Employer And Employee Relation

• Given Bandag Auto’s size, and anything else you know about it, explain why and how the human resource management function should be reorganized.

Bandag automotive is a family oriented business that has great potential for maximum growth. The only issue is that the human resource management function there is not operated in a productive way. Bandag automotive should focus on a brand new strategy to develop a more structured and organized human resource unit. The management function should be able to recruit great employees, handle payroll, administer benefits, and also provide services, such as help resolve work related problems. A new human resource management function could create a positive impact on the company.

• Recommend what Bandag should change and/or improve upon regarding the current HR systems, forms, and practices the company now uses.

Bandag should start over fresh with a whole new HR firm one that is experienced, and service above standards of majority HR firms. Jim should prepare a meeting with his HR firm to be sure the policies work along with his company strategy. The Human resource team should consists of several different members with similar but different titles. For example, Jim would be the person to decide who will be the executive assistant, HR manager, and HR representative the one that assist with recruiting employees for the company. These practices will make a huge improvement toward Bandag HR department, by providing quality services to the company and its employees.

• Jim fired an employee for creating what the manager called a poisonous relationship. Explain whether or not the employee has a legitimate claim against the company and the actions the company should take.

Jim firing the employee Henry Jacques, because he was having problems interacting with co-workers, in my opinion was wrong. Although, looking at the issue in a business perspective, Henry Jacques was not getting along with his co-workers, which did create a bad working environment. Also, he later reported that he had mental issues, in which was never mention to management before he was terminated. Therefore, Henry does not have a legitimate claim against the company, because it is the law to notify your employer of any mental illness or disabilities. For future incidents the actions the company should take in this type of situation, is to move the employee to another department, and if the problem persist give the employee a final and after that proceed to termination. If Jim would have used that alternative, the outcome of this situation would have probably turned out better.

• Miriam, the controller, is basically claiming that the company is retaliating against her for being pregnant, and that the fact that the company raised performance issues was just a smokescreen.

Explain whether or not the EEOC and/or courts would agree with her and the actions the company should take now. Answer: In the situation with Miriam, she was fired for a legitimate reason because of her misconduct at work. The EEOC would not agree with her considering those circumstances. Miriam is trying to use her pregnancy as an excuse, in which have nothing to do with her termination. In this situation the company should make sure the allegations against her are legit, and have proof present to the courts or EEOC. If the company cannot provide proof then this will be a case to be turned around in favor of Miriam.

• An employee who is deaf has asked to switch jobs to be a delivery person and he was turned down. He is now threatening to sue. Recommend what the company should do and describe why.

The truck maintenance employee who was turned down A truck maintenance employee who is deaf, applied for a job driving one of Bandag’s distribution trucks, and Jim directly turned him down because of his disability. We believe that the employee will win if he sues Jim, unless Jim can prove that the employee was denied because there were more qualified applicants and in no way because of his disability. Yet it is still pretty risky because the court system is very strict about the Americans with Disabilities Act. If the deaf employee can prove that Jim thinks that is absurd for a disabled person to drive a truck, he will win and cause monetary and public damages to the company. Our solution to mitigate the problem is to rescreen all applicants, including the employee to see if he is qualified for the job. If he is, offer him the job if he is still interested, and he will hopefully drop the case.