Week 1 (HRMG for La'Teisha)
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Ali v. Mt. Sinai Hospital
La’Teisha Portlock
Webster University
Employment Law HRMG 5700 QA F2 2023
Professor Mary Fontana
October 29, 2023
Key Facts and Legal Issues
The summary of this case includes an African American female by the name of
Quadriyyah Ali who sued her employer Mt. Sinai Hospital, Dr Elizabeth Shields, for racial
discrimination for violation of Title VII for discriminatory enforcement of her employer’s dress
code. She alleged that she was disciplined for not complying with the dress code, however, her
white co-workers were not. Because Ms. Ali didn’t have any evidence of discriminatory
enforcement, the court had to dismiss this case.
The fact in this case is that the hospital has a detailed three-page dress code for all
nursing staff including unit clerks. And it specifically states that “unit clerks wear the blue smock
provided by the Hospital with conservative street clothes.” Boots and other items of dress was
also prohibited. And also in regard to hair, “it should be clean and neatly groomed to prevent
interference with patient care.”
Ms. Ali “admits” to wearing a cowl-necked dress with red thigh
high boots under her work smock. She also admitted to wearing her hair in a “punk rock” or
“faded style”. Ms. Ali stated that she was discipline, but her other white female employees were
not. Ms. Ali was disciplined because of her violation of the dress code.
The legal issue in this case was if an employee can receive judgement based on racial
discrimination without offering any type of evidence of racial discrimination. But in this case,
the issue was if the way she was dressed was enforced because of her race. Since Ms. Ali didn’t
submit any type of evidence, the case had to be dismissed.
References:
Bennett-Alexander, D. D., Hartman, L. P., & Berkeley, R. (2024).
Employment Law for Business
.
McGraw Hill LLC.
Case points Ali v Mt. Sinai hospital (DOCX)
. Course Sidekick. (n.d.).
https://www.coursesidekick.com/law/101986
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Case Questions:
I. What do you think of the way in which Ali was approached by Dr. Shields about her violation
of the dress code? Does this approach seem advisable for a manager to do? What could have
been done instead?
I believe the way Dr. Shields approached Ali about her violation of the dress code was wrong and
very unprofessional. To tell an employee that they look like they belonged “in a zoo” or to
describe the outfit attire as “going to a disco ball or belonging in a disco” is just as wrong as the
zoo compliment. To be a supervisor, you must know how to speak to everyone without
overstepping your boundaries. Saying less is more. This approach does not seem advisable for a
manager to do. No manager should ever do anything like this. This will not help the organization
and they should not have anyone in charge who says those things. Instead of telling her what she
looks like, she should’ve reminded her of the dress code and tell her to make sure she stays
dressing by the policy. She could’ve pulled her in privacy and said “Ms. Ali, we all have our own
styles, cultures, features, etc., and that’s what makes us unique and different, however, when
we’re at work we must follow the policy and rules of the jobs including the dress code. So can
we please make sure that we are following that from this day forth. And if you want me to go
into explanation of what and what not to wear or what’s acceptable and unacceptable, we can go
over this, so it won’t be any mix-ups.”
2. How much of a role do you think different cultural values played in this situation? Explain.
I think cultural values plays a big role in this situation. That’s why as a supervisor, you must
understand the difference between all cultures and be acceptable. Ms. Ali probably felt like the
style of her hair and what she had on wasn’t a problem because it’s part of her style and all she
did was added her style to her job uniform. And honestly, she probably was overreacting to how
she dressed because she’s not used to her culture. What might be acceptable to one person might
not be acceptable for the next.
3. What can the employer do to avoid even the appearance of unfair enforcement of its dress
policy in the future?
An employer must consider all race and cultures. They must be inclusive and diverse. They
should think about everyone and not just one race or culture. It should be easy for everyone to
feel comfortable in their work environment and still be able to show off their culture.