Case Studies 15-16: Carter Cleaning

Carter Cleaning Case 15

1. Do you think it is important for Carter Cleaning Company to have a formal grievance process? Why or why not?

Certainly it is important for many reasons. First, it is important from a standpoint of justice and fair treatment. Second, the lack of justice and fair treatment is a prime catalyst for union activity.

2. Based on what you know about the Carter Cleaning Company, outline the steps in what you think would be the ideal grievance process for this company.

Because it is a small company, it should be simple and short. One suggestion is a two-step process that begins with a written appeal to the store manager. The second step is to send that appeal to Jen and her father for review.

3. In addition to the grievance process, can you think of anything else that Carter Cleaning Company might do to make sure grievances and gripes like this one are expressed and are heard by top management?

The grievance procedure is critical. It is important to understand the distributive and procedural justices. The fairness and justice of the decision’s result (for instance, did I get an equitable pay raise?) is distributive justice. Procedural justice is the fairness of the process (for instance, is the process my company uses to allocate merit raises fair?). Most employees probably can’t and won’t unscramble what is ethical, fair, or just when it comes to how you treat them. [Chapter 14, Ethics, p. 462]. Discipline and dismissal are both major sources of grievances.

Carter Cleaning Case 16

1. How should the firm go about identifying hazardous conditions that should be rectified? Use checklists such as those in Figures 16-5 and 16-8 to list at least 10 possible dry-cleaning store hazardous conditions.
Basic Hazard Identification Checklist
GENERAL WORK AREA
1. Work surfaces and walkways dry or slip resistant, no tripping hazards?
Y/N
Date Corrected
2. Exterior walkways in good condition?

3. Spills cleaned up immediately?

4. Combustible debris & waste stored safely and removed promptly?

5. Dip tanks, etc..., cleaned regularly, inspected?

6. Are accumulations of combustible dust routinely removed from enclosed areas and cleaned up?

7. Work areas adequately illuminated?

8. Are safety goggles being worn daily?

9. Are wet floors being mopped?

10. Are safety valves tested regularly and frequently?

2. Would it be advisable for the firm to set up a procedure for screening out accident-prone individuals? How should they do so? Training and incentives can resolve this problem; however, this could raise ethical issues. Ultimately, the bottom line is to reward safe behavior as well as stressing the importance of safety repeatedly.

3. How would you suggest the Carters get all employees to behave more safely at work? Also how would you advise them to get those who should be wearing goggles to do so? The company should contact local government safety agency for assistance in developing safety policies and procedures on the job. The company should also make it clear that those who violate the policies will be disciplined, and then follow-up by doing it. If employees see that management is serious about it and that they will be disciplined, or even lose their jobs, they will begin to use them.