Scenario: AWOL at the Museum

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

“Hey, how was your eye appointment this morning?”

It’s early afternoon at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden, and Luna Del Rosario is greeting one of their staff, Corporal (Cpl) Jai Chopra, as they arrive for work. 

“Oh, pretty good, Luna, thanks. They said the headaches should go away once I get my new glasses.” Ms. Del Rosario is the civilian supervisor of the base clothing stores, and a retired Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) supply technician. Morale is good in their section, but they are known for running a tight operation. Cpl Chopra was posted in two months ago after a difficult second tour overseas. Cpl Chopra has been absent from work several times in recent weeks for a variety of reasons. 

The next day, Ms. Del Rosario overhears Cpl Janovich, another one of their staff, on the phone. “Yeah, my kid just loved their school trip to the museum yesterday morning. I really should take a half-day off sometime to do one of those school things with them. You know Jai Chopra, who works with me? Well, they were there with their kid.” 

Ms. Del Rosario’s first impulse is to come down hard on Cpl Chopra because they have lied to get time off. Worse yet, Luna wonders if this has happened before and if they have been deceived during some of the past absences. 

As Ms. Del Rosario heads back to their office, they wonder if they should cut Cpl Chopra some slack. They know that Cpl Chopra went through some tough family problems while deployed, but now is always talking about how close they are to their children. Still, Ms. Del Rosario is concerned about the effect on the section once others find out that Cpl Chopra got away with lying.  

Categories

• Principles: Serve Canada before Self, Obey and Support Lawful Authority
• Values: Integrity, Courage, Stewardship
• Cultural themes: Service, Identity, Leadership
• Misconduct types: General Misconduct 
• GBA Plus themes: Family Status
• Audience: Canadian Armed Forces

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical principles of Serve Canada before Self and Obey and Support Lawful Authority in this scenario. 
• Discuss the ethical values of integrity, courage, and stewardship in this scenario. 

Facilitation Questions

1. What is the problem in this scenario?  
   • Open group discussion.  
   • The potential in this scenario relates to the lack of honesty and the breach of trust that Cpl Chopra’s behaviour may create in the workplace. 
2. What considerations are at play with respect to Defence Ethics and the CAF ethos?   
   • Open group discussion. 
   • Serve Canada before Self – Cpl Chopra has an obligation to prioritize the needs of their job over their personal interests. By being dishonest about the reason for their absence, they are failing to uphold this obligation. 
   • “Obey and support lawful authority” – Cpl Chopra needs to adhere to their supervisor’s instructions and expectations regarding work attendance and honesty. 
   • Integrity, loyalty, and courage – Discuss Cpl Chopra’s integrity in relation to being dishonest about the reasons for their absences. Their dishonesty challenges the value of stewardship by potentially misusing resources (time off) for personal reasons.  
3. Should Luna consider Cpl Chopra's difficult past experiences (i.e., the challenging overseas deployment, family problems, etc.) when making decisions addressing their behaviour? 
   • Discuss compassion and empathy. Understanding and supporting employees who have faced hardships can be ethically justifiable, especially when supporting mental health conditions, impact of traumatic events, etc.  
   • Discuss fairness and consistency.  Luna must address the dishonesty, as they need to consider how their actions might be perceived by others in the section. 
4. If you were Luna, what would you do in this situation? Why?
   • Option 1:  Discuss the situation with Cpl Chopra.  Luna can discuss the issue, express their concerns, and seek an explanation. This approach can allow Cpl Chopra to explain their actions and provide an opportunity for resolution.     
   • Option 2:  Discipline Cpl Chopra. Luna can apply fair and consistent administrative or disciplinary measures, including using the military legal system. These measures/actions should be based on the severity of the offense. 
   • Option 3: Do nothing and ignore the issue. *Note to facilitator: this option is not the ethically correct course of action.