Deck 3: Managing Ethics and Diversity

Question 1

Solving Diversity-Related Problems
Think about the last time that you (1) were treated unfairly because you differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity or (2) observed someone else being treated unfairly because that person differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity. Then answer these questions:
What could you or the person who was treated unfairly have done to improve matters and rectify the injustice on the spot

Answer 1

A decision maker decides regarding many issues or persons which may have unfair act involved with those decisions. Improving matters and rectifying the injustice on the spot is an employee's duties which in turn, may help her/his career from being affected.
As per observation , an employee of an organization was treated unfairly because she differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity.
Situation : The employee was an old lady, serving for more than six years and she applied for an internal job posting in a different department of the same office, but the authority hired a 27 years old young man with fewer qualification and lower experience. It has happened probably due to the employee (the old lady) being a victim gender or age discrimination.
The above example complies with stereotypes discrimination.
According to the observer, the employee who is treated unfairly, could have taken some necessary steps to improve matters and rectify the injustice on the spot. This is as follows -
Here, the employee (the old lady) could highlight her specific skills and experience to the senior management/senior HR officer. She could also have a one to one conversation with the employer and establish her words highlighting the same.

Question 2

You are Maria Herrera and have been recently promoted to the position of director of financial analysis for a medium-size consumer goods firm. During your first few weeks on the job, you took the time to have lunch with each of your subordinates to try to get to know them better. You have 12 direct reports who are junior and senior financial analysts who support different product lines. Susan Epstein, one of the female financial analysts you had lunch with, made the following statement: "I'm so glad we finally have a woman in charge. Now, hopefully things will get better around here." You pressed Epstein to elaborate, but she clammed up. She indicated that she didn't want to unnecessarily bias you and that the problems were pretty self-evident. In fact, Epstein was surprised that you didn't know what she was talking about and jokingly mentioned that perhaps you should spend some time undercover, observing her group and their interactions with others.
You spoke with your supervisor and the former director who had been promoted and had volunteered to be on call if you had any questions. Neither man knew of any diversity-related issues in your group. In fact, your supervisor's response was, "We've got a lot of problems, but fortunately that's not one of them."
What are you going to do to address this issue

Answer 2

The issue in the given case is related to diversity at workplace. As per the case, it could be gender based diversity of women at a workplace.
SE, a female financial analyst of the company communicated to MH that now there is a women authority who could understand their problems and the things at working place well get better.
To deal with an issue, MH will try to communicate with SE, Supervisor and Former Director and find exact issue. MH will try to make open, friendly and private communications with all these three people.
After coming to the problem and getting enough information from discussions M will take a meeting with employees involved in the issue. In such a meeting, points from both the parties will get consider to have a positive solution of the issue.
If it is gender based diversity issue, M will convince employees by explaining them the importance of women at the workplace. She will also clarify them how women outperform than male executives in skills like creating motivating environment at workplace, good promotion skills etc.

Question 3

Why are gay and lesbian workers and workers who test positive for HIV sometimes discriminated against

Answer 3

Diversity amongst an organization need not only be in the form of gender but also a cordial treatment of members belonging to the LGBTQ group and other people.
The common reasons behind discrimination against people having HIV or LGBTQ sections are as follows -
Stereotypes- Certain stereotypes lead to a stipulated set of behavior against such people who are no different than all of us. It is the stereotype triggered behavior which generates indifference in attitude towards such people.
Ignorance - Ignorance or incomplete information about certain diseases or LGBTQ community is another reason behind discrimination. People categories gay men as being unnatural or being infested by some disease or a sin which cannot be treated. HIV has very poor awareness levels, and hence people categories it as a contagious disease.
Closed minds- Despite awareness campaigns, people have closed minds which don't let them evolve their thought process and encourage them to discriminate against other people. Unless we spare thought for the people who are discriminated, nothing is going to change.

