Prompt
You are the evening shift lead at a busy family restaurant. A line cook, Ray, has worked with you for four years, has trained half the kitchen staff, and is the only income for his family of four. Three times this month, he has arrived for his shift smelling strongly of alcohol. Tonight he burned his hand on the grill and laughed it off. The owner has a zero-tolerance policy: anyone found working under the influence is fired on the spot, and shift leads are required to report it. After the shift, Ray asks you for one more chance and promises it will not happen again. What would you do?
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After you practice: what this question tests and how to approach it
What this question tests
- Professionalism and integrity
- Empathy and compassion
- Ethical reasoning
How to approach this question
This MMI station on addiction in the workplace tests how you weigh compassion for a loyal coworker against your duty to keep the kitchen safe and the reporting rule you're bound by. Name the competing interests: Ray's family and livelihood, the staff and customers at risk, the owner's policy, and your own position as shift lead. Ask aloud whether the policy leaves any room for support, and what the owner would expect of you. Weigh reporting him, giving him another chance, and finding a path that combines accountability with help, then commit to one. When the station reveals more about why he's drinking, consider whether this is a matter of discipline or health, and what it means to help someone who says he can't stop alone.
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