HRMGMT 5700 EMPLOYMENT LAW MIDTERM PAPER

Instructions: Review the following case scenario and instructions. Write a minimum 5- page to a maximum 7- page paper, (cover page, abstract, reference page and appendices do not count toward this requirement) in APA format, addressing the issues outlined in the scenario. Your paper must identify and discuss all of the applicable laws and how they apply to each of the five (5) employee situations.

The paper should be organized around an introduction, body and conclusion. (An abstract is not required). APA citation to information from the textbook is required. APA citation means in-text citation to information from the textbook, including page numbers, within the text of the paper and a separate reference page.

Moore Beer Reduction in Workforce

          Moore Beer, Inc. is a 25 million dollar a year micro brewing company heavily involved in the direct marketing of its various micro brew products.  In order to cash in on the internet selling boom, Moore Beer, Inc. opened two new online marketing and direct distribution channels.

Soon after these websites went live, technology problems, together with sluggish sales killed the company’s profits.  As a result, the company has decided to abandon its new direct marketing plan and to reduce its workforce.

You are the Vice President (VP) of Human Resources (HR) for Moore Beer, Inc.  The President of the company has asked you to terminate the employment for a number of employees.  He has given you a list of people to consider and has charged you with writing a paper describing which employees to terminate, the reasons for each termination and the legal risks with each particular employee in terms of post termination litigation.

Your job as VP of HR:  You must terminate three (3) of these employees.  Two employees may be folded into existing openings in the rest of the company. 

Here are the employees:

Roger Jones:  Roger is a 34-year-old male, who is originally from a country in Asia. His overall track record with the company is above average.  His productivity is above the median although other employees complain that they have difficulty understanding him because he speaks English with a heavy accent. This has been a problem when he is answering calls from employees at the company information systems help desk. He has achieved no special honors or awards while employed with the company.  He has a Bachelors degree in Information Systems from a good University.  His job duties include maintaining existing computer systems which will be obsolete after the reduction in force.  He has had no absenteeism. 

Patrick Pierce:  Pat is a 32-year-old male who is Caucasian, and originally from Texas.  His overall track record with the company is average.  His productivity is average.  He has been solely responsible for much of the quality programming which took place in the program being abandoned.  He holds no advanced degree but his experience in the Navy has given him practical experience that goes beyond the abandoned programs.  However, Pat seems to have an absenteeism problem, missing 17 days in the last two months.  Pat has recently let you know that he suffers from a chronic illness and he feels like others in the company have been treating him differently because of his illness.

Sally Jones:  Sally is a 55-year-old Caucasian female.  She is beloved at the company for her friendliness and willingness to help others.  Sally is an administrative assistant assigned to the overall organization of the failed marketing endeavor.  Although it failed, it is generally thought that Sally did a great job in her administrative tasks.  Sally has been with the company for 20 years and is a single mother with a young son in college.  Terminating Sally will cause immediate financial hardship for her.  Sally has missed 13 days in the last two months.

Margaret Johnson:  Margaret is a 28-year-old African American female. She is a very dynamic salesperson.  Although most of the new division’s sales came from Margaret’s hard work, she is generally perceived to be a ladder climber and puller and out only for herself.  She is not perceived to be a team player although it is widely recognized that she is smart and talented.  Margaret is very active in the local chapter of a civil rights group and, on several occasions in the past, has complained on behalf of other employees when she believed they were not being treated fairly.  She has missed two months work in the last 12 months.

Sasha Williams:  Sasha is a 30-year-old female. She is originally from South America, and is fluent in 3 languages in addition to English, which is very helpful to the company's marketing efforts.  She holds a Bachelors degree in Advertising and was the public relations person assigned to the team.  When at work, Sasha does a very good job but she has missed multiple days lately because she is early in a pregnancy.  Sasha’s husband has recently lost his job and she has expressed to you her concerns for her job and continued health care during her pregnancy.  She recognizes her attendance problems and has promised to be better in her attendance just as soon as she gets past her morning sickness.

Midterm Rubric Section Required Parts % Scoring max Raw Score Grammar and Spelling Proper use of grammar, punctuation and spelling 5% 5 5 Style and Coherence Paragraphs discuss 1-2 key points, as outlined in the opening sentence Sentences are concise, complete in thought and vary in structure Tone is appropriate for scholarly paper 5% 5 5 Organization Logical flow of ideas Human Resources and legal issues for each employee stated clearly Introduction outlines main points Body of paper is organized logically around the topics listed in the introduction Recommendations are clearly stated Logical conclusion results from the thesis and summarizes main points 20% 20 20 APA Format – 6th edition Orderly presentation of materials, following APA format requirements (Cover page, margins, headings, font, etc.) doublespaced Proper citations and reference to the textbook. Paper is written in student's own words, with limited use of direct quotes. Direct quotes follow APA format. Headings/sub-headings used to improve the flow of the paper Separate reference page in APA format 10% 10 10 Content Paper demonstrates graduate level analysis of the scenario with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 pages of text (cover page, reference page, appendices, abstract do not count) Content is comprehensive, accurate, and persuasive Paper integrates theory and practice Identifies applicable law for each employee For each employee, there is a detailed analysis of the applicable law as it applies to the facts of the scenario Final recommendations are detailed and based on synthesis of the facts, law and human resources management issues 60% 60 60 Total = 100 100