Q: At a company meeting, I saw a colleague use his cellphone camera to film under the skirt of an unsuspecting female colleague. Later I saw him download the images to his company computer, recharge his phone and continue filming. I said nothing then. I could now talk to him or her or Human Resources, but I am wary of his getting fired or my getting embroiled in a messy situation. What should I do?
– Anonymous, Washington
A: If this isn’t sexual harassment, then I’m not the savvy workplace lawyer I’ve always thought myself. OK, I’m not any kind of lawyer, but the one I consulted confirmed that such conduct is indeed sexual harassment and in some states constitutes an invasion of privacy or other violation of law. Legal issues aside, you witnessed the abuse and exploitation of a co-worker; as a matter of ethics, you should not remain silent.
I understand your reluctance to confront your camera-wielding colleague – to be involved in any way with such seamy doings – but that’s where supervisors come in. You should have informed yours, right then, while the evidence was still in the colleague’s cellphone, or while he was engaged in a second round of furtive photography. (If you were being similarly exploited, wouldn’t you want a co-worker to speak up and protect you?) Your supervisor is obliged both to take action and to protect your confidentiality. By delaying, you not only allowed further violations to occur but also made concealment easier.
Even now you should report this to your supervisor or to Human Resources. The one person I would not discuss it with is the co-worker himself. To do so is simply to invite him to purge his computer of incriminating evidence.
UPDATE: The letter writer spoke to folks at Human Resources, who said they would investigate. He does not know of any sanctions imposed on the devious photographer (who is still with the company).
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Q: I’m working as a contractor on a project my client says should take a week to 10 days, for which I’m to bill by the hour. But I am a competent person and should be able to finish in two to three days. May I drag out the work, or must I finish quickly and suffer the loss of pay?
– K.C., Denver
A: The time to have asked this one is when the client first hired you. And the thing to have proposed then is a payment plan that accommodates your abilities and the client’s expectations.
Someone with your skills can reasonably demand more than someone who’d take much longer to do the job. Or, you could have recommended a flat fee for the job or a bonus for early completion.
Send questions and comments for Randy Cohen to Universal Press Syndicate, 4520 Main St., Kansas City, MO 64111, or ethicist@nytimes.com.
