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Jim Beam Scenario Bathroom-Break Policy Case Studies
Jim Beam Scenario Bathroom-Break Policy Case Studies
PART 1
CASE STUDY: JIM BEAM SCENARIO
Respond to the following case scenario by applying topics and theories learned from the current module.
Jim Beam fighting citation for bathroom-break policy
The Jim Beam bourbon-making plant in Bullitt County is fighting a state citation criticizing its policy on bathroom breaks for employees. Since October, line workers at the plant have been permitted to use the restroom only during lunch and two other times during the day – one before lunch and one after. They also are allowed one unscheduled toilet break per day, and can be disciplined for taking more, starting with a warning and escalating to dismissal after six incidents.
The old policy allowed workers to rotate off the line for short, unscheduled breaks
throughout the day, with no set number. The company changed the policy after it concluded that workers were taking advantage of the liberal break policy. The Labor Cabinet, in a citation issued in November, said Jim Beam is violating a federal labor law requiring employers to provide restroom facilities to employees. Jim Beam is appealing the citation. The cabinet did not propose a fine.
memo with the Labor Cabinet, saying it “observed, documented and analyzed break habits of the employees” and consulted with a urologist to make sure that the new policy would be reasonable.” The company said people with medical conditions get more leeway. But the United Food and Commercial Workers union that represents the approximately 100 production-line
workers said the urologist determined the breaks were not motivated by need, but most
likely by “smoking habits.”
The union said 45 workers have been disciplined, some workers have begun wearing
protective undergarments and others have urinated on themselves because they were afraid to leave the line. “It’s embarrassing to be a 36-year-old woman and have to justify your need to go to the bathroom,” said Krystal Ditto, who said she has been disciplined five times and is one unscheduled bathroom visit away from losing her job. “Once you get the feeling you have to go, you sit there looking at the clock and see you have an hour to go, and it intensifies. I’m not going to sit there and be miserable.” The company is holding its ground. “We feel our system provides reasonable breaks for all employees, and we’re looking forward to explaining our position in detail next week at the hearing,” said Stephanie Moritz, director of publications for Jim Beam, based in Deerfield, Ill
Jo Anne Kelley, the union local’s president, has worked at the Jim Beam plant for 34
years. She said the policy is degrading and that company officials have told some workers that they should “practice” going to the bathroom every two hours at home on the weekends to put themselves on a schedule. “Basically, we’re being asked to train our bladders and other organs to meet their needs, not ours,” Kelley said. “Your bodily functions don’t have a time clock.” In its appeal, Jim Beam said its break policy “effectively balances the medical needs of
employees with the company’s need to maintain a productive workforce.” (Adopted from Harvard Business Review, 2019).
The following items should be evident in your case assignment:
Identify the key roles and organizational issues through a brief summary or introductory paragraph (this is not the abstract page).
Integrate specific theories from the readings for the type of organization. You may use previous module readings when applying a specific structure/system.
Provide your personal perspective on the case, applying theories, perspectives, and structures you along with alternatives that could be best integrated to address the participant’s concerns.
The paper must be written using current APA format and must include a title page, an abstract, and a references list. These are not included in the word count.
The paper must have a minimum of 800 words and a maximum of 1,200 words.
The paper must be submitted as a Word document (.doc). Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Do not use bullets or listing anywhere in the paper. Do not copy/paste the scenario into the paper.
References must be as follows:
- A minimum of 4 different references, in addition to the Merida text and the Bible must be used. A variety of authors and sources is required.
PART 2
CASE STUDY: EMPLOYEE GOALS SCENARIO
Respond to the following case scenario by applying topics and theories learned from the current module.
Amy Werner took a job at the New York City-based search firm On-Ramps just over three years ago. Amy joined at an integral time in the firm’s growth and quickly became a key asset to the small firm. Sarah Grayson, one of the firm’s founding partners, manages Amy and explains, “Amy has a lot of institutional knowledge and is a high performer.” When she first began, she was working toward a degree in social work but taking classes at nights and on the weekends.
A year and a half into the job, Amy’s school schedule became more complicated.
Her internship requirements made working a traditional, full-time schedule difficult. Because of her star performance, Sarah and her fellow partners were keen to keep her on board while encouraging her to complete her degree. Amy remained full time but now works two days a week in the office, completing the rest of her hours on nights and weekends. As Amy says, “They have been nothing but supportive.”
The firm has a semi-annual review process where goals are set and discussed; they also do more frequent check-ins on goals during weekly meetings. Amy and Sarah have talked a lot about how On-Ramps can support Amy not only by providing a flexible schedule but by thinking about the intersection of her studies and her work.
They’ve found that there are lots of transferable skills between her job as a search associate and her work as a social worker, such as interviewing and client management. In explaining why, they are so supportive of Amy’s educational activities, Sarah says, “We wouldn’t have done this for a low performer. We have to ask ourselves,
‘What would it take to hire another Amy?’” Amy will be finishing her master’s degree in May and she and Sarah have begun to discuss what’s next for her.
Both hope that there is a way to combine her skills in search and her interest in social work to create a job that is ideal for both her and On-Ramps. (Adopted from Harvard Business Review, 2019).
Instructions
The following items should be evident in your case assignment:
Identify the key roles and organizational issues through a brief summary or introductory paragraph (this is not the abstract page).
Integrate specific theories from the readings for the type of organization. You may use previous module readings when applying a specific structure/system.
Provide your personal perspective on the case, applying theories, perspectives, and structures you along with alternatives that could be best integrated to address the participant’s concerns.
