1. Woodbine had petitioned the INS to allow Filipinos as RNs, committing to pay them the same wages, but did not do so. What factors may have led to this failure?
2. Some of the Filipino RNs were assigned to work as nursing aides and technicians instead of RNs. Shortages of RNs are widely reported in U.S. media. Are there comparable shortages of nursing aides and technicians? What skills are required for the latter jobs?
3. Woodbine had trouble with the EEOC and the Department of Labor. What factors cause organizations to fail to comply with multiple types of employment-related laws? What can organizations do to avoid this?
4. One common issue in discrimination against non-native English speakers is claims of language problems. If the Filipino nurses were unable to adequately communicate in English, what could Woodbine have done to avoid illegal discrimination? What safeguards should an organization put in place to ensure any communication difficulties are real rather than imagined?
5. Researchers have documented discrimination against medical professionals by patients who wish to be treated only by Whites1. An EEOC case against Georgetown Place, a senior community, stated that for nine years the former general manager had used elaborate markings on applications to identify minorities so as to avoid hiring them. She claimed that residents "preferred White employees, and did not want minorities to come in their rooms"2. In another case, management at Linden Grove Health Care Center complied with a family's request that no "colored girls" work with the resident; did not address frequent use of racial slurs by residents and employees; assigned nursing staff to work shifts, lunch times, and lunch rooms by race; and denied promotions to experienced, highly qualified Blacks3.
a. If patient discrimination played a role in what happened to the Filipino nurses at Woodbine, what should Woodbine management have done?
b. What proportion of nursing professionals are women of color? Speculate on unnecessary recruitment and selection costs associated with refusal to hire women of color for such jobs.
What proportion of nursing professionals are women of color? Speculate on unnecessary recruitment and selection costs associated with refusal to hire women of color for such jobs.
c. In the Georgetowne Place case, minorities were rejected for at least nine years. What are the likely effects of discrimination on unemployment, poverty, and morale of those so targeted?