Case Study 2 for Mr.

Hernandez
(note for instructions, please refer to M4 - Case Study)
Low Pay for Hazardous Work
Business magazines and  newspapers regularly publish articles about the changing
nature of work in the United States and about how many jobs are being changed. 
Because so much has been made of the shift toward service-sector and professional
jobs, many people might assume that the number of unpleasant and undesirable jobs
has declined.
In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.  While many Americans work in gleaming
air-conditioned facilities, millions of others work in dirty, grimy, unsafe settings.  For
example, many jobs in the recycling industry require workers to sort through moving
conveyors of trash, pulling out those items that can be recycled.  The trash though, may
contain used syringes, old razor blades, and other sharp objects.  Other relatively
unattractive jobs  include cleaning hospital restrooms, washing dishes in a restaurant,
and handling toxic waste.
Consider the jobs in a chicken processing facility.  Much like a manufacturing assembly
line, a chicken processing facility is organized around a moving conveyor system. 
Worker call it the chain.  In reality it's a steel cable with large clips that carries dead
chickens down what might be called a "disassembly line".  Standing along this line are
dozens of worker who do, in fact, take the birds as they pass.
Even the titles of the jobs are unsavory. Among the first set of jobs along the chain is
the skinner.  Skinner use sharp instruments to cut and pull the skin off the dead
chicken.  Toward the middle of the line are the gut pullers.  These workers reach inside
the chicken carcasses and remove the intestines and other organs.  At the end of the
line are the gizzard cutters, who tackle the more difficult organs attached to the inside of
the chicken carcass.  These organs have to be individually cut and removed for
disposal.
The work is obviously distasteful, and the pace of the work is unrelenting.  On a good
day, the chain moves an average of 90 chickens a minute for 9 hours.  And the workers
are essentially held captive by moving the chain.  For example, no one can vacate a
post to use the bathroom or for other reasons without the permission of the supervisor. 
In some plants, taking an unauthorized bathroom break can result in suspension without
pay.  But the noise in a typical chicken processing plant is so loud that the supervisor
often can't hear someone calling for relief unless the person happens to be standing
close by.
Beside being unpleasant and dirty, many jobs in a chicken processing plant are
dangerous and unhealthy.  Some workers, for example have to fight the live birds when
they are first hung on the chains.  These workers are routinely scratched and pecked by
the chickens.  And the air inside a typical chicken-processing plant is difficult to
breathe.  Workers are usually supplied with paper masks, but moist don't use them
because they are hot and confining.
The workers space itself is so tight that the workers often cut themselves--and
sometimes their coworkers-- with the knives, scissors, and other instruments they use to
perform their jobs.  Poultry processing ranks third among industries in the US for
cumulative trauma injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.  The inevitable chicken
feathers, feces, and blood also contribute to the hazardous and unpleasant work
environment.
Jobs such as these in the chicken processing facility are actually becoming increasingly
common.  Fueled by Americans' growing appetites for lean, easy-to-cook meat, the
number of poultry workers has almost doubled since 1980, and today they constitute a
workforce of around quarter-million people.  The chicken-processing industry has
become a major component of the state economies of Georgia, North Carolina,
Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama.
Guide Questions:
1.  What information sources would be of most significance regarding jobs in a chicken-
processing            plant?
2.  Are dirty, dangerous, and unpleasant jobs an inevitable part of any economy?    

3.  In a recorded voice,  present your case study in power point with the following
format;
           slide 1 -Overview of the case
           slide 2- Guide Question (GQ) 1
           slide 3 - Answers to  GQ 1
           slide 4 - Guide question 2
           slide 5 - Answers to GQ 2
Slide 1: OVERVIEW OF THE CASE (2mins)
Introduction:

This case study discusses the nature of work in one of the poultry processing plant in the
United States.

Problem Identification:

-Bad working environment

Health and sanitation process

Tight work space

Safety Issues

-Lack of back up for human resource.

SCRIPT:

Slide 1

Good day to everyone! Our case study for today is about Low Pay for Hazardous Work. When we say
case study, we normally make some investigations by understanding the relevant and present issues of a
particular case, properly provide suggestions and ultimately recommend a short and long term plan in
solving these current issues.

The case is about a changing nature of work in the united states. It tackles about the unsavory
Jobs of some americans working in dirty, griming and unsafe settings. Most particularly in a
Chicken processing plant. Consider the jobs in a chicken processing facility.  Much like a
manufacturing assembly line, a chicken processing facility is organized around a moving
conveyor system.  Even the titles of the jobs are unsavory. Among the first set of jobs along the
chain is the skinner.  Skinner use sharp instruments to cut and pull the skin off the dead
chicken. 
Beside being unpleasant and dirty, many jobs in a chicken processing plant are dangerous and
unhealthy.  Some workers, for example have to fight the live birds when they are first hung on
the chains. Poultry processing ranks third among industries in the US for cumulative trauma
injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Jobs such as these in the chicken processing facility are actually becoming increasingly
common.  Fueled by Americans' growing appetites for lean, easy-to-cook meat, the number of
poultry workers has almost doubled since 1980, and today they constitute a workforce of around
quarter-million people.  The chicken-processing industry has become a major component of the
state economies of Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama.

The first part of this presentation is the overview of the case.

