ABSTRACT
Employment is a privilege in that an employer is recognizing the worth of employee skills, abilities and knowledge. On the other hand, for most employers, human capital is their most valuable asset and to lose the respect of the workforce is a serious issue. Ethically, it is also important to refer to diversity and equality in a built environment context. Discrimination of certain groups on the grounds of gender, age, race, disability or religion is not permissible and yet there is a lack of diversity in built environment occupations. There are also some allegations of unequal treatment, where differences have been discriminated against because of particular working conditions such as long hours, heavy manual work and poor welfare. The objectives examined in this chapter are:
• to consider the impact of treating workforces fairly in accordance with human rights, starting from Cadbury and including reference to culture, employability, less discrimination, conditions of employment, motivation, incentives, moral climate, training, career development and progress, and the psychological contract;
• to look at the ethics of legislation and best practice such as ethical leadership, professional discretion, fuller employment, recruitment, trade union roles, public disclosure, fair conditions in outsourcing, harmonious workforces, and better community engagement.
