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Health Information I

Ethical Decision Making

 

Case Study:   Carol Wright: Avoiding the employee who will be fired.

Instructions:

1. Read the below noted scenario.
2. Utilize the “Ethical Decision Making Matrix” table provided, answer Steps 1-7.  Be sure that your answers are not “personal feelings” instead provide the “facts” as presented.

 

3. Utilizing the perspective gained from the “ethical decision making matrix, answer Questions 1- 4. Submit your completed “Ethical Decision Making Matrix” and Responses to Question 1-4 via the Discussion Forum icon.
4. Read and Respond to at least 1 other fellow learners posting.

 

**Remember – This is “objective factual” data and that “personal views/ethics” are not to be included.  Provide support fact / information to your objective view.  

Real-World Case

Carol Wright is an outstanding manager. She has worked for C&S Pharmaceuticals for 15 years. She has received five promotions and is currently responsible for abstracting and quality operations. Carol has been quick to identify personnel problems and provides educational and instructional support to her staff.

Carol supervises Joan, who is often absent or late for work. When she does come to work she makes many mistakes, but she always seems to meet work standards prior to her performance reviews. Various forms of motivation, education, and administrative support have been offered to Joan in the past. This week, Joan failed to show up for three days without notifying the office. The company policy states that if an employee does not show up for work for three consecutive days without notifying the office by the end of the third business day (5 p.m.), the employee’s employment shall be terminated.

On the third day, some managers may be anxiously waiting for the employee to call and explain the absence, but this was not the case with Carol. Carol had recognized that this employee was nonproductive, noncompliant, and met the criteria for job abandonment. Carol was prepared to terminate Joan, because she repeatedly demonstrated a clear disregard for the policy related to reporting to work. Carol no longer had any patience for Joan’s behaviors. Carol was confident that the employee was not going to comply with the policy and that this would be an easy termination. She completed the termination paperwork based on job abandonment at 3 p.m. and left it on her desk for the 5 p.m. submission to the human resources department. At 4:30 p.m., Carol’s secretary told her that Joan was on the telephone, but Carol did not accept the call. The paperwork was sent to the human resources department at 5 p.m. and Joan’s employment was terminated the next day (Flite and Laquer 2006, 510).

 

Real-World Case Discussion Questions

 

1.       Was Carol ethical in not accepting Joan’s phone call?

           

2.       Was Carol correct to terminate Joan?

          

Ethical Decision Making Matrix:

 

Carol Wright: Avoiding the employee who will be fired.
Steps	Information
1.  What is the ethical question?
2.  What are the facts?	KNOWN	TO BE GATHERED
3.  What are the values?           STAKEHOLDERS/ADVOCATES	Employee-Manager     HIM Professional:     Healthcare Professionals:       Administrators:   Society:
4.  What are the options?
5.  What should I do?
6.  What justifies my choice?	ETHICAL/JUSTIFIED	NOT ETHICAL/NOT JUSTIFIED
How could this ethical problem have been prevented?