What Should Columbine Health Systems Do in the Wake of a Discrimination Settlement?
In 2008, leaders at Columbine Health Systems (CHS) began to require its personal care providers to pass a written test, which they had not validated, to ensure job-readiness. Employees took the test, which adversely impacted four of the nine African employees who failed to answer 75% of the questions correctly. This led to the termination of these employees. Following their terminations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) brought suit, which CHS settled for $335,000. In the wake of this settlement, CHS faced a public relations crisis.
Upon completion of this case, students will be able to:
1. Analyze ways to build an organization’s reputation following a public relations crisis.
2. Evaluate ways firms can identify ethical and productive employees.
3. Develop a company policy statement that promotes/reflects diversity, equity, and inclusion.
4. Evaluate ways firms can mitigate their potential for job discrimination claims.
5. Recognize why job relatedness is necessary in the establishment and validation of job qualifications.
diversity, equity, inclusion, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, ethics, selection tools, personality