Human Resource Dilemmas 1. Jumbo Bank has a strict policy that prohibits all typ

Question

Human Resource Dilemmas

1. Jumbo Bank has a strict policy that prohibits all types of racial jokes, language, and pictorials. Steven Woods sends an intra-office e-mail containing a racial joke. Marvin Lee prints out the joke and leaves it on his desk. Jerry Smith, a minority, picks up the printout of the joke. He threatens to bring a lawsuit for racial harassment and notify the press unless he receives a settlement of $5 million. Jumbo Bank reprimands Lee and Woods. Jumbo Bank wishes to avoid negative publicity, but it decides not to pay the amount requested. If this case is litigated, who will be victorious?

2. Twenty-five percent of the employees of Mystic Coffee Company are minorities. This percentage exceeds the minority population from which Mystic employs its workers. Hispanic and African American applicants, who have been denied employment, claim a disparate impact because the overwhelming majority of minority employees are Asian. Do they have a case?

3. Crystal Green is an assistant branch manager at the Valley Creek Savings Bank. Although Green has had favorable reviews for the past 15 years, she has been passed over for branch manager on three occasions for white employees with fewer credentials. Green has complained to the regional manager but has been put off. How would you advise her?

Explanation / Answer

1) Since Jumbo Bank has a strict policy against racial discrimination and it has also reprimanded the violators, so the company would not be held responsible for harassment or mistreatment based on a single case unless there is a pattern established. Hence in court of law it is unlikely that Jumbo Bank would be forced to pay a heavy fine albeit it may be told to take stricter action against all violators.

2 ) The African Amercian and Hispanic applicants have definitely a case as the number of selected minorities are much lesser as compared to the population of this class of people in the overall minority population. This creates a case of disparate impact since there is a sufficient number of minorities working for the company and it is only that a certain section is not getting proper representation.

3) Crystal Green can sue the company for discrimination under Equal Employment Opportunity Act if she feels that discrimination has been committed against her on the basis of race or gender. And she should pursue the case in court to ensure justice for her.

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