In the film “Collateral,” Jamie Foxx plays a taxi driver who gets roped in to chauffeuring around a hit man, played by Tom Cruise. And it all started because the taxi driver made an ethical misstep.

Cruise offered Foxx $600 to drive him to several errands during the course of one night, eventually dropping him off at the airport. Foxx doesn’t know that the errands are part of the Tom Cruise hit parade, but he does know that accepting the full-night hire goes against company policy.

When you face an ethical dilemma, asking yourself these questions might help you make a decision (assuming you wouldn’t automatically say no, as you should in most instances):

— How serious is the guideline? Don’t break the law. Period. Otherwise, though, is it a company policy or simply a manager’s? How serious of a penalty might you face? Is the policy there for obvious legal or ethical reasons, or is it more of a manager’s whim that you might be able to fight if you got caught?

— Is the reward worth the risk? Foxx’s character probably would have gotten just a slap on the wrist, but many breaches can result in you getting fired — or jailed.

— Why is someone asking you to do this? This question might have sent up a red flag for Foxx. Why wouldn’t Cruise simply rent a car or hire a limo for the $600, rather than using a taxi driver he found at random? Maybe because he didn’t want any record of him being in town.

If a boss, client or colleague asks you to do something questionable, consider their motives. Are they taking a similar risk, or are you being set up? If the request seems out of character, could there be a misunderstanding?