Imagine that you are working at a medium-sized business as an HR professional. You are faced with the following dilemmas. Decide how you would handle each issue in the short term and long term. What additional information would help you decide? What changes seem necessary to the company given these dilemmas, if any?
Questions 1. An African American job applicant has just been offered a position as a customer service representative in the company’s call center. The job does not have any face-to-face customer contact. The manager who conducted the interview just told the applicant that her hair, which is in dreadlocks, violates the company’s dress code, which requires “professional” hairstyles. The manager asked the employee to cut her hair. The applicant refused. The manager is considering revoking the job offer to the employee. What would you do?
2. An applicant for your janitorial services is hearing impaired and is unable to speak. He was invited for a job interview. However, when contacted, the applicant informed management that he would need a sign language interpreter for the interview, and he can bring his sister as an interpreter. The hiring manager cancelled the job interview. What would you do?
3. An employee in your department sent you an e-mail stating that he examined the salaries of more than 100 employees working in the call center and found that male employees seemed to be paid more than female employees. What would you do?