Introduction
Business ethics refers to the moral values, policies and principles which regulate the way organisations and people engage in business activity. Ethical principles are general judgements which facilitate directing the actions and decisions of the people. In terms of the tourism workplace, business ethics and ethical principles hold a valuable place. Tourism companies must operate their business responsibly and fairly. Tourism organisations like hotels, airlines, etc., need to show respect towards the employees and treat them fairly. This essay is going to explain the business ethics and professional conduct in the case study. The essay will describe the case and link the issue with the UK’s legislation. Further, the report will present the author's understanding of business ethics, ethical principles and code of conduct. The current skills and knowledge required to address the ethical situation, along with the CPD plan, will also be explained in this essay.
Main Body
Description of case
According to the case study, in July 2023 and February 2024, the UK government exposed some firms for paying low income to the employees, which was below the national minimum wage. Some notable hotel chains and airlines were also included in exposed countries. Further investigation revealed that young employees and females were getting less salary in peak tourist seasons, which was completely unethical. Jane, who is my friend, also expressed her discomfort. She said that many other workers complained about their financial conditions. From analysis, it has been identified that the hotels and airlines breached the national minimum wage law.
The national minimum wage law, which was developed by the UK government, states that employees are to be paid no less than the national minimum wage (GOV.UK, 2025). This case has also identified that the tourism companies violated the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) Code of Conduct. ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK, which sets that members of ABTA should follow rules and regulations (ABTA, 2025). The hotels and airlines did not follow the rules provided less salary when they generated high income during peak seasons. The case also showed discrimination because the number of young workers and females was greater than male workers who were underpaid. The ethical issue of offering less salary also breached Article 9 of the UN tourism committee. The article covers the rights of employees and entrepreneurs within the tourism industry (UN Tourism, 2020). Tourism is a responsible industry, and it is most important for them to follow ethics and laws while operating a business.
Reflection of learning
It is crucial for all people and organisations that operate under the tourism sector or any other industries to know human rights, employment acts and national minimum wage act. I am a responsible citizen and have knowledge and understanding of business ethics. I have learned about the national minimum wage act and find that there are five levels of minimum wage which are: £11.44/hour – For employees 21 and above, £8.60/hour – For employees aged 18 – 20, £6.40/hour – For employees under age 18 and £6.49/hour – For apprentices (Visit Britain, 2025).
In my opinion, offering a salary below set criteria was unethical as workers have rights to get enough salary according to their skills and knowledge. The case also showed discrimination against workers, especially females and young employees. The companies should follow the Equality Act 2010, which protects people from discrimination against nine characteristics (GOV.UK, 2015). I have learned that a business must conduct its activities with transparency and treat all workers equally, regardless of their age, gender or sex.
I acknowledged that company managers and leaders must follow professional ethics. Professional ethics give regulations on how an individual needs to act towards others in a business environment. The hotels and airlines focused only on their financial gains and did not pay attention to their workers’ financial issues. The workers faced financial problems because they did not get sufficient salaries even though they worked in peak seasons. The workers should raise their voices against this kind of act.
Skills for action
I identified that I have several skills, such as problem-solving and active listening. I used my problem-solving skills to find alternative ways and solve issues. The problem-solving skill would be helpful to solve the ethical issues in the workplace. I also possess active listening abilities that help me listen to others’ opinions with respect. According to the case study, when my friend who worked in the payroll department in a hotel expressed her views, I actively listened to her. I am also an honest and self-motivated person who would be useful in addressing the issues with proper honesty (Tight, 2021). I could also encourage other people by using my motivational skills to talk about issues they face. I have knowledge about basic laws and acts of the UK regarding human rights, national minimum wage and business ethics.
Apart from skills, I have knowledge about the ABTA Code of Conduct, which was developed for the travel agents. By using the knowledge, I would definitely address the ethical issue in an effective way and also educate other people about business ethics.
The three skills which I should improve are given below:
Communication skill: I should improve my communication skills so that I would better handle the ethical situation at hand.
Decision-making skills: This is another skill that needs development to make the right decisions in future (Kaddoura and Al Husseiny, 2023).
Leadership skills: This skill is important to handle ethical situations and get positive outcomes.
Action for CPD
SMART Goals
Goal 1: I want to enhance my communication skills to interact confidently with people in the workplace.
