Why is Honesty frowned upon in the corporate environment?

Question

For instance, take this example:

Lisa does cocaine with her boyfriend at a fetish club on Saturday nights. She is really groggy on Monday and doesn't remember where she left her files from Friday...
But everyone admires Lisa at work and they mistake her grogginess as the side effect of "putting her all" into the project.

Karen is a recovering alcoholic who works in the same building... she asked her manager if she could leave an hour early on wednesdays to make her recovery meeting. Karen will be fired this week because everyone is gossiping about who might have stolen from the petty cash drawer that both Lisa and Karen have access to.

Answer 1

You have mistaken honesty for lack of discretion.

Being alcoholic is a personal matter. Some consider it an illness, others consider it lack of personal discipline. It really doesn't matter. It IS a personal matter. It needed not be disclosed. She could have easily said, she has a personal matter to tend to and is a medical in nature. (or something like that)

Another problem is, what is supposed to be confidential matter between she and her manager is being discussed elsewhere.

Lisa attending a fetish club is another personal matter. Doing drugs is a criminal matter. It will catch up with her eventually when it starts to affect work more and more.

You get what you put into your life. If not now, it will show up eventually.

Answer 2

Karen has admitted to being something not good; alcoholic.. Lisa is only suspected of something. Therefore Karen is lower on the popularity scale. Work is often political. Life is not fair.

Answer 3

The Real World, not just the corporate environment, but the entire real world, is based on a web of lies.

Karen needs to comply with the rules set by society. (lying)

Answer 4

Perhaps it is seen as a sign of weakness & vulnerability.