Question 4

Solving Diversity-Related Problems
Think about the last time that you (1) were treated unfairly because you differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity or (2) observed someone else being treated unfairly because that person differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity. Then answer these questions:
Why do you think the decision maker acted unfairly in this situation

Question 5

Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave
Amid the worst flu season in recent years, lawmakers in at least a half-dozen cities and states are intensifying a push for laws requiring paid time off when workers take sick days.
Some 39% of private-sector workers aren't entitled to paid time off when they fall ill, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 11% of state and local government workers lack the benefit. Low-wage and part-time workers, particularly those at small firms or who work in restaurants, are among the least likely to get paid sick time.
To change that, Democratic lawmakers and their allies in Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts, and in cities including New York, Philadelphia, and Portland, Ore., are trying to advance measures that would make paid sick time a legal requirement for most firms. In Congress, Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) plans to reintroduce a federal paid-sick-leave bill this spring.
Such efforts started before this year, but a vicious flu season that sidelined many workers has given them new urgency. Former President Bill Clinton chimed in this month, calling for the first federal paid-sick-leave law. The White House also supports a federal paid-sick-leave law.
Opponents of codifying paid sick leave say such laws weigh on businesses and ultimately hurt workers. In Connecticut, which last year became the first state to mandate paid sick leave, some employers contend the measure has raised costs and harmed workers by prompting cuts in wages or increases. Most firms there with 50 or more workers must provide five paid sick days a year, which employees accrue at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 worked.
A canvassing of Connecticut businesses from the right-leaning Employment Policies Institute found that, of 156 respondents, more than half had begun complying with the law and most of those said it wasn't good for business. Many said they had offset expected expenses ahead of the law, including by raising prices, cutting workers' hours, and limiting their expansion in the state.
Dan Shackford, owner of Great Beginnings day care in Plainville, Conn., said that before the law, his 50 employees were welcome to call in sick without pay and earn a day off for three months of perfect attendance. Now when someone calls in sick, he has to pay a substitute and the worker. "The law is hurting me," he said.
To cope, he and his wife have lowered the annual raises they selectively give, to 3% from 5%. Mr. Shackford estimates it would cost up to $30,000 annually if his workers used all their sick time. The BLS says that, on average, full-time private-sector workers with a fixed number of days don't use them all.
Proponents contend the benefits outweigh the costs. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat who signed the law, said it has been good for the state as people "aren't going to work and therefore making other people sick." He said he has talked with a variety of employers statewide who "now admit it really wasn't that big of a deal."
Cities with such laws include Seattle, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, whose policy was enacted in 2007. Research by the left-leaning Institute for Women's Policy Research found that San Francisco's paid-sick ordinance is rarely misused by workers, supported by most employers now, and isn't hurting profits for the vast majority.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics also said the benefits of paid sick leave have been shown to help productivity and reduce the spread of workplace disease, but it wasn't specific about the extent.
It is "not only the right thing to do for families, but good for businesses and the economy," said Sen. Harkin, who is chairman of a Senate labor committee. His Healthy Families Act would let workers accrue up to seven paid sick days a year through hours worked to care for themselves or family, including doctor visits.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the top Republican on the labor committee, contends such a requirement "would only make a bad unemployment problem worse" by increasing hiring costs.
The majority of workers who already have paid sick time receive it from employers that provide it voluntarily, usually through a fixed number of days or, less frequently, as needed.
Karen Barnes, a single mother and part-time director of a Philadelphia day care, wants options like that. She is advocating for a paid-sick bill that would broaden the narrow pool of employers in the city that currently must provide the benefit. Ms. Barnes recently missed two weeks of work, unpaid, after being sent to the hospital with a skin infection. Her employer has told her it can't afford the benefit. "They're going to have to re-evaluate their financial situation," she said.
What might be some implications of the increasing diversity of the workforce for paid sick leave
Source: M. Trottman, "Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave," The Wall Street Journal, February 23-24, 2013, A3.

Question 6

Some companies require that their employees work very long hours and travel extensively. Employees with young children, employees taking care of elderly relatives, and employees who have interests outside the workplace sometimes find that their careers are jeopardized if they try to work more reasonable hours or limit their work-related travel. Some of these employees feel that it is unethical for their manager to expect so much of them in the workplace and not understand their needs as parents and caregivers.
Either individually or in a group, think about the ethical implications of requiring long hours and extensive amounts of travel for some jobs.

Question 7

Solving Diversity-Related Problems
Think about the last time that you (1) were treated unfairly because you differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity or (2) observed someone else being treated unfairly because that person differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity. Then answer these questions:
Was any sexual harassment involved in this situation If so, what kind was it

Question 8

Discuss why the patterns of communication that you observed might be occurring in your restaurants.