- To develop active listening skills
- To enhance verbal communication
- To develop written communication
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Resources |
Specific actions |
Time limit |
Evaluation |
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Skill development course, self-study and books |
I will join skill development classes and participate in different activities like debate. I will express my views on a particular topic in a confident manner and listen to other’s opinions which will help to improve active listening skills. I will go to the public library and read books. It will help me to learn different ways, such as written communication and verbal communication. Further, I will focus on self-study to enhance my written communication knowledge. |
I will start learning from next month and complete the activities within one year. Then, I will read books for 2 hours for the next six months. |
I will evaluate my communication skills by seeking feedback from my peers. They will give honest reviews and help me to know further areas of improvement. |
Goal 2: I wish to improve my decision-making skills to make ethical decisions while working.
- To become excellent in critical thinking
- To achieve logical reasoning
- To gain analytical ability
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Resources |
Specific actions |
Time limit |
Evaluation |
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Offline training and workshops programmes, coaching and online websites |
I will join workshops and take part in training sessions. I will actively participate in team-building activities and try to find different solutions to the problems. I will also focus on coaching and get guidance from my coach on how to make informed decisions (Gonsalves and Ahmed, 2023). Additionally, I will make use of online resources like websites and try to solve puzzles, quizzes and other brainstorming games. It will help me to boost my critical thinking skills and make me capable enough to make good decisions. |
I will join training and workshops for one year. After completing training, I will focus on coaching and mentorship for three months. Meanwhile, I will solve puzzles and quizzes in my free time for the next 2 years. |
For the evaluation of my decision-making skills, I will implement my knowledge practically during the training by making decisions for the team. |
Goal 3: I want to develop the leadership skills to lead the team and handle ethical issues at the future workplace.
- To achieve strategic planning ability
- To gain emotional intelligence skills
- To become good in conflict management
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Resources |
Specific actions |
Time limit |
Evaluation |
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Leadership development programme and online tutorials |
I will attend a leadership development course, which will help me to learn different aspects of leadership. In the programme, I will take responsibility for leading a team when I have to work in a team. By leading I will know how to resolve conflicts among team members. I will also attend seminars and work closely with the leaders to know how they carry out their duties and manage feelings in complex situation. I will also join online tutorials, which will help me learn skills with the help of real-world scenarios. |
I will complete the leadership programme in one year. Then, for next year, I will pay attention to online classes. |
I will ask the online tutor to provide me with constructive feedback. It will allow me to know my strengths as well as weaknesses (Magwenya, Ross and Ngatiane, 2023). Then, I will adjust the strategies so that I can reduce my weaknesses and improve my leadership skills to work best in a future workplace. |
Conclusion
As per the above analysis, it has identified that the business organisations, including tourism companies, must follow rules, regulations and professional values while doing their business. The essay has discussed the case where companies breached the national minimum wage rules by offering salaries below the set criteria to the employees. The essay has explained about the skills such as communication skills, decision-making skills and leadership skills to address ethical situations effectively. The essay has identified that continuous learning development is vital for ethical and sustainable business practices. It empowers workers to find out the possible ethical risks and understand and apply responsible decisions to solve problems.
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References
Books and Journals
Kaddoura, S. and Al Husseiny, F., 2023. The rising trend of Metaverse in education: Challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations. PeerJ Computer Science, 9, p.e1252.
Magwenya, R.H., Ross, A.J. and Ngatiane, L.S., 2023. Continuing professional development in the last decade–a scoping review. Journal of Adult and Continuing Education, 29(2), pp.408-437.
Merry, L., Castiglione, S.A., Rouleau, G., Létourneau, D., Larue, C., Deschênes, M.F., Gonsalves, D.M. and Ahmed, L., 2023. Continuing professional development (CPD) system development, implementation, evaluation and sustainability for healthcare professionals in low-and lower-middle-income countries: a rapid scoping review. BMC medical education, 23(1), p.498.
Tight, M., 2021. Twenty-first century skills: meaning, usage and value. European Journal of Higher Education, 11(2), pp.160-174.
Online
ABTA, 2025. ABTA Code of Conduct. [Online] Available through < https://www.abta.com/about-us/code-of-conduct >
GOV.UK, 2015. Equality Act 2010: guidance. [Online] Available through < https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance#:~:text=The%20Equality%20Act%202010%20includes,an%20exception%20from%20the%20ban >
GOV.UK, 2025. The National Minimum Wage and Living Wage. [Online] Available through < https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage >
UN Tourism, 2020. Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. [Online] Available through < https://www.unwto.org/global-code-of-ethics-for-tourism >
Visit Britain, 2025. National Minimum Wage and Tips. [Online] Available through < https://www.visitbritain.org/business-advice/pink-book/national-minimum-wage-and-tips >
