Reference no: EM133278553

One of the most difficult aspects of being in management is having to separate company decisions concerning people who we would label as friends. I want you to imagine you are an HR manager for a small hotel. The owner, Fatimah, had previously asked you for a referral of someone who you might know who would be good at sales. You immediately thought of your good friend, Stan, whom you have known for almost 10 years. You are also the godmother to his daughter, Lisa. Based on your recommendation, he was quickly hired by your company. Shortly after Stan was hired, several female employees had complained to you that Stan was sexually harassing them. You conducted an investigation, including interviewing the women and Stan separately. You concluded that he almost certainly had engaged in illegal sexual harassment against the women while at work. You remember that your boss, Fatimah, had explicitly instructed the HR department to notify her of any sexual harassment going on at work. You also know that if you report Stan, he will surely be fired.

Now, it's easy to read a paragraph like this and just say "I'll just fire him." But the reality is, Stan is a close friend and you are the godmother to his daughter. How would you handle this difficult situation with Stan and your boss?