Question

After reading the cases below please answer each question for each case   (200 words minimum each)

What are the issues or concerns in the case?

Based on the text book what issues or concerns are wrong with the case? (3 sources)

What could be the possible employee reactions?

How would you discuss the issue or concern with the employee/s?

What, if any, would be a disciplinary action?

Describe in detail what the training module would look like to prevent the issue from occurring.

Are there any laws that need to be understood before you speak to the employee/s?

(ie. ADA, EEOC, Civil Rights Act, etc.)

CASE: Sidney has recently been missing work. She tends to call in at the last minute, and there seems to be a pattern developing of Mondays and Fridays. Sidney has been in rehabilitation in the past for alcohol abuse.

Answer 1

Employees that frequently miss work without notice or call in sick as a mean to take a day off at work have unscheduled worker absences and is a form of misconduct. Unscheduled worker absences spike around holidays and long weekends. This seemingly minor offenses starts to present as a patterns of behavior as is in the case of Sidney which also results in negligence of duties​.

Employer should discuss the issue or concern with the employee about taking day off on mondays and fridays. Try to understand if the employee has some personal issue or concern or something regarding working atmosphere in the office.

Diciplinary action against employee should be corrective rather than punitive. The objective of diciplinary action should be transformation in the employee behavior including following:-

a) Verbal counseling - Verbal counseling should be given to the employee so that he or she can incorporate improvement in the behavior

b) Written warning- Giving written warning letters to improve behavior

c) Monetory deductions- There should be monetory deduction for taking long weekends off by taking fridays or saturdays off on regular basis by calling on last minute

d) Suspention- Employee can be suspended for negligence of duties and absences on short period notices.

and then termination as a last option. The diciplinary action taken aginst the employee should be tracked in the personal file of the employee.

Training modules which can help solving this problem can includes Praise, Criticism and feedback. The employer start with praise what the employee is doing good in the workplace which may include finishing tasks or project on time, helping others in their work, followed by the criticism like coming late to office, or like in this case of Sidney missing work by taking a day off on fridays or mondays to have long weekends and then giving feedback as how it is affecting work or the career growth the employee.

Laws to be understood:-

ADA needs to be understood before talking to the employee. According to ADA which is American Disability Act, employer cannot discriminate against the person with the history of alcohol abuse but who is currently not using alcohol or drugs and has been rehabilitated though he can prohibit use of alcohol at workplace. EEOC which relates to civil rights laws against workplace discrimination and investigates complaints based on individual's race, children, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity etc. which is not relevant in this case.