A clerk who had a personality clash with another employee told her supervisor that the other employee did not know how to do the job. Is there an ethical problem here? If so, what is it and what should be done?

• A. Yes; the problem is the clerk's lie about the other employee.
• B. No ethical problem; personality clashes are normal and require no action.
• C. Yes; the proper action is to ask a supervisor to mediate and avoid letting differences affect work.
• D. Yes; the clerk should report the other employee to a higher authority.

Answer: (A)

Lying about a coworker violates honesty in the workplace and damages trust. Even with a personality clash, making a false claim about someone’s ability is unethical because it can unfairly harm their reputation and career. The responsible approach is to address concerns truthfully through proper channels—document the issue factually and seek mediation or supervision to resolve the differences and any performance problems. This preserves fairness and moves the situation toward a constructive resolution. The key takeaway is that deception is the ethical breach here; addressing disputes should be done with honesty and through appropriate processes.