Question 9

Why might some employees resent workplace accommodations that are dictated by the Americans with Disabilities Act

Question 10

When are ethics and ethical standards especially important in organizations

Question 11

Solving Diversity-Related Problems
Think about the last time that you (1) were treated unfairly because you differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity or (2) observed someone else being treated unfairly because that person differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity. Then answer these questions:
If you had authority over the decision maker (e.g., if you were his or her manager or supervisor), what steps would you take to ensure that the decision maker no longer treated diverse individuals unfairly

Question 12

Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave
Amid the worst flu season in recent years, lawmakers in at least a half-dozen cities and states are intensifying a push for laws requiring paid time off when workers take sick days.
Some 39% of private-sector workers aren't entitled to paid time off when they fall ill, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 11% of state and local government workers lack the benefit. Low-wage and part-time workers, particularly those at small firms or who work in restaurants, are among the least likely to get paid sick time.
To change that, Democratic lawmakers and their allies in Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts, and in cities including New York, Philadelphia, and Portland, Ore., are trying to advance measures that would make paid sick time a legal requirement for most firms. In Congress, Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) plans to reintroduce a federal paid-sick-leave bill this spring.
Such efforts started before this year, but a vicious flu season that sidelined many workers has given them new urgency. Former President Bill Clinton chimed in this month, calling for the first federal paid-sick-leave law. The White House also supports a federal paid-sick-leave law.
Opponents of codifying paid sick leave say such laws weigh on businesses and ultimately hurt workers. In Connecticut, which last year became the first state to mandate paid sick leave, some employers contend the measure has raised costs and harmed workers by prompting cuts in wages or increases. Most firms there with 50 or more workers must provide five paid sick days a year, which employees accrue at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 worked.
A canvassing of Connecticut businesses from the right-leaning Employment Policies Institute found that, of 156 respondents, more than half had begun complying with the law and most of those said it wasn't good for business. Many said they had offset expected expenses ahead of the law, including by raising prices, cutting workers' hours, and limiting their expansion in the state.
Dan Shackford, owner of Great Beginnings day care in Plainville, Conn., said that before the law, his 50 employees were welcome to call in sick without pay and earn a day off for three months of perfect attendance. Now when someone calls in sick, he has to pay a substitute and the worker. "The law is hurting me," he said.
To cope, he and his wife have lowered the annual raises they selectively give, to 3% from 5%. Mr. Shackford estimates it would cost up to $30,000 annually if his workers used all their sick time. The BLS says that, on average, full-time private-sector workers with a fixed number of days don't use them all.
Proponents contend the benefits outweigh the costs. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat who signed the law, said it has been good for the state as people "aren't going to work and therefore making other people sick." He said he has talked with a variety of employers statewide who "now admit it really wasn't that big of a deal."
Cities with such laws include Seattle, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, whose policy was enacted in 2007. Research by the left-leaning Institute for Women's Policy Research found that San Francisco's paid-sick ordinance is rarely misused by workers, supported by most employers now, and isn't hurting profits for the vast majority.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics also said the benefits of paid sick leave have been shown to help productivity and reduce the spread of workplace disease, but it wasn't specific about the extent.
It is "not only the right thing to do for families, but good for businesses and the economy," said Sen. Harkin, who is chairman of a Senate labor committee. His Healthy Families Act would let workers accrue up to seven paid sick days a year through hours worked to care for themselves or family, including doctor visits.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the top Republican on the labor committee, contends such a requirement "would only make a bad unemployment problem worse" by increasing hiring costs.
The majority of workers who already have paid sick time receive it from employers that provide it voluntarily, usually through a fixed number of days or, less frequently, as needed.
Karen Barnes, a single mother and part-time director of a Philadelphia day care, wants options like that. She is advocating for a paid-sick bill that would broaden the narrow pool of employers in the city that currently must provide the benefit. Ms. Barnes recently missed two weeks of work, unpaid, after being sent to the hospital with a skin infection. Her employer has told her it can't afford the benefit. "They're going to have to re-evaluate their financial situation," she said.
Do you think the provision of paid sick leave is an ethical issue Why or why not
Source: M. Trottman, "Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave," The Wall Street Journal, February 23-24, 2013, A3.

Question 13

Choose a Fortune 500 company not mentioned in the chapter. Conduct research to determine what steps this organization has taken to effectively manage diversity and eliminate sexual harassment.

