Business Ethics in Costa Rica… Come on!
The other day I was walking my dog around the neighborhood with him on his leash and “The Scooper” in my free hand.
The scooper is for easy clean up. My neighbor, a nice guy whom I actually like quite a bit, drove past and stopped to chat. Upon seeing my crude homemade scooper made from a broken broom handle and an empty 2-liter soda bottle he chuckled and inquired what it was for…
When I told him, he laughed even more and told me “We live in Costa Rica man, don’t you know you don’t have to do that [pick up] anymore?” At the risk of sounding preachy I told him I would not be his neighbor leaving piles outside his home — that he could cross me off the list. He just laughed but I was serious.
By “be ethical” I mean operate within a framework of human rights, don’t lie, and don’t break the laws, even if those laws aren’t enforced. I learned this first hand by walking my dog. I have a dog who cannot be off leash, for reasons which could be whole different article, but he gets at least two walks per day and I always discard his defecation… well almost always.
True, I like having a reputation of being honest and forthright, even if my integrity is not watertight, and it may seem silly to make such a big deal about such a trivial thing, but is it?
I am coming from a belief system that only deepens as the years pile up behind me. Even this piddly interaction, albeit trivial to my buddy, forges my resolve to do the right thing. In Costa Rica I operate with two thoughts on ethics which I have amalgamated; one of them I have lived by for years and the other since becoming an expat: Be ethical even when nobody is watching, and if you wouldn’t do it in the states, then don’t do it here.
So maybe not perfect but willing to be honest with myself… When we first moved to our current home I noticed that the manager let his four dogs go everywhere, and by “go,” I don’t mean the way in which they ambulate. I let my dog do the same for a time, making messes and not picking them up, and when he questioned me on it I was snapped into focus with my own integrity of ethics. I was operating under the very crowd mentality I’ve come to despise. I apologized to the man and corrected my behavior.
With ethics their value is only as good as our application. The minister who is a sexual deviant may have great ethics but definitely has poor government of those ethics. He knows the difference between right and wrong but does otherwise despite or in-spite of the knowledge. If integrity is measured by how I act when nobody is watching, when it is far from convenient, as in my doggy situation, I was suffering a hole in my integrity, albeit a small one, integrity is integrity.
In business, in Costa Rica more so than in more developed nations, our opportunities to bend or break the rules to our liking is easier, as frequently nobody is watching. We can hire illegally, fail to keep our certifications current, even sell liquor without a license and tell ourselves it’s all okay… heck, everybody else is doing it. This is true and common but I don’t recommend it.
I find the most common justification for breaking rules is safety-in-numbers logic: the monkeys are doing it, the horses are doing it, and for god’s sake even the neighbors are doing it. At this rate the tracks which guide our better judgement could get really slippery.
In business, as in any realm, if one operates with poor ethics than he will surround himself with others who have poor ethics, and in the long run, he will suffer. Liars tolerate lying just as thieves tolerate thievery, and for this reason liars and thieves are lied to and stolen from more often.
Because of this I don’t turn a blind eye or play the wink-wink nudge-nudge game. This can prove problematic in a place where the message, especially from other expats, is “hey man, it’s Costa Rica… the rules don’t apply here.”
My wife and I run a Pizzeria, PIZZA&CO in Tamarindo and we do not have a liquor license. The province of Guanacaste is the last province to adopt the new easier method of liquor licensing, prevalent in other areas of Costa Rica, where businesses can simply rent a license from the government. They can be purchased but not easily; expensive and tough to find.
Because of this, some restaurants sell liquor without a licence. I was advised by several people that we could keep and sell 6-12 beers at any given time from our pizzeria without requiring a license. A quick message to my attorney cleared this up. In case you are wondering, the truth is “no,” it is not legal to do this. Allowed, maybe, overlooked, certainly, but not within the framework of the law. We decided not to sell beer until we can do it legally.
As another example, I know businesses which employ non-Ticos illegally, for a number of reasons, but always justified via machiavellian terms. In case you are in the dark, Costa Rica does not allow foreigners to perform jobs which can be filled by Ticos. When hiring in Costa Rica, the easiest way to avoid this is hire Costa Ricans whenever possible, plain and simple.
You can hire non-locals legally but there are a few hurdles you have to get over and you have to ask yourself if it’s is worth it in the long run. It may be if say you need French chef for your French restaurant.
The other way non-Ticos are hired is to simply hire them under the table. This happens and I understand the motivation but if you are a business owner I don’t recommend it. Not because you will get caught because you probably won’t. Don’t do it for the sake of your own integrity.
Now if you’re the sort who would do that back home, then knock yourself out, but please steer clear of me. I don’t think we are going to see eye-to-eye anyway.
Some of the best advice I read when contemplating the move into Costa Rica was [paraphrased]: “If you wouldn’t do it at home don’t do it here.” Good advice in any capacity. Live life out in the open without regrets for the decisions you have made, without shame, and never worry about the lies you have woven.
This doesn’t guarantee you absolute safety from liars and thieves, and doesn’t guarantee you success, but it you will lose no sleep at night questioning your integrity either. And when the mob questions who was the one who left doggy poo in the path your name will not come up.
One last piece of advice: clean up your… ahem.
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Written by VIP Member Damon Mitchell who spent over 10 years in the fitness industry before he moved to Costa Rica in search of a better work/life balance. Currently he lives in Playa Tamarindo in Guanacaste, where he and his wife Cristina are owner-operators of Pizza&Co pizza express, located in Plaza Conchal 2.
Daily, Damon runs on the beach or works out at Tamarindo Fitness Center, keeping fit by doing a combination of old-school weight lifting, calisthenics, TRX, stability ball work and just about anything he can do to create new and fun exercises. Most recently he is learning to surf.
You can email Damon here if there is anything specific about staying fit and healthy in Costa Rica you would like him to cover in his next article.
Business Ethics in Costa Rica… Come on!
Article/Property ID Number 4369
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Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.
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