Peoples Services Inc. by Muhammad - Case Study Example

People’s Services Inc. by Muhammad The case study on People’s Services Inc. by Muhammad (2012) presents Maryann Qureshi an outstanding performer in this company during her early years in employment. She is an efficient performer who is punctual in her office and duties. This organization has a great reputation, and a high market share meaning that it may not compromise the quality of its services. Unfortunately, after four years in her career, Qureshi’s attitude begins to change for worse. She is a customer support specialist meaning that she is the company’s image. Unfortunately, things seem to change for worse, therefore, compromising the company in a big way. Her supervisor Haleema realizes the changing attitude and decides to intervene. According to Muhammad (2012), Qureshi starts taking longer lunch breaks meaning she was late to come back to the office for 15-20 minutes. Haleema noticed that after the lunch break, Qureshi was less productive, and spent some time dosing on the desk. She became too unproductive and sensitive to her colleagues who had to repeat her poor work. Later, Qureshi developed a habit of calling in sick with stomach flu. At one time, her daughter calls to say Qureshi is sick in bed. One afternoon, Haleema realized that Qureshis breath smelt of strong mint and suspected she was drunk. Having given Qureshi many warnings, Haleema felt she needed to act because her attitude and performance affected everyone around her. Muhammad (2012) notes that Qureshi even asked for a departmental transfer arguing that she needed a less busy office. Haleema felt she needed to fire Qureshi because she never opened up her problems, and she seemed to deteriorate in her performance. However, they had to contact Employee Assistant Program (EAP) before firing her. Q.1 Legal Problems Haleema would land into legal problems for firing Qureshi without consulting EAP. Richard et al. (2009) argues that the EAP requires some alcohol or drug testing done on any employee before terminating her from office. An alcoholic worker faces protection from Acts protecting people with disabilities and medical problems. Haleema should help Qureshi in seeking professional help before firing her. The law does not encourage alcohol abuse at a workplace. However, it encourages the employer to help the victim obtain treatment. Therefore, the Qureshi may sue Haleema first for not doing the alcohol test, and secondly for not intervening for a professional help. Although it may be expensive, the employer should seek legal help before taking action against Qureshi. The employer should understand the employees’ rights before terminating them in order to avoid legal battles on termination. The company should ensure good medical covers for their employees to cater for such situations before firing. Q.2 Haleema’s Actions Haleema took too long to identify the alcohol problem. Since the day Qureshi started getting late to work after lunch, Haleema should have sat down with Qureshi to talk things out. However, Haleema kept threatening Qureshi, which was the wrong approach. A good manager should build trust among the employees, and this means that Haleema had failed as an effective manager. That is the reason Qureshi would not open up to her. She kept giving warning letters to Qureshi instead of identifying her problem and looking for a solution. Qureshi came to work after two days with a doctor’s letter confirming she was unwell. Haleema should have used this letter to seek further medical attention for Qureshi. At one time, Haleema uses exclamations at Qureshi asking her whether she was drunk or sick. This wrong approach saw Qureshi storm out of the office showing Haleema’s management skills remained below satisfactory. Haleema failed to give Qureshi proper attention and guidance. She did not realize that Qureshi was depressed, and needed special attention. Haleema’s’s actions portray some ignorance considering that she understood Qureshi was a mother of two teenagers, and therefore bound to face pressure from home. Q.3 Qureshi’s Motivation From my point of view, the best way to motivate Qureshi would be seeking medical intervention for her. The company should introduce counseling sessions for the members of staff in order to avoid such occurrences. This single mother of two must have been under pressure not only from the office, but also at home. This woman seems depressed either by her teenage children or by too much work, which can be overwhelming. I would also suggest a holiday for Qureshi considering her past performance. A holiday package for her and her children may reduce the pressure on her. In addition, I would adhere to her request and move her to a lesser busy department. This action would prove whether it was the job overwhelming her and what actions to take in order to avoid a repeat performance by another employee in the same dilemma. A bonus from her past excellent performance would motivate her performance. From the case study, Qureshi was an excellent performer, and therefore she required a promotion having been an efficient worker for four years. Q.4 Negative Effects of Qureshi’s behavior Qureshi’s behavior had negative impacts on the colleagues. First, due to her problems, she seemed to perform poorly making the other employees work extra hours correcting her work. In addition, the case study confirms that Qureshi became sensitive and quarreled with the employees, which could demoralize the other colleagues. She fought with everyone and shouted to these colleagues too. Her actions created a negative working atmosphere for everyone else, and this could consequently affect their production. Qureshi’s absence from the office added pressure to the colleagues. The colleagues had to do her work in addition to their duties. On the other hand, Qureshi’s behavior psychologically affected her colleagues because they did not understand her problems. Therefore, Qureshi’s actions affected the colleagues both physically and psychologically. Q.5 How Nikhat Should Deal With the Matter Nikhat was Haleema’s boss, and she had to intervene with the situation. The best she would do is to call Qureshi and listen to her problems. As the overall boss, Nikhat has the final word, and therefore she should consider the legal consequences upon firing Qureshi. Therefore, resolving Qureshi’s problems would include taking her for counseling as a first step. After the counseling program, Nikhat may suggest a holiday for Qureshi and her family, which would help her, ease the pressure. On return, Nikhat should prepare an appreciation bonus for the four years of dedication that Qureshi showed the company. Qureshi only requires is an appreciation both from home and in the office. The case study shows that she is a young single mother, and her home duties could be overwhelming. Therefore, the counseling should include her teenage children who could be adding more pressure to their mother. References Muhammad Zia#ur#Rehman Majid Rashid, (2012),"Role of “haraam” practices on behavior and performance of employees: A case study of business organization", Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, Vol. 2 Iss 8 pp. 1 – 3 Richard, M. A., Emener, W. G., & Hutchison, W. S. (2009). Employee assistance programs: Wellness/enhancement programming. Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas. Read More