Case 8.1 AIDS in the Workplace

Case 8.1 AIDS in the Workplace

Perhaps this case should be called “Gossip in the Workplace.” Nonetheless, setting this in the clinic is easy. Imagine that you ran into your hygienist’s ex at the coffee shop and he told you this. Or told you that she had Hepatitis B? Do you act on it? What if you were then misinformed? Do you respect her privacy?

Case 8.2: Web Porn at Work

This case fits any work situation that has offices with a degree of privacy along with computers hooked up to the internet. Of course, this would be true of any larger, modern dental clinic. For example, my son’s orthodontist’s office would be just such a place.

This is a serious work issue. I have known employees who were fired for taking an excessive interest in web porn. Of course one of the issues here is whether or not what Craig did rises to the level of the employee who hacked into the system. Are these equal violations? Suppose Craig is your clinic’s manager, and he does a stellar job. Further, suppose the other employee was a file clerk who would be easily replaced. Would justice allow you to treat these cases differently?

Case 9.4 Protecting the Unborn at Work

The Johnson Control case is a classic. The reason for including it is to get us talking about the possible conflict between the rights of women to choose their line of work and the protection of a fetus. Since pregnancy often goes undetected for weeks (or even months), a woman who works with hazardous chemicals or elements (labs, x-rays) has the potential to expose her fetus to harmful elements. Who would be liable for any harm done to a fetus, the woman or the employer? The issues here can get VERY sticky.

Case 9.5Swedish Daddies

This case is very easy to adapt to issues facing the dental clinic. Suppose you run an endodontic clinic, and you are looking to hire a new practitioner. You have two applicants, one male and one female, both of them from the top of their class at the UAB dental school. You notice that the female is wearing a nice new wedding ring, and perhaps even mentions that she is just back from her honeymoon. After four years of dental school, two years of graduate school, she is now in her late twenties. Are children coming? While it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex, you do still have an option as to which employee you hire, given that they are both highly qualified. Would or should that be a consideration in your decision?