Since it is PRSA’s Ethics Month, I thought I’d share an example of how a national company violated its business ethics.
Uber, the mobile app that instantly connects customers with drivers, knows how to use aggressive tactics (while taking it too far) against its competitor Lyft. According to CNN, since 2013, Uber employees ordered and then cancelled 5,000 Lyft rides, forcing customers to subsequently use Uber’s services. This not only hinders the company but hurts Lyft drivers’ income and time.
Also, in the same article by CNN, Uber employees in New York are being told it’s against city regulations to work for both companies, even receiving text messages forbidding the action. However, according to the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, this is false.
Whether you’re a part of a startup or a company with a net worth of $3 billion, one of the first things that needs addressing is providing your employees (and management, in this case) with a compliance/ethics training program. That’s because your credibility is directly tied to your ethics.