Question 14

Solving Diversity-Related Problems
Think about the last time that you (1) were treated unfairly because you differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity or (2) observed someone else being treated unfairly because that person differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity. Then answer these questions:
In what ways, if any, were biases, stereotypes, or overt discrimination involved in this situation

Question 15

Some companies require that their employees work very long hours and travel extensively. Employees with young children, employees taking care of elderly relatives, and employees who have interests outside the workplace sometimes find that their careers are jeopardized if they try to work more reasonable hours or limit their work-related travel. Some of these employees feel that it is unethical for their manager to expect so much of them in the workplace and not understand their needs as parents and caregivers.
What obligations do you think managers and companies have to enable employees to have a balanced life and meet nonwork needs and demands

Question 16

Discuss whether your observation reflects an underlying problem. If so, why If not, why not

Question 17

Why might managers do things that conflict with their own ethical values

Question 18

Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave
Amid the worst flu season in recent years, lawmakers in at least a half-dozen cities and states are intensifying a push for laws requiring paid time off when workers take sick days.
Some 39% of private-sector workers aren't entitled to paid time off when they fall ill, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 11% of state and local government workers lack the benefit. Low-wage and part-time workers, particularly those at small firms or who work in restaurants, are among the least likely to get paid sick time.
To change that, Democratic lawmakers and their allies in Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts, and in cities including New York, Philadelphia, and Portland, Ore., are trying to advance measures that would make paid sick time a legal requirement for most firms. In Congress, Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) plans to reintroduce a federal paid-sick-leave bill this spring.
Such efforts started before this year, but a vicious flu season that sidelined many workers has given them new urgency. Former President Bill Clinton chimed in this month, calling for the first federal paid-sick-leave law. The White House also supports a federal paid-sick-leave law.
Opponents of codifying paid sick leave say such laws weigh on businesses and ultimately hurt workers. In Connecticut, which last year became the first state to mandate paid sick leave, some employers contend the measure has raised costs and harmed workers by prompting cuts in wages or increases. Most firms there with 50 or more workers must provide five paid sick days a year, which employees accrue at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 worked.
A canvassing of Connecticut businesses from the right-leaning Employment Policies Institute found that, of 156 respondents, more than half had begun complying with the law and most of those said it wasn't good for business. Many said they had offset expected expenses ahead of the law, including by raising prices, cutting workers' hours, and limiting their expansion in the state.
Dan Shackford, owner of Great Beginnings day care in Plainville, Conn., said that before the law, his 50 employees were welcome to call in sick without pay and earn a day off for three months of perfect attendance. Now when someone calls in sick, he has to pay a substitute and the worker. "The law is hurting me," he said.
To cope, he and his wife have lowered the annual raises they selectively give, to 3% from 5%. Mr. Shackford estimates it would cost up to $30,000 annually if his workers used all their sick time. The BLS says that, on average, full-time private-sector workers with a fixed number of days don't use them all.
Proponents contend the benefits outweigh the costs. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat who signed the law, said it has been good for the state as people "aren't going to work and therefore making other people sick." He said he has talked with a variety of employers statewide who "now admit it really wasn't that big of a deal."
Cities with such laws include Seattle, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, whose policy was enacted in 2007. Research by the left-leaning Institute for Women's Policy Research found that San Francisco's paid-sick ordinance is rarely misused by workers, supported by most employers now, and isn't hurting profits for the vast majority.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics also said the benefits of paid sick leave have been shown to help productivity and reduce the spread of workplace disease, but it wasn't specific about the extent.
It is "not only the right thing to do for families, but good for businesses and the economy," said Sen. Harkin, who is chairman of a Senate labor committee. His Healthy Families Act would let workers accrue up to seven paid sick days a year through hours worked to care for themselves or family, including doctor visits.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the top Republican on the labor committee, contends such a requirement "would only make a bad unemployment problem worse" by increasing hiring costs.
The majority of workers who already have paid sick time receive it from employers that provide it voluntarily, usually through a fixed number of days or, less frequently, as needed.
Karen Barnes, a single mother and part-time director of a Philadelphia day care, wants options like that. She is advocating for a paid-sick bill that would broaden the narrow pool of employers in the city that currently must provide the benefit. Ms. Barnes recently missed two weeks of work, unpaid, after being sent to the hospital with a skin infection. Her employer has told her it can't afford the benefit. "They're going to have to re-evaluate their financial situation," she said.
Do you think managers and organizations should provide workers with paid sick leave on ethical grounds Why or why not
Source: M. Trottman, "Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave," The Wall Street Journal, February 23-24, 2013, A3.

