Ethical Issues at Tim Hortons and Potential Challenges

Ethical Issues at Tim Hortons
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Ethical Issues at Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc., a Canadian food service chain, has recently encountered several ethical problems. These issues have caused its stakeholders to express fears about confidentiality, transparency, and ethical business methods. The ethical challenges Tim Hortons faces also relate to the ethical procurement of their coffee beans. Tim Hortons received further criticism for how it dealt with its franchisees; some claimed they were made to sign unjust contracts and endure harsh demands. The business faced criticism in 2017 when it eliminated a paid break for its workers. Tim Hortons has also come under fire for its record regarding the environment, with some claiming that the firm is to blame for deforestation and the effects of global warming. Fast-food businesses frequently come under criticism for the nutrient content of their products. Animal welfare issues have been brought up concerning where Tim Hortons gets its ingredients. Tim Hortons must address these ethical issues to preserve its brand and meet the demands of customers who value social responsibility.
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In 2019, the Tim Hortons mobile app was discovered to be recording the exact location of its customers even when the mobile application was not being used. Because the customers' movements were being tracked without their prior approval, this generated serious privacy issues. According to Canada's privacy authority, Tim Hortons utilized the mobile application to gather enormous quantities of location data from customers, including information about when they frequented rival cafes. The coffee shop was the subject of a 2020 probe by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (2022), which demanded that it remove any location data still in existence and restrict future data collection. Although Tim Hortons stated that the monitoring was done to enhance the customer experience and provide targeted advertising, the lack of openness and oversight over collecting data about clients raised ethical concerns. Regaining customer trust required Tim Hortons to solve privacy issues and improve disclosure about data gathering procedures.
Tim Hortons' top ethical concerns are equal compensation and employee rights. Various claims have been made about low pay, insufficient benefits, and unfavorable working conditions for personnel. These problems have spurred protests and requests for better labor laws, highlighting the necessity of fair pay and a greater appreciation of employees. Tim Hortons encountered criticism from the public in 2018 after some franchisees slashed paid breaks and benefits for workers in reaction to a raise in the minimum wage in Ontario, Canada. Tim Hortons restaurants in Cobourg, Ontario, and some outlets across the region implemented debatable cost reductions in response to the Ontario $ 14.00-an-hour hike in January 2018 (Durrani, 2021). Personnel at a Cobourg Tim Hortons restaurant owned by the proprietor's children have been requested to agree to an updated contract detailing several changes that will significantly alter their terms and conditions of employment. Such changes include a significant red...