Reference no: EM133855394
Assignment: Business
Case Study: Discrimination Against an Employee with Autism
This case study seeks to test your understanding of disability discrimination laws, reasonable accommodations, and the employer's responsibilities under the ADA, as well as practical strategies for compliance and inclusion.
Introduction:
Tech Innovators Inc. is a growing software development company with 150 employees. The company prides itself on being an equal-opportunity employer and has a diverse workforce. Recently, the company hired Jane Doe, a 24-year-old software developer who is on the autism spectrum. Jane excels in coding but has difficulties with social interactions and changes in routine. The company has a policy of reasonable accommodation but has limited experience in supporting employees with autism.
Characters:
A. Jane Doe: A talented software developer with autism who struggles with loud noises, changes in routine, and reading social cues.
B. Michael Blake: Jane's direct supervisor, who has little understanding of autism and is resistant to accommodating her needs.
C. Karen Wilson: HR manager responsible for implementing accommodations and handling discrimination complaints.
Scenario:
Jane was hired six months ago and quickly demonstrated her coding skills by completing tasks ahead of schedule. However, Jane faced challenges with team meetings, where she struggled with interruptions and reading social cues. Jane requested to receive meeting agendas in advance and to have a quiet workspace away from the open office plan, which often has loud conversations and phone calls that she finds distracting.
Initially, HR approved Jane's request for a quiet workspace and scheduled her in a meeting room away from her team. However, after a month, Michael reassigned Jane back to the open office, citing the need for team cohesion and collaboration. Jane's performance declined as she became increasingly stressed and distracted. Michael also started to criticize Jane for not participating in team discussions and not adapting to the "team culture."
Despite Jane's requests to return to her quiet workspace, Michael refused, stating that "everyone needs to be part of the team environment." Jane filed a formal complaint with HR, alleging that her accommodations were not being respected and that she was being discriminated against because of her autism. HR conducted a brief investigation but sided with Michael, concluding that Jane needed to "adapt to the team dynamics."
After the complaint, Jane noticed an increase in negative performance feedback from Michael and was excluded from key projects that she had expressed interest in. Two months later, Jane was put on a performance improvement plan (PIP) for failing to meet communication and teamwork expectations. Jane believes that the PIP is retaliatory and that she is being unfairly targeted due to her disability.
Legal Issues:
A. Discrimination based on disability (Americans with Disabilities Act - ADA).
B. Failure to provide reasonable accommodations.
C. Retaliation for filing a complaint about discrimination.
D. Hostile work environment.
Ensure you review the final exam rubric (located wihtin the "Final Exam" folder) prior to addressing the following questions within your response:
A. Identify the Legal Violations: What potential legal violations can you identify in this case regarding Jane's treatment and the company's response?
B. Reasonable Accommodations: Assess whether Tech Innovators Inc. fulfilled its legal obligations to provide reasonable accommodations under the ADA. What more could the company have done?
C. Retaliation: Analyze Jane's claim of retaliation. What evidence could support her claim, and how should this be investigated?
D. Company Liability: Discuss the potential liability of Tech Innovators Inc. if Jane's claims are found to be valid. What legal standards apply to this case?
E. Remedies and Actions: What remedies might Jane be entitled to if she prevails in her claims? What actions should Tech Innovators Inc. take to address these issues?
F. Preventative Measures: What steps should Tech Innovators Inc. implement to prevent similar issues in the future and to better support employees with disabilities?