Question 19

Solving Diversity-Related Problems
Think about the last time that you (1) were treated unfairly because you differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity or (2) observed someone else being treated unfairly because that person differed from a decision maker on a particular dimension of diversity. Then answer these questions:
Was the decision maker aware that he or she was acting unfairly

Question 20

Discuss whether you should address this issue with your staff and in your restaurants. If so, how and why If not, why not

Question 21

How can managers ensure that they create ethical organizational cultures

Question 22

Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave
Amid the worst flu season in recent years, lawmakers in at least a half-dozen cities and states are intensifying a push for laws requiring paid time off when workers take sick days.
Some 39% of private-sector workers aren't entitled to paid time off when they fall ill, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and 11% of state and local government workers lack the benefit. Low-wage and part-time workers, particularly those at small firms or who work in restaurants, are among the least likely to get paid sick time.
To change that, Democratic lawmakers and their allies in Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts, and in cities including New York, Philadelphia, and Portland, Ore., are trying to advance measures that would make paid sick time a legal requirement for most firms. In Congress, Sen. Tom Harkin (D., Iowa) plans to reintroduce a federal paid-sick-leave bill this spring.
Such efforts started before this year, but a vicious flu season that sidelined many workers has given them new urgency. Former President Bill Clinton chimed in this month, calling for the first federal paid-sick-leave law. The White House also supports a federal paid-sick-leave law.
Opponents of codifying paid sick leave say such laws weigh on businesses and ultimately hurt workers. In Connecticut, which last year became the first state to mandate paid sick leave, some employers contend the measure has raised costs and harmed workers by prompting cuts in wages or increases. Most firms there with 50 or more workers must provide five paid sick days a year, which employees accrue at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 worked.
A canvassing of Connecticut businesses from the right-leaning Employment Policies Institute found that, of 156 respondents, more than half had begun complying with the law and most of those said it wasn't good for business. Many said they had offset expected expenses ahead of the law, including by raising prices, cutting workers' hours, and limiting their expansion in the state.
Dan Shackford, owner of Great Beginnings day care in Plainville, Conn., said that before the law, his 50 employees were welcome to call in sick without pay and earn a day off for three months of perfect attendance. Now when someone calls in sick, he has to pay a substitute and the worker. "The law is hurting me," he said.
To cope, he and his wife have lowered the annual raises they selectively give, to 3% from 5%. Mr. Shackford estimates it would cost up to $30,000 annually if his workers used all their sick time. The BLS says that, on average, full-time private-sector workers with a fixed number of days don't use them all.
Proponents contend the benefits outweigh the costs. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat who signed the law, said it has been good for the state as people "aren't going to work and therefore making other people sick." He said he has talked with a variety of employers statewide who "now admit it really wasn't that big of a deal."
Cities with such laws include Seattle, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, whose policy was enacted in 2007. Research by the left-leaning Institute for Women's Policy Research found that San Francisco's paid-sick ordinance is rarely misused by workers, supported by most employers now, and isn't hurting profits for the vast majority.
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics also said the benefits of paid sick leave have been shown to help productivity and reduce the spread of workplace disease, but it wasn't specific about the extent.
It is "not only the right thing to do for families, but good for businesses and the economy," said Sen. Harkin, who is chairman of a Senate labor committee. His Healthy Families Act would let workers accrue up to seven paid sick days a year through hours worked to care for themselves or family, including doctor visits.
Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the top Republican on the labor committee, contends such a requirement "would only make a bad unemployment problem worse" by increasing hiring costs.
The majority of workers who already have paid sick time receive it from employers that provide it voluntarily, usually through a fixed number of days or, less frequently, as needed.
Karen Barnes, a single mother and part-time director of a Philadelphia day care, wants options like that. She is advocating for a paid-sick bill that would broaden the narrow pool of employers in the city that currently must provide the benefit. Ms. Barnes recently missed two weeks of work, unpaid, after being sent to the hospital with a skin infection. Her employer has told her it can't afford the benefit. "They're going to have to re-evaluate their financial situation," she said.
Which stakeholder groups might be affected by paid sick leave, and how
Source: M. Trottman, "Legislators Step Up Push for Paid Sick Leave," The Wall Street Journal, February 23-24, 2013, A3.