Discussions

Week 2 Discussion

David Perkins left a successful career in the NFL after two head injuries. His doctors recommended for his safety, that he leave the sport if he wanted to live past the age of 30. David, not one who sits around without anything to do, decided to open a sports bar, The Wing Shack. After five years, the restaurant concept gained momentum and he was opening his fifth restaurant in the Michigan area. David is proud to be socially responsible while creating jobs in the community and feeding the homeless. If David is doing so well, he says in response to an unwarranted lawsuit, he shouldn't be sitting in his attorney's office spending money he could be using to help his community. David is being sued for discrimination by two waitresses from Roseville, Michigan: Mindy Simpson and Laura Walker. Simpson received positive performance evaluations and was promoted to shift supervisor within six months of being hired. In her last evaluation, Simpson, who is 5'8", says she was advised by her manager to lose weight and join a gym. She was given 30 days to lose weight despite losing 13 pounds on her own after working on the job for two months. After the 30-day period expired and she did not lose the required weight, she was fired.

Walker, by contrast, is 4'10" and weighs 120 pounds says she was put on weight probation and then fired even though she lost 20 pounds.

David gives his attorney his side of the story, "I run a successful business and pride myself on hiring women who fit the image of a sports bar. I give guidelines on my website about hair, eyes, skin, makeup, and exercise. All of my female wait staff have to attend image classes and pass the exam. Employees are hired based on the image they have when they are hired."

Please respond to the following questions and give your reason for each position you share:

· The women are suing because they are being fired for being too heavy. Is that illegal under state and federal law?

· David's claim is that the woman were fired because the image of Wing Shack, which is central to his business, allows him to discipline and fire waitresses for not maintaining the image he wants to uphold. Is that claim accurate?

· Mindy further claims that since giving birth to her son, she has had problems maintaining her weight. In other words, having children changes a woman's physique, making it more difficult to return to one's pre-baby weight. Could she have a legal case on the basis of the Americans with Disability Act?

Week 4 Discussion

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Two Olympic gold medalists in skiing, married in 2014, Jason and LeAnn Benson opened Adventurers and Explorers (A&E) outdoor sporting store, which sells gear and clothing. The couple's concept is different than many other sporting goods stores in that they design and sell their own lines of specialized products. LeAnn's focus is on the design of products and Jason's focus is on the financials. As a result, no one is worrying about the organizational policies or controls.

Jason and LeAnn encourage their employees to continue their favorite outdoor sports, from skiing to mountain climbing, white-water rafting, and so on. Employees are given two weeks of paid vacation. However, many employees were allowed to take up to two months off at half pay so they could fulfill their life-long dreams. Samantha just returned from a successful climb of Mount Everest. Beth will use her two months off to backpack around Europe. Around the office, employees joked about the "weekend flu," taking Friday through Monday off. The office often ran below staffing levels depending on the season. In addition, because Jason and LeAnn were gold medalists, they attract more employees who are interested in skiing. The skiers want time off during peak season. This is also the peak time for A&E orders and service requests.

In the last three years, the company has grown from 30 to 100 employees. Jason and LeAnn need advice on controlling daily staffing levels so A&E meets or exceeds customer expectations for responsiveness without sacrificing company identity. Choose one of the issues facing A&E and propose a solution and rationale for your response:

· Paid vacation along with the most valuable times for vacation (peak season time off).

· Attendance issue: The "weekend flu" (Friday-Monday).

· A&E needs to know whether customers are satisfied with their products and whether the company is responsive to those customers' needs as outdoor enthusiasts.

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