1. What role, if any, should Mary’s past work record play in this case? Explain.
2. Does management have a right to know why employees refuse to work overtime? Explain.
3. Evaluate the arguments of Mary Schwartz and management in this case.
4. If you were a member of the company’s peer-review complaint committee, how would you vote in this case? What facts would cause you to vote this way?

Supervisors report that discharging an employee is one of the toughest tasks they perform as managers. Furthermore, termination for absenteeism can be particularly difficult due to the causes of absenteeism, and, in some cases, the past work record of the employee. This case illustrates a typical absentee problem faced by management.
Mary Schwartz was employed by Beach Electrical Systems for nine years. For the first six years of her employment she was considered a model employee. Mary’s annual performance reviews were always above average or exceptional and she was described by her managers as a loyal and dedicated employee. However, things changed rapidly in 2000 when Mary became, as her current manager stated, “an absentee problem.”