This case study discusses the nature of work in one of the poultry processing plant in the united states. If
you will put yourself in the plant general manager’s shoes and try to come up with the perspective, the
first thing you will do is to identify the key problems in the situation, which is the following: 1. Bad
working environment, 2. Health and sanitation process, 3. Tight work space, 4. Safety issues and lastly,
lack of back up for human resource.

So, based on the scenario, why do you think this problem exist?

As the world try to depict some issues in human resources particularly in the conditions of their workers.
We are still seeing manufacturing sectors exhibit this kind of issues. As we already know, in order for a
business or organization to increase its profit, reducing the expenses is the primarily key. Thus, it results
to compromising the most important asset and backbone of the company which is it’s the Human
Resources. Working environment which includes, health and sanitation work spaces, workload and
safety of the employees all boils down to the fact that most companies sacrifices this major requirement
of their manpower in order to reduce the cost in expenses and increase their operating revenues.

Slide 2: GUIDE QUESTION 1

1.  What information sources would be of most significance regarding jobs in a chicken-
processing            plant?

Script:

Our first question in this case study is What information sources would be of most significance regarding
jobs in a chicken processing plant?

So, knowing vital information in this case will help us understand the scenario and identify the impact of
these problems on the organization or business as a whole.

Apart from this, significant data will unravel question such as who and what is the responsible for this
problem, a question which will uncover possible solutions based on our experience, reading, outside
research and analysis.
Slide 3: ANSWER TO GQ1

Facts in the Case Study:

The number of poultry workers has almost doubled since 1980 and today constitute a
workforce of around 250,000 people.

Chicken processing industry has become a major component of the state economies of
Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.

Script:

So, given the scenario, we identified that The number of poultry workers has almost doubled since 1980
and today constitute a workforce of around 250,000 people. This figure give us a glimpse of how fast the
industry is growing for the past centuries hiring so much people considering the growth of AI,
automations or robotics. Information sources like number of employees in the production line, output
needed to accomplished or the demand for the product, number of hours they required to work, must
be thoroughly analyze in order to come up with the ideal ratio or a feasible recommendation for the
number of employees needed to perform the task, with ease and in a proper working condition. In this
regard, Human Resource manager, must device a strategic plan in monitoring and controlling the labor
work force by forecasting the manpower requirement for short and long term production goals, conduct
work load analysis and periodic surveys gathered from their employees. These methods, will constitute
a more employee focus organization and reduce unwanted difficulties of the employees which impacted
the production output and reduce the profitability of the company.

Previously mentioned Information gathered from the workplace such as such as Bad working
environment, Health and sanitation process, Tight work space, Safety issues and lastly, lack of back up
for human resource. These significant information or I may say, relevant manufacturing/plant problems,
which we will try, if not to eliminate completely, at least minimized the problem, in order to attain the
goal of a much better work environment conducive in long term working for the employees.

Another significant information mentioned in the case is that the Chicken processing industry has
become a major component of the state economies of Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas
and Alabama. Therefore, as a prime sector of economy of these states, its governments and its business
leaders must work together in setting up standard of working procedures and operations, as this prime
sector of the economy keeps growing and hiring more and more people to their production lines.
Slide 4: GUIDE QUESTION 2

2.  Are dirty, dangerous, and unpleasant jobs an inevitable part of any economy?    

Script:

Our second and last question is Are dirty, dangerous, and unpleasant jobs is an inevitable part of
any economy?    
This question help us select the best solution by looking for its pros and cons and checking
whether the solution is realtime or not.. Or perhaps, whether the situation is acceptable as a
whole or something that we still have a control with, or power to improve further.

Slide 5: ANSWER TO GQ2

Yes, because this type of jobs are necessary in order to attain the demand for this type of industry. More
people fit to work, young and skilled workers belong to the growing workforce can benefit to this type of
jobs which at the same time does not require high academic attainment.
Yes, as this unpleasant job is part of the economy. But, there should be basic health standards to be
observed, occupational health protocols, and the corresponding hazard pays and other benefits to
compensate for the added danger or risks to the employee because of the nature of the job.

Script:

Yes, because this type of jobs are necessary in order to attain the demand for this type of industry. More
people fit to work, young and skilled workers belong to the growing workforce that can benefit to this
type of jobs which at the same time does not require high academic attainment. As the case mentioned,
quarter of a million people in USA constitutes a workforce to these processing industry. Chicken
processing industry has become a major component of the many state economies like Georgia,
Mississippi, North Carolina, and Alabama etc and jobs such as these on the chicken processing are
actually becoming common. Also, there is a huge demand for the chicken products not only in the
United States but in the global market. The hotel industry, restaurant/fastfood industry contributes a
huge chunk of revenue to the economy.

Another reason to say Yes, is that, this unpleasant job is already part of the economy. But, there should
be basic health standards to be observed, occupational health protocols, and the corresponding hazard
pays and other benefits to compensate for the added danger or risks to the employee because of the
nature of the job.

In the Philippines, DOLE requires some industries that may expose their employees to hazardous work, a
safety manager which is regularly employed to the company. Some private companies initiated a
separate health and safety unit (under Human resources department) which primarily goal is to protect
employees from injury while working in the company. Some companies realized the importance of their
workforce and took the initiative and set priority to the safely of its people.
Considering all of these, it is the duty of the human resource manager to administer all the aspects of
the occupational health and safety program. HR Should recommends programs and activities that will
develop and maintain the good working condition of its employees and motivation of employees in
health and in safety.