(Un-programmed) As a new executive level manager you have been apprised by the Chief Executive Officer to whom you report that the departments you manage may be in violation of federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of age gender, race, national origin, etc. Your organization provides care to the elderly. Even with mandated overtime you never seem to have sufficient staff on duty, so those who are on duty are sometimes reassigned to other locations within your departments to “even out” the numbers of staff available to the work assignments. This is a practice the vast majority of employees subject to reassignment sat they despise. Union rules require management to select employees to be “pulled” or reassigned from their regular assignment to other assignments on a rotating basis from lists.
Previous management’s past practice required reassignment, but allowed skipping over male employees if male employees would have been assigned to women patients. Female staff who compose 80% of the employees, are never bypassed, and always reassigned to either gender when their name rotates to the top of the list. Some of these women have brought the initial complaints about men employees being passed over for reassignment, suggesting this is an unfair practice. This practice is the one that an attorney, a female, supports your CEO, a female, in their contention this is not in compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender.
If the practice is changed so men employees will be caring for women it will be the first time this has occurred in this organization’s 60-year history. Some men have heard of this issue and have told you they will quit their positions. They are uncomfortable providing care for women patients and believe this will place them at risk of being charged with sexual assault. They advise you that as a male you need to stand up to these women. It is true these men could get other jobs and your being short staffed is a chronic problem. Additionally, some female patients and their families have warned you not to allow men employees to provide personal care to them or their loved ones. They have threatened a lawsuit.
The CEO wants to know when you will have your departments in compliance with the law regarding prohibition of discrimination by gender.
What is the problem?
What is relevant to making the decision?
Generate some alternative decisions.
Select one alternative and why you selected it.