BBI 2O

Case Study 2: Title?

Your client, a big chain supermarket, ABC Foods, has recently been sued for mental health
discrimination in the hiring process. Like many in the industry, large supermarket chains have enlisted
third party online firms to help streamline the hiring process. Besides the usual experience and
qualification questions, applicants must also complete a personally test to ensure a better fit to job
openings. Though prospective employees may possess extensive experience, education, or excellent
references, they may not possess the appropriate personality or attitude for customer service positions
that ABC Foods is hoping to fill.

As a public relation professional, you know that it’s unlawful to discriminate based on mental health.
You’re also aware that the personality test being used by these third-party online firms have been
shown to eliminate prospective individuals with autism, bipolar, and other mental issues. With
today’s cancel culture, if the media finds out that ABC Foods is linked to this mental health screening
for their stores, consumers will boycott the chain. On the other hand, by using a third party to screen
applicants, future personnel, safety, and disruptive issues can be avoided. What action plan would you
suggest ABC Foods to follow?

1) Define the specific ethical issue and/or conflict.

The main issue is that ABC Foods is blatantly discriminating against
people with mental health problems.
2) Identify internal/external factors that may influence the decision.
Internal factors:
 Employees’/CEO’s views on mental health
External factors:
 Consumer’s response (is it good or bad, does it even matter)
 Cost
3) Identify key values.
Respect
Justice
Accountability
Integrity
4) Present the different plan of actions that can be taken.
First action plan:
The company could continue utilizing third-party online firms to screen individuals
during the hiring process and accept that they could be sued at any time for
discrimination. However, the United States code prohibits discrimination based on
race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or political
affiliation. There exists a loophole in the law: since not all mental illnesses are
considered disabilities. The lawsuit could be dropped. Now, concerning today’s cancel
culture, it usually doesn’t last, with the masses moving on to the next big brand,
company or celebrity to cancel. Chances are that there would be a trending
#ABCfoodsisover on twitter but after a few days it would be over and, considering that
ABCFoods provides essential goods, the company wouldn’t have a dramatic loss of
profit.
Second action plan: (the ethical plan)
The company should immediately cut relations with the third-party online firm that is
doing this mental health screening and hire another firm that doesn’t take into
consideration mental disorders or disordered behavior as criteria for their screening
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process. The HR department should also be trained to deal with people with mental
“issues” and to provide solutions for any problem that might arise in the workplace
due to any limitations an individual may have. There should not be an issue with hiring
a person with mental issues if they are complying with labor and employment laws.
ABC Foods should also put out a public statement in which they explain the immoral
tactics that they were implementing and why they chose to stop. This would bring
awareness to mental health discrimination in the workplace and the company could
become an advocate for mental health causes and become a CSR company, thereby
improving its public image and relations.

5) Select ethical principles to guide the decision-making process.

Respect for others
Fairness
Honesty

6) Make a decision on which plan of action you would choose and justify it.
We would use the second plan of action. In this case we examined ambiguous circumstances
that boil down to the question: Would you do what is right, even if it reaped no benefits? The
second plan aligns more with our values, since we believe in social responsibility and that
we, as cogs in the economic engine, should be treated as equals.

7) Relevant facts
the personality test being used by these third-party online firms have been shown to eliminate
prospective individuals with autism, bipolar, and other mental issues.
by using a third party to screen applicants, future personnel, safety, and disruptive issues can be
avoided.

8) Stakeholders in the situation

CEO and company employees
Public relations professional
Affected people.
CEO and company employees
Future job applicants for the company

9) Underlying values
Respect
Accountability
Empathy
Diversity

10) Consequences
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