Eller’s Center for Leadership Ethics Grapples with Remote Work During Symposium
On June 11, the Center for Leadership Ethics (CLE) in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona led a virtual symposium on “The Ethical Considerations of Working Remotely” with esteemed panelists from academia and industry.
The symposium, moderated by Paul Melendez, founder of the CLE, drew more than 140 participants from all facets of business to discuss what lessons have been learned about motivation, culture and employee performance in the virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Ethical Considerations of Working Remotely” symposium.
Panelists included Catherine D. Ellingsen, executive vice president, corporate secretary, chief legal officer and chief ethics and compliance officer with Republic Services; Michael Schneider ’87 BSBA (Economics), vice president of risk management with SDGE; and Allison Gabriel, associate professor of management and organizations in the Eller College.
Issues discussed included creating psychologically-safe work spaces; ‘the new normal’; and the erosion of work/non-work boundaries, among many others.
Professor Gabriel gave tips based on her academic research on how workers can thrive in hybrid or remote environments: “Keep routines. Take breaks. Take meetings outside. Take time to self-reflect. Honor definitive ‘start’ and ‘stop’ times for work.”
The panelists also addressed questions related to the ethical considerations around incentivizing vaccinations and mandating vaccinations as conditions for returning to in-person work.
“Ethics has played a prominent role since the start of the pandemic, and as our economy transitions to changed work environments, these are the exact concerns strategic executives are facing and will continue to face," says Melendez. "I am proud the CLE is at the forefront of providing expertise on these issues to our network.”
The symposium was sponsored by Zanes Law and founder Doug Zane.
Learn more about the Center for Leadership Ethics.