Assignment: Diversity Dilemmas

Imagine that you are working in the HR department of your company. You come across the following scenarios in which your input has been sought.

1. Aimee is the mother of a newborn. She is very dedicated to her work but she used to stay for longer hours at work before she had her baby. Now she tries to schedule her work so that she leaves around 5:00 p.m. Her immediate manager feels that Aimee is no longer dedicated or committed to her work and is considering passing her over for a promotion.
2. Jack is a married male, while John is single. Your company has an assignment in a branch in Mexico that would last a couple of years. Management feels that John would be better for this assignment because he is single and is free to move.
3. Brett, a sales employee has painful migraines intermittently during the work day. He would like to take short naps during the day as a preventative measure and he also needs a place where he can nap when a migraine occurs. His immediate manager feels that this is unfair to the rest of the employees.

Assignment Instructions

• Review each of the scenarios listed above.
• Write two paragraphs for each of the three scenarios. In the first paragraph describe the factors that should be considered in evaluating this situation. In the second paragraph include the specific recommendation that you make to the manager who is asking your advice.
• Finally, write a brief summary of your experience completing this assignment. Were these dilemmas difficult to address? What further tools or information do you need – through this course or other educational experiences – to prepare you to address issues like these in the workplace?