Case Study:
Covering for a Laid-Off Friend
You manage a group of software developers for a large organization and several days ago had the difficult task of notifying a friend who works for the company that he is being laid off. Even though he has performed wonderfully in the past and you hate to see him go, your company lost a contract with a major client and thus his position has become obsolete. T he employee wants to build a house, and you're aware that he is I 0 days away from closing on a loan for it. He has sold his previous home and now is living with his in-laws. He asks you for a favor: Could you extend his employment just 10 more days so that he can qualify for his new home loan? Unfortunately, you don't have the authority to do so, and you tell him you can't help him. He then teiis you that the mortgage company will be calling sometime soon to get a verbal confirmation of his employment. T he confirmation is an essential prerequisite if your friend is to obtain the loan for his new home. Would you, he asks, tell the mortgage company that he is still employed? Solving the Dilemma As a manager, what would you do?
Q1. Tell the mortgage company your friend is still employed by the company. Your friend needs a break, and you're confident that he'll find a job in the near future.
Q2. Refuse to lie. It is unethical to falsify information regarding employment.
Q3. Simply avoid the mortgage company's phone call.
Q4. Invent other options. Discuss.
Your answer must be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides, APA format and also include references.