Topic: Employment Discrimination
Allpro Services, Inc. is a financial services company that specializes in investment and retirement planning advice for its clients. It is located in a large metropolitan area where it has access to a large and diversified potential workforce. One of its departments deals specifically with tax planning and is currently under the guidance of Mrs. Geraldine Norris, its manager. Mrs. Norris comes from a military background and her mannerisms are quite abrupt and rough. In fact they are so rough that many of Allpro's clients have complained to upper-level management. Allpro has decided that the image of its firm requires that a female manager act like a female and that it might be better if Mrs. Norris was not in a managerial position.
While she was manager, Mrs. Norris was involved in another office situation. As supervisor of the tax department she hired a number of accountants including a few young men. After a few weeks she decided that she would like to become more friendly with them. She invited Bill, one of the young accountants, to go out to dinner and a movie. He politely refused. She continued to ask him out and he continued to refuse. He was getting so upset from her advances that he considered quitting.
Bill also had a problem with his health. He was a diabetic, but his diabetes was controllable with insulin. Mrs. Norris had considered firing Bill because his insulin injections required at least 60 minutes of his work day which disrupted many special projects.
You are called in as a special Human Resource consultant and are asked to address the following issues as they relate to the above facts:
- Does Mrs. Norris have any legal issues with Allpro as they relate to her mannerisms? Explain.
- Does Bill have a case against Allpro with respect to Mrs. Norris' advances? How could Allpro have protected itself? Be specific.
- Does Bill have a discrimination case against Allpro under the ADA of 1990 with respect to his diabetes? Be sure to include any recent court decisions when giving your advice.