Why would employers want to fire employees whose dependents are having serious health problems|Quick homework help

Posted: January 24th, 2023

BUSI 642

Discussion Reply Assignment Instructions

You are required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads; each reply must be 250–300 words. Each thread and each reply must include at least 2 scholarly sources (published within the last 5 years) in addition to the course textbook and relevant biblical integration. All citations and references must be in current APA format. Do not repeat the same sources, use of the text or Biblical integration from your former posts.

Why would employers want to fire employees whose dependents are having serious health problems? What do you think would be the reaction of employees with healthy dependents who suspect this might be happening? Explain.

Parents of children and spouses of individuals who have serious health issues are perceived to low job attendance and low job performance due to not being able to focus on the tasks at hand. Often times, serious health problems could continue for years at a time. Take a disability for example. If someone’s child was born with a birth defect, the child may need care for the rest of his/her life. If someone’s spouse was diagnosed with cancer, he/she may need care for months or even years. From personal experience (my brother was terminally disabled with a neuromuscular disease), it is exceptionally hard on the parents who are often times, the sole caregiver. My parents were blessed to be entrepreneurs and business owners which afforded them the ability to take time off and the financial resources to support him. Many of their friends who also had children or spouses with special needs did not. The cost of health care for individuals with special needs is extremely high and is often not affordable for the median worker. The increased need for time off and the once unpopular idea of working from home created an environment where potential employers and even some current employers could become frustrated with them, leading to a metaphorical target on their back. Another aspect to consider is that, when parents or caregivers are at work, they could be behind in their tasks or not be focused on the task at hand due to distractions. While this could be considered an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) violation, it still occurs. For example, the text addresses a violation where a company allegedly refused to hire a woman whose child was special needs while hiring men whose children had special needs (Noe, 2022). The complaint was founded around the gender discrimination of women (with the notion that they are required to be the sole childcare provider for their family) (Noe, 2022). One could also consider a potential violation of disparate treatment due to the disability status of dependents (Noe, 2022).

In a study of parents of children with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), researchers examined the effect on employment – specifically focused on “labor force participation, changes in employment, missed time from work, and work productivity” (Lynch et al., 2022). Researchers compared the results of surveys from parents of children with ASD to parents of children with asthma to parents with children who did not have asthma or ASD. This study found that parents with children with ASD were less likely to participate in the work force, more likely to miss work, and more likely to have a negative impact on work productivity due to taking care of the child (Lynch et al., 2022). Researchers also notated that parents are more likely to leave the workforce should they have a special needs child (Lynch et al., 2022). This study proved that the preconceived notion of most employers is true. However, there are ways that employers can assist in creating a warming and welcoming environment. These solutions include paid childcare, flexible time off, and better health insurance benefits (Lynch et al., 2022). This study did also identify that working from home may stress parents out more citing the additional stress during the COVID-19 pandemic when parents were forced to work from home and take care of and educate their children at the same time (Lynch et al., 2022).

Unfortunately, mothers tend to take the brunt force of caring for the children in the event of a disability or serious medical issue. A study on Japanese mothers of children with intellectual disabilities found that these women are more likely to take a less earning job if they decide to enter the work force at all (Ejiri & Matsuzawa, 2017).

For me, I can see other employees taking multiple positions. Some maybe shocked to learn how co-workers are treated, especially in light of the difficult time of dealing with a serious health concern. Others, especially those perhaps picking up the slack for the individual in question, may be glad that the person is terminated from that position. As a business owner and a sibling to one with special needs, I can see both sides of the argument, unfortunately. I have had employees that went through a serious health problem – major surgery, diagnosis of a massive disorder, etc. I’ve seen productivity of these employees drop significantly which resulted in decreased KPI’s. The best route I’ve found is to be up front with the individual and asking them how we can support them in this tough time. Some of the most popular solutions are switching from full time to part time and hybrid work environments (allowing them to work in office when possible and work remotely on days with doctor’s appointments).

The Bible is very clear about how to handle this situation. First, we must abide by the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you ( Matthew 7:12 (NIV), n.d.). As a manager, we have to ask ourselves how we would feel in the situation at hand. Would this manager want to be terminated from their job if they were in the same situation with a dependent with a serious medical condition. Second, if the manager is packing their folder or finding reasons to fire them, are they operating truthfully and honestly ( 2 Corinthians 8:21 (NIV), n.d.). The Bible is clear about us acting with integrity in all matters especially business practices. Lastly, the Bible tells us to take care of our neighbor, including the widow, orphaned, and needy ( 1 Timothy 5:3-16 (NIV), n.d.). One could also argue that God wants us to care for those in trouble or in tough situations.

References

1 Timothy 5:3-16 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+5:3-16

2 Corinthians 8:21 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+8:21

Ejiri, K., & Matsuzawa, A. (2017). Factors associated with employment of mothers caring for children with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 65(4), 239–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2017.1407862

Lynch, F. L., Bulkley, J. E., Varga, A., Crawford, P., Croen, L. A., Daida, Y. G., Fombonne, E., Hatch, B., Massolo, M., & Dickerson, J. F. (2022). The impact of autism spectrum disorder on parent employment: Results from the            r‐Kids            study. Autism Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2882

Matthew 7:12 (NIV). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7:12

Noe, R. (2022). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

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