Employee's viral video and client backlash
- Kind
- Ethical dilemma
Prompt
You own a landscaping company with eight employees. Last weekend, one of your crew leaders, Daniel, was filmed shouting and swearing at a parking attendant during a dispute over a ticket. He was off duty, but he was wearing a company T-shirt. The video has been viewed 2 million times, your company has received dozens of one-star reviews, and your largest client, a property manager whose contract brings in a third of your revenue, says she will cancel unless Daniel is let go. Losing that contract would mean laying off two other employees. Daniel has worked for you for five years without a single complaint. He tells you he had just learned his mother had been taken to the hospital, that he is ashamed, and that he has apologized to the attendant in person. What would you do?
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How to approach this question
What this question tests
- Ethical reasoning
- Professionalism and integrity
- Critical thinking
How to approach it
This MMI station tests whether you can be fair to a loyal employee after a viral video while protecting the jobs of others and the business that pays them. Name the people involved: Daniel, the two employees whose jobs depend on the contract, the client, the parking attendant, and you as the owner. Say what you'd want to know, such as whether there's any history of similar behavior, and weigh the context Daniel gave you without letting it excuse what happened. Compare firing him with options like a formal warning, a public apology, or a conversation with the client about the steps you've taken. Decide, and own the cost of your choice. When a follow-up reveals new information about past conduct, show how fresh facts can change a decision, and how you'd check them fairly before acting.
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