer from another company. This would give your manager the option of expediting her notification to your co-worker so that he could accept the job offer. It may also cause your manager to reassess her opinion of your co-worker. On the other hand, telling your manager that you had read her e-mail will be a very difficult thing for you to do, and could impair your relationship with your manager. You will also be disclosing confidential information provided by your co-worker. And, again, your manager may have already changed her mind, but learning from you that the co-worker was job shopping may convince her that her original instinct was correct.
Because of the ethical pitfalls in both of these options, we believe that the best choice is probably option three; don't say anything to either the manager or your co-worker. This way, you preserve the privacy of both, and you don't interfere in a process about which you have imperfect knowledge. You should also try to avoid reading other people's e-mail.
If you were the manager in this scenario, you should strongly consider expediting the notification process so the employee has a chance to accept the job offer. This is the more humane approach, and will reflect well on you as a manager. You should also, of course, consider exercising more caution when drafting confidential e-mails."
Для американцев, готовых перегрызть друг другу горло на работе, и стучать друг на друга менеджерам, вышеописанная ситуация может быть и представляет этическую дилемму. А для нормального русского мужика я тут дилеммы не вижу.
