You are the vice-president
You are the vice-president of a growing candy
company located in an area of town which is home to many Hindu and Muslim
people. There are a growing number of local women being employed on the
manufacturing floor of the business. Recently health and safety concerns have
been raised by the company health and safety committee. They are asking the
women wearing bangle bracelets, Sari’s, long veils or long covering clothes
remove them and change into “safety attire” when entering the floor. The Hindu
women do not want to remove their bangles as it is a mark of their marriage and
the esteem to which their husbands hold the, the greater the value and quantity
of the bangle the greater the esteem. The bangles however, can easily get caught
in mixing machines causing injury to the wearer as evidenced by a recent
accident. Veils and long clothing have similar problems with getting caught in
the machines, as well as carrying dirt and food particles around the floor. In
the case of clothing however, there are religious reasons for their being worn.
You are concerned that any decision that you make will affect the morale of the
employees and may even cause some to quit. In addition it may create problems
with the community as well. Regardless health and safety concerns are critical
to the business and the prospect of being shut down for health and safety
reasons is out of the question. It is your decision to make.