Is It Ethical?

[ChaimMoskowitz]

I'm ready

I was the only employee in the store and business was slow. A close friend from high school came in. We chatted, and then he brought over to the register a book he wanted and asked for a discount.

I hesitated. He was a good friend and I had seen other employees give discounts, so I took 10% off the price. After he left I wondered if I were guilty of stealing from the owner of the store.

I’m a good employee. The owner trusts me and leaves the store in my care. Perhaps he would accept my using my own judgment to give a discount. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure, and I was embarrassed to ask. If I asked and he said "no," I’d have to pay the difference myself and I needed the money. I was also afraid he wouldn’t trust me anymore. Did I do the right thing?

[cholent]

I was the only employee in the store and business was slow. A close friend from high school came in. We chatted, and then he brought over to the register a book he wanted and asked for a discount.

I hesitated. He was a good friend and I had seen other employees give discounts, so I took 10% off the price. After he left I wondered if I were guilty of stealing from the owner of the store.

I’m a good employee. The owner trusts me and leaves the store in my care. Perhaps he would accept my using my own judgment to give a discount. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure, and I was embarrassed to ask. If I asked and he said "no," I’d have to pay the difference myself and I needed the money. I was also afraid he wouldn’t trust me anymore. Did I do the right thing?

You had no right to give the 10% off unless the owner had given you explicit permission in the past to do so

[bigbadmoish]

I was the only employee in the store and business was slow. A close friend from high school came in. We chatted, and then he brought over to the register a book he wanted and asked for a discount.

I hesitated. He was a good friend and I had seen other employees give discounts, so I took 10% off the price. After he left I wondered if I were guilty of stealing from the owner of the store.

I’m a good employee. The owner trusts me and leaves the store in my care. Perhaps he would accept my using my own judgment to give a discount. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure, and I was embarrassed to ask. If I asked and he said "no," I’d have to pay the difference myself and I needed the money. I was also afraid he wouldn’t trust me anymore. Did I do the right thing?

did you do the right thing by giving someone's money away... i'd have to go with no. i would ask as a hypothetical, if he says yes sholom al yisroel, if he says no pay the diff but at least you dont lose the trust

[ChaimMoskowitz]

You had no right to give the 10% off unless the owner had given you explicit permission in the past to do so

But the owner trusts me. He left me in charge of the store. I take that to mean he trusts the decisions I make while in charge.

[lunatic]

You had no right to give the 10% off unless the owner had given you explicit permission in the past to do so

+1

[cholent]

But the owner trusts me. He left me in charge of the store. I take that to mean he trusts the decisions I make while in charge.

He trusts you to do your job. Giving discounts without express permission is a violation of that trust

[yakrot]

But the owner trusts me. He left me in charge of the store. I take that to mean he trusts the decisions I make while in charge.

Maybe he only trust the business decisions that you make. This was a personal relationship decision

[ChaimMoskowitz]

It seems there is agreement he should have not given the discount. How about this part?

"After he left I wondered if I were guilty of stealing from the owner of the store."

[lunatic]

Easy thing to do is ask him if he generally allows you to give discounts based on your judgement and see how he responds

[avromie7]

i wouldn't answer this question without understanding the relationship, authority authority given, and trust between you and the employer

[cholent]

Your choice - repay it or ask the owner

[Sport]

What about the friend, can he accept the discount knowing it's an employee discount?

[cholent]

What about the friend, can he accept the discount knowing it's an employee discount?

If he realizes that the employee is not specifically authorized to give this discount, he should not be asking for or accepting the discount.

Sorry, this one's easy

[cholent]

How about this one? I bought a grill at Lowe's and asked for it to be assembled. A day later I changed my mind and told them to assemble a different (cheaper) one for me instead. When I came to pick it up, having paid for the cheaper one, they brought me out the more expensive grill. Would you say anything?
(FTR - I told them it was the wrong one. I actually had to reiterate this several times and show them my receipt to convince them to stop loading it into my car and get the other one instead. And I had to wait another hour while they probably assembled the other one... they told me it was assembled and they were looking for it, but I doubt that was true)

[sguitarist18]

Personally, I'd probably stop after telling them once or twice.

[Emkay]

Personally, I'd probably stop after telling them once or twice.

personally, I wouldn't do business with you then

[Achas Veachas]

Am I the only one who thinks employees are allowed to give a small discount to family or friends?

If this guy's conscience is still bothering him he can always ask his boss without telling him that he already did it ("friends always ask me for discounts, would it be OK for me to give them 10% in the future? ").

[Emkay]

Am I the only one who thinks employees are allowed to give a small discount to family or friends?

are you talking legally?
Why in the world would they be allowed to without explicit permission?

[Sport]

How about this one? I bought a grill at Lowe's and asked for it to be assembled. A day later I changed my mind and told them to assemble a different (cheaper) one for me instead. When I came to pick it up, having paid for the cheaper one, they brought me out the more expensive grill. Would you say anything?
(FTR - I told them it was the wrong one. I actually had to reiterate this several times and show them my receipt to convince them to stop loading it into my car and get the other one instead. And I had to wait another hour while they probably assembled the other one... they told me it was assembled and they were looking for it, but I doubt that was true)

If they insisted that it was the correct grill, as it seems is what happened in your case, then I would not take it, Unless they recognize the error and say its fine.

[skyguy918]

Am I the only one who thinks employees are allowed to give a small discount to family or friends?

If this guy's conscience is still bothering him he can always ask his boss without telling him that he already did it ("friends always ask me for discounts, would it be OK for me to give them 10% in the future? ").

Maimonides says that agents cannot give discounts without permission from their employer. Otherwise they violate the terms of their employment -- which means they’re effectively not working as an employee at that time. So I was wrong on that one. (I subsequently asked the owner of the store and he told me in the future I could give discounts at my discretion.)