write-a-letter-1

You are a supervisor for Forklifts Unlimited, and you are facing a dilemma with one of your subordinate employees named Thomas Minke. Owen Smith, the owner of Forklifts Unlimited would like you to make a recommendation regarding Thomas Minke’s request to take time off work to care for his father. After reading chapter 18 in your textbook and listening to the lecture regarding the same material, explain the legal and ethical issues that pertain to Thomas’s situation.

You must write a letter to the owner of the business, Owen Smith.

Hypothetical Situation:

Forklifts Unlimited is a company that manufactures parts for forklifts and currently employs 40 full-time employee and no part-time employees. The company’s production schedule is busy; employees are currently working three shifts to cover the demand for its parts.

You are Thomas Minke’s supervisor. Thomas Minke is a 38 year old white male, who has worked for Forklifts Unlimited as a machine operator for fifteen years. Thomas is a divorcee with two children. Thomas came to your office to discuss his difficult situation regarding his father. Thomas told you his father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, and Thomas needs to take time off work periodically to transport his father to various medical appointments. Thomas explains to you that he is the only child of his widowed father, and he promises to give you as much advance notice as possible of his father’s appointments. Since business is strong, you will be short-handed without Thomas.

You are going to meet with your supervisor, Owen Smith, who is also the owner of the company, in one week. Owen wants you to analyze Thomas’s request for time off work from a legal and ethical perspective and then make a recommendation to him. Write a letter to Owen Smith explaining the legal and ethical reasons for your decision to allow or deny Thomas’s request for time off work.

This assignment will require you to use the critical thinking and ethical decision making steps we learned in class to analyze this hypothetical situation; these steps are listed on the second page of this assignment.