Warm-up
Business Ethics & Sustainability
Business Ethics & Sustainability
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key business ethics and sustainability vocabulary
- Talk about rules, integrity and responsible behaviour
- Use unless, as long as, provided that, in case and otherwise correctly
- Raise a concern and decline a gift or request politely
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Does your company have a code of conduct? What does it say?
- Have you ever received a gift from a client? What did you do?
- What does your company do for the environment?
- Is it ever acceptable to cut corners at work?
Say it out loud
Practise declining a gift politely. → Thank you very much, but I'm afraid I can't accept this gift. It's against our code of conduct.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Ethics and sustainability vocabulary
Useful ethics phrases
| We must comply with the law. | Ми повинні дотримуватися закону. |
| I'm afraid I can't accept this gift. | Боюся, я не можу прийняти цей подарунок. |
| I'd like to raise a concern. | Я хотів би висловити занепокоєння. |
| We're committed to reducing our footprint. | Ми зобов'язалися зменшити наш вуглецевий слід. |
| Unless we act now, costs will rise. | Якщо ми не діятимемо зараз, витрати зростуть. |
| We'll do it as long as it's legal. | Ми зробимо це, якщо це законно. |
| Take the receipt in case there's a problem. | Візьміть чек на випадок проблем. |
| Our reports are open to everyone. | Наші звіти відкриті для всіх. |
Try out the new words
Say one way a company can reduce its carbon footprint. → A company can reduce its carbon footprint by …
Say what you would do if you saw someone cutting corners. → If I saw someone cutting corners, I would …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Grammar
Conditional connectors
| unless | = if … not: Unless we act now, costs will rise. (= If we don't act now…) Use a positive verb after unless: NOT "unless we don't". |
| as long as / provided (that) | = only if / on condition that: You can accept the gift as long as it's small. / We'll sign provided that the contract is clear. |
| in case | = because something might happen (a precaution): Keep the receipt in case there's a problem. Compare: If there's a problem, we'll refund you. (a result) |
| otherwise | = if not (new clause): You must comply with the law; otherwise, you may be fined. |
| even if | = it does not matter whether: Even if it's legal, it may be unethical. |
| Tense | After these connectors we use the present for the future: as long as we follow the rules (NOT "will follow"). |
| Careful! | in case ≠ if: "I'll take an umbrella in case it rains" (before it rains). NOT "in case it will rain". NOT "unless it doesn't rain". |
unless, as long as or in case?
Complete with the correct word
Rewrite with unless
Rewrite the sentence with "unless".
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Say one rule at your company with "as long as" and one with "unless". → You can … as long as … / You mustn't … unless …
Reading
Read: our code of conduct and sustainability plan
From the staff handbook of GreenLine Logistics
Gifts. You may accept a small gift from a client as long as its value is below 30 euros. Anything more expensive must be reported to your manager, otherwise it may look like a bribe. Never accept money, even a small amount. If you are unsure, ask — it is better to ask in case there is a conflict of interest.
Honesty. Never cut corners on safety, even if a deadline is tight. If you see anything that seems wrong, speak up. You will be protected, provided that you report it in good faith. Unless we are open about our mistakes, we will not learn from them.
Our planet. By 2030 we will reduce our carbon footprint by 40%. Our offices already use renewable energy, and we offset the emissions of every flight. We publish our results every year because transparency matters. We will not call ourselves "green" unless we can prove it — otherwise, it would be greenwashing.
True or false?
Employees may accept gifts worth 50 euros.
Money must never be accepted, even a small amount.
Safety can be ignored if a deadline is tight.
Whistleblowers are protected if they act in good faith.
The company wants to reduce its carbon footprint by 40% by 2030.
The company will use the word "green" even without proof.
Answer the questions
What should you do with a gift worth more than 30 euros?
Why should you ask if you are unsure?
How does the company protect honesty?
What does the company do about flights?
Find the connectors
Write the connector (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good policy?
Your own opinion
- Is 30 euros a good limit for gifts? What would you choose?
- Would you report a colleague who cut corners? Why or why not?
