Responding to Directives From the CFO

To respond to each of the directives from the CFO, firstly, I will examine the risks and costs that every directive presents to the company and its workforce. Secondly, I will look into the organizational policies that govern such instruction, the proper cause of action, timelines and costs. Lastly, I will determine whether the benefits of such a directive will outweigh the risks and make the decision. In this case, the main concerns include the aging workforce, the need for expansion, absenteeism, and compensation claims.I will introduce new workplace policies and practices to reduce the number of accidents and absenteeism. Given the firm’s desires to expand its workforce from 225 to 500, it is likely that the accidents will increase twofold; hence, the need for an effective safety program. In such a case, a company can use various steps to instill a culture of safety in this warehouse bycreating a safety and health program(Cooper, 2001). I will then develop a plan to foster workplace safety and health, conduct a regularsafetyinspection, educate and train employees to increase their awareness about safety and health. Moreover, I will maintain constant and consistent communication with employees, investigate safety incidents, and keep records.

Importance of a Wellness Program

A wellness program will be an important initiative for this company. Apart from increasing awareness about workplace injuries and diseases, it will provide an accurate source of information for the aging workforce on how to live a healthy lifestyle. It will act as a form of prevention since it helps to increase the physical and mental conditions of the workers. A wellness program will offer guidelines (Rau, 2004). In effect, the company can adapt to its specific resources, processes,and needs.

The Main Challenge in Increasing the Facility’s Safety and Health

The major challenge in increasing the facility’s safety and health will be the aging workforce. Given that the majority of the workforce is over 40 years old, it will present an increased risk since they are prone to serious workplace injuries, need more time to recover from an illness,and have a low likelihood to receive training incase they change their jobs. Additionally, the aging workforce often resists changesince they perform activities in a particular way. Consequently, changing the workplace or activities to improve their safety may prove difficult if they resist change. Many aging workers are used to work even when they are in pain. Often, they consider it unnecessary to report every work-related injury since they desire to be independent, avoid stereotypes, and negative feelings towards older workers. Such scenarios present the wrong statistics, which show a few cases of injuries in the workplace (Cooper, 2001). When these workers avoid treatment, their bodies experience prolonged physical complications, impacting their work productivity while at the same time increasing medical costs.

Ethics Surrounding Workers with AIDS

Concerning the issue of an employee with AIDS, the CFO’s directive for termination will present a significant moral challenge. To address this, I will first examine the company’s policy and the legal issues relative to the case. I will then refer to the current state and federal health regulations that protect employees with AIDS. In itself, AIDS is not a reason for terminating a person’s employment. Like several other chronic diseases, employees with AIDS should be allowed to work provided they are medically fit and suitable for their job activities. Therefore, firing this employee will emerge as unfair discrimination in employment access and benefits, which is illegal and may attract a lawsuit. An employee should not be laid off because of HIV nor should their condition determine the retrenchment process (Rau, 2004).I will reject the CFO’s directive to fire this worker since the law demands their protection from discrimination and stigmatization.

References

Cooper, D. (2001). Improving safety culture: A practical guide(2^nd Ed.). Hull: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://bit.do/eJEmS

Rau, B. (2004). Workplace Programs HIV/AIDS: An action guide for managers(3rd Ed.). Virginia: Family Health International (FHI). Retrieved fromhttp://bit.do/eJEj8

 
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