Question

 

Discrimination?

Joe works in a large mining operation in Saskatchewan. He has been with the company for a number of years. He started as a labourer and over time was promoted to a supervisory position.

As the mining business continued to grow, the senior management decided it was Important to have a more diverse workforece-90% of the workforce were men, primarily of European background. In doing so, the senior management met with all the supervisors, explained what they were trying to achieve, and engaged the supervisors in discussions regarding barriers. All the supervisors were supportive of the direction the company wished to take.

Shortly after the supervisory meeting, a female employee filed a complaint of gender discrimination against Joe. Based upon the company’s own pr4ocedures, an investigation was launched. The investigation concluded that Joe did not discriminate but did identify that Joe was not properly fulfilling his responsibilities as a supervisor, especially in relation to training employees about appropriate behavior at work. As a result, Joe was reassigned to another job that the company felt he could do. Joe was not pleased with the reassignment and began to show his anger and unhappiness at work. He also tended to say things to people (particularly women) whom he felt were “out to get him.”

Several months after Joe’s reassignment, several female workers complained to the senior managers about the hostile environment that was developing. Again, another investigation was done and it concluded that Joe had been retaliating against those that had complained earlier. Joe was instructed to stop the behavior and also to take a new training course that focused on creating a civil workplace. 

Joe’s new role included training employees on how to operate a certain machine.
Among the new trainees was a woman who asked lots of questions. Joe tended to answer the questions sharply and he was less than helpful. Again, another complaint was launched about Joe’s discriminatory behavior. The company is once again starting another investigation.

1. Maximum 1 page EXEC summary.
2. Introduction (Brief-one short paragraph).
3. statement of problemces.
4 Anacysis of situation.
5. Potential solutions - what would you do?
    • 8 years ago