- What else could a company do to reduce its footprint?
Practice
Picture the dilemma
Gift → Rule → Speak up → Responsibility. Good ethics need clear rules and courage.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Respond to the situation
Write a short answer. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
An ethics fact
Speaking — Do the Right Thing
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a manager, a client or a colleague. React in real time — raise a concern, decline a gift, explain a rule and discuss a dilemma. Use unless, as long as, provided that, in case and otherwise correctly.
Declining a gift
Client: "Please accept this small present as a thank-you."
Starter: "That's very kind of you, but I'm afraid I can't accept it. It's against our code of conduct. I'd be happy to accept a thank-you email instead."
Explaining a rule to a new colleague
Task: explain the gift rule using "as long as" and "otherwise".
Starter: "You can accept a gift as long as it's below 30 euros. If it's more expensive, you must report it; otherwise, it may look like a bribe."
Raising a concern
Task: you noticed that a colleague skipped a safety check. Talk to your manager.
Starter: "I'd like to raise a concern. Yesterday, a safety check was skipped because of the deadline. Unless we change the process, this could happen again."
Refusing to cut corners
Colleague: "Let's skip the testing. We'll save two days."
Starter: "I understand the pressure, but we can't cut corners here. Unless we test it, we can't be sure it's safe. Let's ask for a new deadline."
Discussing a conflict of interest
Task: your cousin's company applies for a contract with your firm. Explain the situation to your manager.
Starter: "I want to be transparent: my cousin owns one of the bidding companies. In case this is a conflict of interest, I'd like to step out of the decision."
Answering a question about sustainability
Customer: "Is your company really green?"
Starter: "We're working on it. We'll call ourselves green only when we can prove it. Meanwhile, we publish our results every year, so you can check."
Debating a dilemma
Task: discuss with your tutor: "Is it ever OK to give a small gift to win a contract?" Use "even if" and "as long as".
Starter: "Even if it's legal in some places, I think it's risky. As long as the gift is open and small, it might be acceptable — but I'd avoid it."
Full ethics conversation — no stopping
Run through three ethical situations with your tutor: a gift, a skipped safety check and a sustainability question — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which connector (unless, as long as, in case, otherwise) was the hardest to use?
- Which situation was the most difficult to handle politely?
- Is there a rule at your work that you find unclear?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key business ethics and sustainability vocabulary
- Talk about rules, integrity and responsible behaviour
- Use unless, as long as, provided that, in case and otherwise correctly
- Raise a concern and decline a gift or request politely
Quick self-check
What does "unless" mean?
What is the difference between "in case" and "if"?
What tense follows "as long as" when we talk about the future?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor one rule you will always follow at work. → I will always … as long as …
Homework
- Do the exercises below and press Check in each one. Green = correct. Red shows what was expected.
- Do the writing and speaking tasks and tick them when they are done.
- Write your name and press Copy my result, then send the text to your tutor.
Words to remember
| business ethics | бізнес-етика |
| corporate social responsibility | корпоративна соціальна відповідальність |
| sustainability | сталий розвиток |
| a carbon footprint | вуглецевий слід |
| transparency | прозорість |
| integrity | доброчесність |
| a code of conduct | кодекс поведінки |
| a conflict of interest | конфлікт інтересів |
| a bribe | хабар |
| a whistleblower | інформатор, що повідомляє про порушення |
| to cut corners | економити на якості, діяти абияк |
| to comply with | дотримуватися (правил, закону) |
| greenwashing | грінвошинг |
| renewable energy | відновлювана енергія |
| diversity | різноманітність |
| to offset emissions | компенсувати викиди |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct connector
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short code of conduct (6–8 sentences) for a real or imaginary company. Include a rule about gifts, one about honesty and one about the environment. Use unless, as long as and in case at least once each.
Practise out loud
Say your code of conduct aloud as if you were presenting it to new employees.
Read aloud
Read the handbook extract from the Reading section aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I wrote a short code of conduct (6–8 sentences)
- 8.8 I presented it aloud
- 8.9 I read the handbook extract aloud twice