Answer Happy

The Politics of "Gender What Happens When Joe Becomes Josephine? PEGGY ESTERKIN WAS in a good mood. She had just been recognized for 10 years of successful service with Svensoro Components Incor- porated a family- owned company that makes metal parts for the aircraft and rail industries. It was un- usually busy for the time of year, but the workforce was content and generally satis- fied with management. By Ash Patel While Esterkin was still basking in her 15 minutes of fame, she received an e-mail message containing the most difficult issue
she has had to deal with in her entire ca- reer. Although she works for a progressive company, she knew that there would be those in the company who would not take well to the situation the e-mail presented. The e-mail Esterkin received was from a feedback system the company established to give employees a chance to anonymously sound out complaints, concerns and sugges- tions. Employee identification is not tracked. The e-mail was written in unclear language and so she had to read it several times in order to understand it. Our case studies are fictional representations of common HR dilemmas, to which HR experts offer solutions.
"I was completely taken back," Es- terkin says. "I thought it was a joke." The message was from an employee who stated that he would quit if another em- ployee, Joe Malatson, was not fired. Joe Malatson, however, was an ideal employee. Being one of the most se- nior machinists, he had been with the company since it first opened two decades earlier. Earning consistently high performance ratings, he was an employee who set an example of excel- lence. He was also well liked by all and frequently volunteered to organize so- cial activities throughout the year. So Esterkin found it surprising that this e-mail was attacking Malatson's about the nature of such a procedure, the emotional stress and the motiva- tion of individuals going through it, as Esterkin discovered upon investigating the topic. As the human resources director, Es- terkin knew that she had to deal with the issue fast, in a highly confidential manner. Knowing that Malatson was a reasonable and intelligent individual, Esterkin asked for a meeting with him at a coffee shop near the office. Upon asking a number of questions, it was confirmed that Malatson was in the initial stages of the difficult procedure and had intended to inform HR of his request for a leave shortly. She in- formed him of his rights under leave of absence policies and the benefits avail- able to him. A feeling of comfort was established and he seemed more confi- dent. But when Esterkin informed. Malatson of the comment made by a coworker, his attitude changed and tears ran down from his eyes. He knew that the consequences were going to be difficult, but was holding out for total acceptance by those who thought of him as a brother in the past. He was ready for everyone to know. In the following days, Esterkin set cies and a few facts about the proce- dure. Malatson would also be allowed. to take a longer than average leave of absence with a graduated return to work schedule. The aim was to gain ac- ceptance on the part of coworkers and make disruption to the workplace mini- mal. He reluctantly agreed to the plan and appeared excited. In the days after the matter was made public, Malatson experienced a range of treatment from those who were indifferent to him before. Many showed support for him. Others did. not. The president of the company, a founding family member, went as far as secretly ordering Esterkin to terminate Malatson and pay a reasonable settle- ment. His argument was that such a change would cause confusion and workers would lose focus resulting in decreased quality and productivity. Es- terkin found the argument unjustified. Malatson's supervisor also felt uncom- fortable with the situation, but really liked Malatson and respected his work. "Joe is the best guy we have," he said. "He is a great mentor to our ju- nior staff and he knows more about the machines than anyone. If we lose him, there will be major problems down.
character. It seemed that Malatson had confided to a coworker that he would be taking time off and upon his return would be changing his name to Josephine. He was in the process of a gender change. Much has been written out to develop a plan of action in order to help Malatson integrate into the workplace after the change. The plan called for each supervisor to communi- cate the situation to their employees, including company discrimination poli- there." Esterkin had a final meeting with Malatson to discuss his options and discovered that he did not want to leave the company, lose seniority or his bonuses. He felt that he had been
instrumental in building the company and his family was deeply rooted in the nearby neighbourhood. Overall, Esterkin was shocked by the ignorance of many of the other employees, including the office staff. It was clear that Josephine Malatson would not enjoy the same respect as Joe Malatson. Regardless, while she knew her choice may not be popular, she also knew she had to do the right thing. Ash Patel ([email protected]), CHRP, is a profes- sor at Seneca College's Centre for Human Resources & International Business and a consultant with Center- Point Training. What do you feel are Esterkin's options? What are potential legal implications of termination? Is the risk to the workforce greater than the risk of terminating Malatson?