XMGT/216
George Camposano
3/25/2012
A few years ago, my company decided to hire a man of Middle-Eastern decent to fill an open project engineering position. The gentlemen exemplified what the company wanted and needed in an employee. He had the educational requirements, work history, and years of experience in our manufacturing field. He shined during the interview process and stood head and shoulders above the other candidates. My company wasted no time making the man a reasonable offer and he gladly accepted soon afterwards. Within a few months after his arrival, the gentleman was tasked to lead a project to install an aseptic blend operation. The aseptic blend operation had some strict personal hygiene requirements. One critical requirement was no employee could don a beard when working in the blend area. Ironically, the gentleman sported a full lengthy beard in which he wore proudly as part of his Middle Eastern culture. Eventually, an unexpected ethical dilemma was on the rise. My company was caught between asking the man to shave his beard, assign another engineer to the project, or amend the …show more content…
Personally, in this situation, it would be better to amend a policy by finding suitable solutions, than it would be to stand firm. The company did the right thing by finding and purchasing acceptable beard nets rather than fight a lengthy battle in the judicial system and the court of public opinion. Therefore, I would have done the same thing today. If I was the gentleman in this situation, I would have done exactly what he originally did; stand firm and work towards to solution in which all parties are satisfied. I would not have decided to cut my hair because that would have violated my cultural values and personal value system. In the end, the solution was amicable to both the gentleman and the