BLACK FRIDAY: AN ILLUSION OR REALITY?
Hispanics, who make up about 16 percent of the U.S. population, are the fastest growing minority group, and they are more likely to be uninsured than any other minority group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is estimated that only 10.2 million of the 53 million uninsured Hispanics in the United States will qualify for coverage under the new healthcare laws. (Visit the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Information Trust for additional information.)
The Community Health Care Center, which has facilities in central North Carolina, has created innovations to address preventive care, chronic disease management, and other initiatives to help the population in their area. Unfortunately, the hospital is not equipped to deal with the emotions and productivity of its employees.
All employees received the following e-mail from Douglas O’Rourke, the CEO of Community Health Care Center. “Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. — Henri Fredice Amiel…. Enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday.”
Unfortunately, a Wall Street Journal article the same week said, “Insurers would be cutting doctors pay under the new health care plans.” The same week Lockheed Martin announced they would be restructuring their business and cut- ting 4,000 jobs, and H.J. Heinz Co’s new owners announced they would eliminate 1,350 jobs and would be closing a South Carolina plant. The Heinz announcement came on top of the 600 layoffs in August. Several companies were planning to cancel their employees’ healthcare plans under the new federal healthcare law.
Inna Genova, a Hispanic, began a new career at age 34. She went back to college and spent two years getting her nursing degree. The single mom with two children aged 15 and 12 had enjoyed the last three years at Community Health Care Center.
Her job was challenging and she worked 12-hour shifts around-the-clock seven days a week. She told the authors that she had appreciated the lack of micromanaging but in the last several weeks no one in administration has ever said thanks for a job well done. The Friday after Thanksgiving, the hospitals’ HR department had announced that 84 jobs would be eliminated in the next three months. A friend gave her a copy of a November 18, 2013 article from the Wall Street Journal. The highlights of the article were startling to her: “Despite the fact that more women were obtaining college degrees than men, women were earning 76.5 cents for every dollar those men were earning.” Like most women she knew, she felt that she had a lack of job mobility and would have difficulty breaking in to the traditionally male-dominated professions.
Inna thought to herself, “I like my job here, and I know that the hospital has a lot of applicants even though they are not hiring. Struggles are not new for me. I have had many struggles in my life. Many times I have been uncomfortable, but I have survived. The work and family pressures have been intense, but I have al- ways focused on where I want to be. If I am to lose my job, it will be painful, but I will accept it. I just wish I knew what will happen next?”
Review the below Critical Incident. In at least 750 words, in which you include a mix of in-text citations and references, formatted according to APA standards (including title page, running header, page numbers, and reference page) answer the questions at the end of the Critical Incident.
Questions:
- The planned elimination of jobs by Community Health Care Center will have a profound effect on employee morale. What would you recommend to the management of Community Health Care Center to minimize the impact of the downsizing on employee morale?
- Using the Internet, find ways to identify what other organizations have done to soften the blow on their eliminated employees.
- Review the previous chapters and make a list of six things that Community Health Care Center could do to empower the remaining employees to be the best they can be.
- Using the Internet, find at least three sources to discuss the problems that organizations will face in developing effective teams and empowering employees for success when the work culture and the economic environment create stress that might impact employee performance in the workplace. Identify some strategies that management might use to help the survivors at Community Health Care Center keep their lives under control and do what is best for the patients.
- What would you recommend to Inna Genova to ensure that her job is not eliminated?
