Question

An employee has come to you with a request to take on a part-time job. The employee would be working for Price Waterhouse as a contract employee during tax season. The employee has assured you that she will not work more than 20 hours a week, primarily on weekends. Price-Waterhouse is one of the five accounting firms that has put a bid in to do the auditing for G-BioSport.

Be Reasonable: Explore the Options

1. Basic Liberties

Choose three options to analyze. You will analyze multiple options to help ensure that you choose a reasonable option to implement.

After brainstorming with the leadership team, you have identified four options:

1. Allow the accountant to work as long as a confidentiality agreement is signed.

2. Allow the accountant to work as long as the company does not choose PW for the audit work.

3. Do not allow the accountant to work for PW or any other accounting auditing company but do allow other part-time work.

4. Do not change the policy and allow the employee to work with no strings attached.

1- In this step, identify the basic liberties to which each constituent is entitled. Compare the options and discuss which option (assuming a clean process) best meets the basic liberties requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement for the basic liberties as well.

2- Now -- how well does each option meet the requirements of the just savings principle, assuring that resources are available for next generations. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement of the just savings principle as well.

3-Next, consider how well each option assures that social and economic inequalities are arranged so that all constituents have an equal opportunity for success. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not meet the requirement of equal opportunity for success as well.

4- Now, using the tool of reflective equilibrium, which option gives the best advantage to the least advantage without unduly burdening those who are the most advantaged. Which option best meets this requirement. Discuss why the other options do not maintain reflective equilibrium as well.

5- Finally, consider whether each option contributes to an ecology of care. Which option best meets the requirement for building a strong community and strong institutions.

Answer 1

Option 1: when the accommodation is fully funded

• Basic liberties: this option supports the basic liberties by enabling the employee to pursue the goals without any limitation because there are no limitations.
• Just savings: if the request has been sanctioned, then there will be equal accommodation for all the employees.
• Equal opportunity for success: this is an option that provides equal opportunities for success compared to the coworkers because it provides the required accommodation.
• Reflective equilibrium: it requires the employer to fund all accommodations which least reflects employer’s equilibrium.
• Ecology of care: this provides least ecology of care by costing for accommodations from employer.

Option 2: when employee goes for a short and long term leave and returns with full capacity

• Basic liberties under this option is less supported.
• Just savings: this can set as an example for future cases by avoiding grant of accommodations.
• Equal opportunity for success: when same policy of equal opportunity is followed for all the employees then the employee can return to work when he is back at full capacity.
• Reflective equilibrium: this does not allow to work until the employee return with full capacity. Hence it provides less equilibrium.
• Ecology of care: in this case the employee can return to work after leave and work with regular capacity. But customers would have the difficulty in meeting the needs.

Option 3: When employee is granted half of cost of accommodation

• Basic liberties: when the company pays for half of accommodation, the employee must be ready to pay for other half.
• Just savings: this can develop expectation that company can pay for half of future accommodation for other employees.
• Equal opportunity for success: this can’t support equal opportunity because the company requires the employee to pay for half of accommodation. Here employee can have equal opportunity only when he bears for half of the accommodation.
• Reflective equilibrium: this is the best example for equilibrium as the accommodation is shared between the employer and the employee.
• Ecology of care: this is again a best case for ecology of care when the employee pays for half of accommodation to function at normal capacity to meet the customer needs.