Is there a reasonable basis for believing that the company is discriminating against women? If so, explain what it is and, if not, explain why not?
Yes, I do believe the company is discriminating against women employees based on these points: First Consolidated Chicken products employment ratio of Men to Women at the processing plant is in a ratio of 7:3 which shows a great disparity as it favors men hence resulting in discrimination of women at the plant (Fick, 2006). Secondly, the average pay between men employees to women is at different levels at the processing plant, there are cases where men and women employees do the same work or tasks and the male counterparts are paid an average of $ 3.38 higher than their female counterparts at the plant. Also, noting the fact that the average women unemployment levels within the area CCP Company operates is at 25 % while the men unemployment levels are at 10%, the CCP company should be hiring more women from the area to bridge gender inequality. Another factor to consider is the fact that women working office jobs such as secretaries were paid far less than their male counterparts who were working at the processing plant even though their job evaluation points were at the same levels. These factors show that the company does indeed discriminate against women at the workplace.
Is there reason to believe that women could file an equal-pay lawsuit? If so, explain the reason and, if not, explain why not.
I do believe the women working for CCP could file for an equal pay lawsuit based on these grounds; the levels of payment between men and women at the company favors men in that men are paid more than women even in cases where they both do the same jobs, this shows the company’s job pay criteria is not based on the quality of job but rather on gender. As an example, among the three job levels at the processing plant, men earn an average of $ 3.68 more than their female counterparts, and even in the office which was entirely staffed by women they were far less paid than any male paid by the company.
What additional information would be useful in determining the answer to question 2?
Another factor that the women employees could use to file for an equal pay lawsuit is the fact that the region where CCP operates shows women unemployment levels are high at 25% compared to the men’s unemployment levels of 10%, the women could also argue that CCP Company does not have an employment policy in that CCP hires employees based on the reference of current employees who employ their relatives on new jobs since the company does not have a job selection criteria. Another reason to warrant an equal pay lawsuit is the fact that women working office jobs are made to work on minimum wage while, all secretaries who work for CCP are women, thus showing discrimination based on job types.
What would be the consequences of each of Sam’s options to all of the people involved (e.g., women, men in the plant, the company, his family)?
The consequence of Sam’s first option would not change the situation at hand though it would continue to extend discrimination of women at CCP Company, for instance, if an additional workforce would be needed, the employment ratio of men to women employees would increase since current employees refer their relatives to new jobs. This would further increase the women unemployment levels in the area CCP operates. Sam’s first option would be a boost to the men working for the company since they would continue to earn a better pay package than the women. This decision could be detrimental to his family in that Sam would not be satisfied with his decision, this could lower work morale, and this decision could further obliterate the gains he has made in his career in the compensation section.
Sam’s second option of talking to John Birchwood, Sr. might yield results with a little planning and persuasion; this option could lead to more favorable employment terms for women working for CCP in that John might consider hiring more women employees and offering them better pay package. This would lead to a better working environment for everybody in the company and achievement on Sam’s part.
The Third and Last option for Sam would be to call the EEOC to investigate CCP, this can lead to legal action being taken against CCP and made to pay hefty fines or eventually lead to the closure of CCP; these actions would be detrimental to both men and women working for CCP since this action could result in them being jobless on the other hand Sam will be jobless but at least his conscience will rest and this will be an ethical decision to take.
How has the company’s strategy affected its human resource policies?
The CCP Company’s strategy of low prices has led to them keeping the costs at a minimum consequently, this strategy has led them to hire employees who can work for minimum wage, and the company has not had a clear-cut selection criterion for employment. The company strategy of hiring based on the reference of current employees to their close relatives has led to the company hiring employees without basing their decisions on the skill level or other relevant qualifications. This has made it difficult to rank employees based on points that have, as a result, reduced productivity in the human resources of the company. These factors have affected the human resource policy of CCP to take the above approach.
How should cultural norms affect compensation systems?
Cultural norms should affect compensation based on different factors and the effect of the norm in society or human resources (Henderson, 2007). Some Cultural norms according to Blank (2001) such as work levels between men and women should be considered since women take care of children and need maternity leave when they are expectant. Norms could affect how people should be compensated at the workplace since they are a factor to how productive people are as example, in the workplace old people tend to work minimal hours compared to young people thus norms affect the quantity and quality of work which are factored in when deciding on a probable compensation scheme for employees.
Should satisfaction with the pay be the only criterion for evaluating the compensation system? If yes, why should it be, and if no, what other variables should be considered?
Pay satisfaction should not be the only criterion that should be used to determine compensation systems, other variables that could be used to determine compensation should include: skill level in that person with different skills should be compensated differently, another factor that could be used is job description whereby if a person’s job entails doing jobs which add value and benefit to the firm, then the individual should be compensated considerably (Fick, 2006). A variable such as working hours should be considered as a criterion for evaluating a probable compensation system since it determines the work output of a particular employee in contribution to the Company’s production levels. Other variables are; professional training, years of service, milestones that an individual has achieved in the organization, bonuses that the organization gives to its outstanding workers, and benefits of overtime.
References
Blank, R. (2001). Fetal protection in the workplace: Women’s rights, business interests, and the unborn. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. PP. 123-134.
Fick, B.J. (2006). The American Bar Association guide to workplace law Series. Chicago, IL: Random House Reference.PP-198-212.
Henderson, R. (2007).Compensation management: Rewarding performance. Michigan, MA: University of Michigan.PP-234-245.