Paul Cronan Case Analysis

        The duty to inform the company of all matters related to an employee is an important one, especially if it concerns attendance. It is the supervisors’ responsibility to make sure the employee is productive and to keep them on the job. If I were in Griffin’s shoes, I would do things a little bit different. As his immediate supervisor, it would be my duty to inform other employees about the disease and the facts in which surround them. As soon as I found out about Cronan’s disease, I would need to foresee what sorts of problems this could possibly create to the company in the long-term. This is especially if the employee decides to return to work upon completion of their medical leave, such as in Paul Cronan’s case. During the time which Cronan was hospitalized and on medical leave, it would be in my best interest to educate my employees on the facts surrounding AIDS. The more informed and educated my employees are, the less chances that I would be faced with unhappy, fearful, and hateful employees. These educational classes can be set-up through the human resources department. I would also educate myself and my company on the American with Disabilities Act. This would allow protection of my job and my company should a lawsuit be placed upon us. In educating myself, I am also protecting the bottom line of the company. I would also be upholding to the values of what is right and wrong before I make rash decisions that may affect the company. Being a person in a management position is very tough when events such as this occur. I need to make sure that by being ethical, I am also ethical on my future hiring’s. This is to ensure that I would not discriminate against people with disabilities during the hiring, performance review, and termination processes. More importantly is the need to accommodate a person who has a disability to make sure that they have the necessary tools in order to be productive and efficient in their positions. Having done all this, I can then consider myself an ethical manager.  

        In NET’s position, the supervisors’ should have worked together to provide Cronan with reasonable accommodation in order for him to return to work; at the same time educate the employees about the misunderstandings that caused the disruption in the workplace. Because the employees were fearful of contracting the disease, or that coming in contact with Cronan would increase their chances of spreading the disease, educating them would have reduced any fears they may have had regarding AIDS.  Providing reasonable accommodation is necessary with any disability and provides a work environment that makes it possible for the person living with the disability to enjoy the equal employment opportunity and also to show how qualified they are to the position, even though they are inflicted with a disability. Reasonable accommodation is making any necessary adjustments to the employee which does not cause a financial hardship to the employer. If this is the case, it would be wise for NET to transfer Cronan to a different department where he would pose less of a threat to his employees and to his department. No employee should have to be placed in a hostile work environment where they would have to deal with harassments and threats on a daily basis. Under ethical and natural law, managers are bound to discourage inappropriate responses relating to AIDS, stereotyping, or making assumptions on how the virus was contracted. They are also responsible for conveying the message to their employees that any harassment from an employee will not be tolerated and will be enforced with disciplinary action.  Of course, this is a tough job and the manager may not want to offend anyone, but it is the morally correct thing to do. At the end of the day, the manager can be personally satisfied.

        The choice of transferring Cronan to a department with less exposure to threats and harassment could cost NET financially, but it would be the right thing to do. It would be right for the company, and right to society for them to set the standards for other companies to follow.  NET, has a social responsibility to society to make sure that their employees are educated and that any inappropriate actions could lead up to termination. If an employee wanted to walk off the job because of their fear of the AIDS virus, then that employee really did not have the best interest of the company in their mind, and it would be smart to be rid of the employee anyhow.

Implementing these changes that were discussed is important and vital to the future success of NET. It is only the responsible thing to do. Providing training and education could be costly, but not training and educating, could be more costly to the company should a lawsuit was awarded to the company due to a harassed employee. Every person has the right to be treated fairly and equally. Discrimination of any sorts, whether it is race, religion, or in this case, a disability, should not be tolerated. If the bottom line is the company’s best interest, than they need to realize that discrimination is intolerable. Neither the supervisor nor the company should look at a person whom is inferior is at an economic disadvantage or less worthy and less competent. In doing so, this will cost the company both financially and also socially in the corporate world.