Stephen began working for a retail distributor in Mandeville two weeks ago. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, his religious beliefs do not allow him to work on Saturdays, a fact which he made very clear to his employers during his interview. Stephen hopes to attend church this Saturday, but was told by his manager that he needed to show up for work instead, as Christmas was “just around the corner.” His manager advised him that everyone needed to come out and that he would be making no exceptions, as Christmas was the busiest time of the year for the company. His employer further warned him that failure to report for duty on Saturday would lead to his immediate dismissal. Stephen was left in a dilemma. On one hand, he could not afford to lose his new job, particularly as he had been unemployed for the last two years. On the other hand, he was upset by his manager’s demands and threats, and felt discriminated against. A co-worker encouraged him to file a complaint with the company, claiming discrimination on the grounds of religion. In your opinion, did Stephen face discrimination? Justify your answer.
Stephen began working for a retail distributor in Mandeville two weeks ago. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, his religious beliefs do not allow him to work on Saturdays, a fact which he made very clear to his employers during his interview. Stephen hopes to attend church this Saturday, but was told by his manager that he needed to show up for work instead, as Christmas was “just around the corner.” His manager advised him that everyone needed to come out and that he would be making no exceptions, as Christmas was the busiest time of the year for the company. His employer further warned him that failure to report for duty on Saturday would lead to his immediate dismissal. Stephen was left in a dilemma. On one hand, he could not afford to lose his new job, particularly as he had been
In your opinion, did Stephen face discrimination?
Justify your answer.
Workplace discrimination describes practices where some employees get less favorable treatment than others. Discrimination could be based on different grounds such as culture, gender, color, and others. It may be done directly, which is intentional, or indirectly, which is unintentional, in the organization. Thus, an organization must ensure that the workplace is free from any disseminative practice to avoid a negative impression of the organization.
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