The Problem:
The Case of the Shrinking Work Hours As a company which employs scientists and lab techs, you know that your most valued asset is the creativity of your employees. You also know that creativity doesn’t always show up between the designated hours of 8 and 5. Thus, you have a very open flex time schedule for your employees. However, you have been noticing that some of your staff are abusing the privilege. The 45 people involved in the manufacturing group are not a problem as they work designated shifts and are responsible. However, some of the 30 Ph.D. qualified scientists and 60 college educated lab techs are coming in late, leaving early, and not being fully present for their designated 40 hours a week. As you explore the situation, you discover that five of the scientists are part of the problem. Two of them are your most productive scientists and responsible for some of your major product breakthroughs. Three of the scientists are performing adequately but are not exceptionally productive. About 10% of the tech staff are also playing fast and loose with their hours. Again, three are very productive, exceeding expectations as far as their work while the other six are adequate to below-adequate performers.
Please complete each section of this worksheet. Some people find that writing the answers out on another page and then "cutting and pasting" them into the worksheet lets you think through the problem better.
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. Handle the issue individually. Make the focus on productivity rather than whether "face time" has been met by meeting the requirements of the clock.
2. Do not make any change and send an intranet message to all employees that people need to pay attention to their hours and be responsible for making sure that they work the designated hours.
3. Institute a policy where each person has to wear a badge with a global positioning device and log when people come and go. Meet with those individually who are not at work their full 40 hours per week.
4. Get rid of all flex time and institute a policy where people have to be at work at designated times and take designated breaks. "Write up" those who do not comply. 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. Just Savings 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. Equal Opportunity for Success 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. Reflective Equilibrium 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. Ecology of Care 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.