Question

HR in Action Case Incident 2

Carter Cleaning Company

Guaranteeing Fair Treatment Being in the laundry and cleaning business, the Carters have always felt strongly about not allowing employees to smoke, eat, or drink in their stores. Jennifer was therefore surprised to walk into a store and find two employees eating lunch at the front counter. There was a large pizza in its box, and the two of them were sipping colas and eating slices of pizza and submarine sandwiches off paper plates. Not only did it look messy, but there were also grease and soda spills on the counter and the store smelled from onions and pepperoni, even with the four-foot-wide exhaust fan pulling air out through the roof. In addition to being a turnoff to customers, the mess on the counter increased the possibility that a customer’s order might actually become soiled in the store.

While this was a serious matter, neither Jennifer nor her father felt that what the counter people were doing was grounds for immediate dismissal, partly because the store manager had apparently condoned their actions. The problem was, they didn’t know what to do. It seemed to them that the matter called for more than just a warning but less than dismissal.

Questions

1. What would you do if you were Jennifer, and why?

---

2. Should a disciplinary system be established at Carter Cleaning?

---

3. If so, what should it cover, and how would you suggest it deal with a situation such as the one with the errant counter people?

---

4. How would you deal with the store manager?

Answer 1

Company CC being in the laundry business does not allow its employees to eat, drink or smoke in the stores. However, Person J found two employees eating lunch at the front counter. Although these employees were aware regarding the no eating or drinking at store policy, however they did not find this issue grave enough for their termination. Furthermore, the store manager had also condoned their actions.

1.

Person JJ should take immediate actions to deal with the issue, as it could hurt the store’s image. Eating, drinking, or smoking at the store was not only creating an unprofessional environment, rather it could also result in serios issues like soiling of the customer clothes. To deal with the problem, Person JJ should lay a strict policy concerning eating, drinking, and smoking of employees at the work area including termination. Employees as well as managers should be made aware regarding the policy, its importance, and benefits for the store and its business. This policy needs to be implemented immediately across the store.

2.

Company CC needs to a have disciplinary system at its stores. It is very crucial to establish a disciplinary system to ensure that employees are following the policies, practices and work standards set by the management. This system would help in checking the violation of eating, drinking and smoking policy and taking immediate actions against employees violating them. Besides, it would also help the employees become aware of the store polices and guidelines and their likely consequence. The store should try to incorporate a progressive discipline at the store, in which there should be step by step measures taken to deal with individual issues including informal meeting, oral and written warnings, suspension and dismissal.

3.

The new disciplinary system should cover various aspects related to company policies and procedures. It should outline the expected employee behavior and actions at the workplace. Furthermore, clear policy needs to be established regarding the actions that are not allowed within the store including the no eating, drinking, and smoking policy. Furthermore, the likely results of violating the store policies and guidelines needs to be elaborated in the policy so that employees should be well-aware of the same.

The disciplinary policy should include strict measures against the mentioned case of errant counter people. Given the gravity of the issue, unlike other policy violations, there should be a written warning and suspension of the employees. Even after the suspension, if the employees are found to be involved in such actions in future, they should be immediately terminated.

4.

The store manager is solely responsible for monitoring of employees’ actions and behavior at the workplace. He is expected to ensure that the employees are following the policies and guidelines established by the management. However, the store manager failed to fulfill his responsibilities by condoning the disciplinary issues at the store. Person JJ should hold a meeting with the store manager and ask for explanations of his/her behavior. Besides, oral or written warning should be given to the manager to ensure that he/she does not repeated the negligent behavior in future.