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Case Study 1: Kathy Kathy, 19, applied for a job at a nursing home as a nursing aide. She had previously worked part-time as a kindergarten teacher's aide and had also cared for children with mental and physical disabilities during her high school years. In her initial interview, the assistant administrator told Kathy she was an ideal candidate and that she probably would be hired. She was given a pre-employment medical examination for her family doctor to complete. He confirmed that she could meet the requirement of being able to lift patients. At a second meeting, the interviewer reviewed the completed medical form and noticed Kathy's hand. During the initial interview, the assistant administrator had not observed her left hand, on which the index, middle and ring fingers were much shorter than those on most hands. Following this, the interviewer and another nursing director spent much time discussing Kathy's disability and the job requirements. Even though they both really wanted to hire Kathy, they didn't think she would be able to cope with the gripping or clasping that is needed to lift patients. Although Kathy said she could perform the duties and had done similar tasks in her previous job with children with disabilities, she was not hired. Discussion Questions Did the interviewer have reasonable grounds to believe that Kathy could not do the job? Explain your answer. On what basis did the interviewers assess that Kathy could not meet a bona fide occupational requirement? What was the supposed Bona Fide Occupational Requirement? What do you think the interviewer and the nursing director should have decided? What are your reasons? What would be a good way to determine if she was capable of lifting patients? Was this discrimination? If so, what was the specific type of discrimination? (Gender, religion, race, etc.) What would you do if this happened to you?