Introduction of Workplace Scenario and Key Stakeholders

The situation is based on the ethical dilemma of the CEO of a reputed hospital in Australia. This person has been complained about the incidents of workplace bullying that took place in his hospital for presumably six months. The hospital has a long history of successful delivery of healthcare system and there is no incident of psychological harassment of the medical staffs in their workplaces. There are five people who are associated with the chain of incidents taking place in the hospital for more than six months. There are two staffs of the hospital, working in this hospital has complained about the incidents of bullying and discrumination. Among them, one is a junior nurse, named Nisha. She has been appointed 5 months ago in this hospital and has an Indian origin. The other complainant is Saher, an Indonesian Muslim expatriate, employed in the hospital six months ago. He is the intern healthcare practitioner in this hospital. These two staffs are responsible to their respective heads of the departments, Games and Martina. This incident of workplace psychological harassment has been taken to John, the CEO of the hospital, who is to take judgmental role to understand the actual incident. These two medical staffs have complained against three other staffs of the hospital. They have allegedly putting pressure on Saher and Nisha for their different ethnic background.

The incident was of December 24th when the hospital was being decorated for the Christmas celebration for the next day. These two medical staff have faced the incident of workplace bullying as they have different cultural and ethnic background. They have complained that due to their different religion and culture, the team leaders have dissuaded them from taking part in this celebration. Nisha has also added that her HOD had been truly exploiting her by constantly changing her roaster to give Nisha the night shifts for a week. 

Moreover, these two staffs have also complaint against some of their colleagues who did not allow them to do their duties but continuously discourage them from caring the patients. They continuously remark on the religious background of Saher and associate his with the terrorist attacks in different parts of the world. Some of the colleagues of Saher have made racial comments along with his complexion and religious practices. Nisha has also complained against the sexual harassment by her colleagues for twice. For last 6 months these two medical staffs are being discriminated in their work places. They are not encouraged or motivated like others in the workplace the higher authority has not been responding to this issue rather overlooking the incidents whenever these two are complaining about that.

Complaints of Workplace Bullying and Discrimination

According to the complaint of these staffs of the hospital some of the patients are also not ready to take medicines from them. They have their personal problems and experiences in dealing with the medical persons of another ethnicity. They are continuously asking for Australian nurses rather than taking help of these two staffs. In this regard, when these two staffs asked for help two their respective heads, they did not take any measure to solve this problem.

On the contrary, the departmental heads named Games and Martina, state that both of these two persons lack professionalism and experience. Therefore, anything they or the other staffs are telling, they are finding other meanings. They are accusing that other staffs are remarking about their cultural background but this was not the actual situation. These complaints are inexperienced in the wok culture and have no desire to learn from the workplace. Due to their incompetency, the patients are not ready to take help from them.

The ethical dilemma in such situation becomes critical as such incidents are capable to harm the long-earned reputation of the hospital. In this case, John, the CEO cannot remove one of the employees. First these two staffs who have compliant about the others have been selected by the medical board authority of Victoria so that the hospital can enhance the diversity in the workforce. Secondly, the other staffs include the departmental heads Games and Martina are extremely eligible in their positions and have been doing their jobs for more than ten years. In order to understand the situation more effectively, John has asked for written complaints from both Saher and Nisha and called a meeting along with their respective department heads. This incident has to be analysed properly and find out whether there has been any type of such illegal situation based on which these two staffs of the hospital have been continuously complaining or there are other incidents detailed by the department heads. John has asked for the proofs like recording or videos clearly depicting psychological harassment take place in the hospital. Based on which he can make decision either in support of the complainants or the defendants.

John: I am curious about the situation that has led me to arrange this meeting with all of you. In my experience of working for more than 20 years in this hospital, I have never come across this type of incident or for that matter complain. Yes, our hospital has been chosen by the Victorian medical board as the best place to encourage diversity in workplace but whatever you all have done, I think there will be much problematic situation coming for us. I am equally anxious about the future of this hospital because the incident of psychological harassment if gets published in any regional newspaper, will hamper the reputation of this Hospital.

Impact on Work and Patients

Martina: We are sorry sir. We are unable to keep this situation under control. These two new joiners have no idea of working with any other organisation before. This is why they have entangled us through misconception and reached you for support.

John: The situation is completely under enquiry and I am in a dilemma whether any of you have been telling the truth. I will listen to all of you with all your complaint. Before that I would like to ask Saher what happened with you that you have directly reach your CEO for support.

Saher: With all due respect sir, I am incapable of working in this situation. I am getting depressed due to psychological pressure in working in this situation. Yes, it is true that I am a new joiner and I do not have any experience working with any other hospital before. But I at least have this understanding that who are supporting me for my job and who are not.

John: You have detailed in your letter that some of your colleagues are passing racial remarks and accusing you for not doing your duty properly

Saher: Absolutely sir. I can name them and also my department head knows them as I have told him about this situation also. They openly call me The Muslim guy. They are asking others too for calling me by that name. They have also asked me whether I have any connection with the terrorist groups. This constant bullying from my colleagues has made me depressed and lonely in the workplace.

John: Do you think that they are commenting about your religion?

Saher: Yes sir. These are direct remarks on my religious background. They think all of my Muslim brethren are incompetent with their jobs and I somehow entered this profession as there is no hospital to work in Indonesia, my home country.

John: James, have you taken any initiative to enquiry about this matter previously?

James: Yes sir, but I did not get any clue if somebody has told him this kind of words. I have personally asked the members who are being accused by Saher. But they have not accepted these accuses.

Saher: (To James). Please sir I know you have good connection with other employees who will not ever support me.

John: Saher you must know that we have policies regarding workplace discrimination and we never support any illegal actions in our hospital.

Saher: Yes sir, I know. this is why I have come to you because I know my department Head will take no initiative as I am an intern. More than that I have been working here for only 6 months and others have 2 to 3 years’ experience in working under him.

CEO’s Decision-Making Process

John: Why do you think your head will do that with you?

Saher: I doubt he has a special hatred for the people like me. He is completely biased and trying hard so that I leave this place.

John: No Saher you are completely wrong. I have been working with James for last ten years. He always tries to encourage his subordinates and give all the resources available for them.

Saher: In this context sir I would like to add one particular incident where Dr James was to hand me a file. he was deliberately and systematically dropping that file before I can take it. He intended me to bend down before him and pick it up.

John: Do you have any witness for this Saher?    

Saher: I am extremely sorry sir I do not have any witness at that time because it was my night shift and others have been doing their own duties. Dr. Jams called me in his room and asked me to keep that file with me.

James: Sir I guess you are understanding how deliberately he is trying to defame me. How can we make out such an employee who for nothing is accusing his own departmental head?

John: I am looking into this matter. What about you Nisha?

Nisha:  Like Saher, I have also felt the same for me from my colleagues as well as department head Martina. I am feeling unwanted in this situation by both my co-workers as well as my patience. Martina, my department head has been threatening me for my trivial mistakes and I am not being able to protest out loud. She openly shows her grudge before others and I am feeling belittled and denigrated in the behaviour of my colleagues.

John: You have particularly mentioned about the incident in 24^th December 2018. What happened on that day?

Nisha: Sir on that day I was in the maternity ward and some of my colleagues asked me to join them in the Christmas decoration. However, Martina did not allow me to join that decoration though I was free from my responsibility by then.

Martina: (To Nisha) Nisha you are forgetting that you are not responsible for decorating the wards but taking care of your patients. I have not allowed you because you are to give important medicines to the patients and if it got late, critical situation would have happened.

Nisha: (To Martina). Yes mam. I completely agree with this but it is also true that you called me a fool before my colleagues and also ask me to go back to India and celebrate all the other customs except Christmas. I do not expect this type of remark from my honourable department head. (To the CEO) if you ask me whether I have proof for that then yes. The Other co-workers who came for asking me to join in the decoration, have witnessed the whole situation.

Meeting Discussion with Key Stakeholders

John: If it is true, then Martina I do not expect such a conduct from the experienced employee like you.

Nisha: Sir, I have told Martina madam that some of the male employees have passed sexist comments on me but she took no measure rather told me it is quite natural in here. Not only that sir. I feel that she has been continuously trying to exploit my silence. In her every week’s roaster, I find I am getting 4 consecutive night shifts rather than getting two. She has every right to set our duty schedule but she must also think about the capability of the subordinates.

Martina: (To Nisha). In this case I would rather put my faith on the decision and understanding of our CEO. He knows that I have every right to manage my staff and employ them in the most important wards according to their capabilities. I can employ the most fit person for the most critical responsibility. This do not refer to any type of psychological harassment and I do not need to know your choice. In every job there are some unique criticality. On that week we had the highest number of critical patients to care so I had to bring changes in the roaster. As you are not performing well, your patients are asking help from the other nurses rather than you and you are thinking they are doing as you are from other culture. As a responsible member of this hospital, you are expected to accept my suggestions for improving the hospital’s procedures.

John: Nisha if you are department head is thinking that the night shifts will be better for you as you are not so experienced and during night the work pressure gets reduced then you must follow your head. Martina is an experienced employee and whatever she decides, I have complete faith on them. Martina please follow proper communication mode to your subordinate so that no such complain arise in future.

Martina: I shall definitely work on that matter sir.

John: listening all of you I have understood that there are issues related to psychological harassment in this organisation. emotional harassment is unnoticeable and also viewed as being more socially acceptable. However, I cannot take any immediate measure in this matter as I am in dilemma. I can remove the employees making racial or sexist comments or take other punitive measures. I can also transfer Nisha and Saher to other hospital so that they do not become victims of psychological harassment but this will not support the mission of making this workplace diverse. Therefore, I am instructing the heads to monitor these issues and mitigate them as early as possible.