No CPR, and Six Other Terrible Workplace Policies By Venessa Wong Bloomberg Businessweek
Photograph by Holly Harris:Getty Images
Pre-reading Question
Directions: As a class, have students study the photo and describe what they think is going on in the picture.
Excerpt
“After days of receiving public outcry and ridicule for its company policy that prevented a nurse from giving CPR to an 87-year-old resident who later died, Bakersfield (Calif.) senior living community Glenwood Gardens (BKD) released a statement today to clarify its position: It “is an independent living facility, which by law is not licensed to provide medical care to any of its residents.”
That makes sense when it comes to dispensing narcotics or, say, setting a broken bone. Performing CPR on a person who can’t breathe, on the other hand, might qualify for an exception…
Unemployed need not apply. Some companies, as a common practice, hire only applicants who are currently working. That’s a problem for the country’s many long-term unemployed who, arguably, would really like a job…
Take off those pants. Female crew members of Asiana Airlines (020560) are not allowed to wear trousers, which has drawn the ire of South Korea’s human-rights commission. Then again, the airline industry isn’t known for its lax dress code…There are plenty of strict uniform rules, including regulations on hair and makeup, how much jewelry and accessories can be worn, and even the type of luggage the crew is allowed to carry… No working from home. Yahoo!’s (YHOO) recent decision to require employees to come into the office set off a debate about work-rom-home policies—and drew a fair deal of criticism.
No food at your desk. Some call centers don’t allow workers to eat at their desks, saying it is impolite and unhygienic. It’s a contentious issue because “it cuts right to the heart of individual freedom.”
Vocabulary in Context
Directions: Have students infer the meaning of the words in the sentences then use them in a sentence.
- After days of receiving public outcry and ridicule for its company policy…
- New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington, D.C., have made it illegal to discriminate against the unemployed.
- He was later fired because bringing in the weapon violated the company’s gun policy.
- Female crew members of Asiana Airlines are not allowed to wear trousers, which has drawn the ire of South Korea’s human-rights commission.
- Some call centers don’t allow workers to eat at their desks, saying it is impolite and unhygienic.
Reading Comprehension fill ins
1. Fortunately, the most ridiculous standard operating procedures usually don’t___anyone.
a.kill
b. hurt
c. stop
2. Some companies, as a common practice, hire only applicants who are currently ___.
a. searching for work.
b. unemployed
c. working.
3. A “no guns in the workplace” rule seems plenty___, but if ever there were an exception, the following might qualify.
a. unreasonable
b.reasonable
c. silly
4. Disneyland (DIS) just last year started allowing employees to grow a___ or a goatee shorter than a quarter of an inch.
a. beard,
b. plant,
c. moustache
5. Yahoo states no working from___
a. church
b. school.
c. home.
6. No ___at your desk.
a. food
b. games
c. music
Questions for Discussion
1. Do you agree with any of these company policies? Provide reasons why or why not.
2. Which company would you choose to work for if you had a choice?
3. Do you think companies should allow the employees to make the rules? Explain why or why not.
4. Will companies such as these remain in business for long? Why or why not?
5. With your group members make up a list of rules you would have if you owned a company.
Answer Key
Vocabulary in Context
- ridicule |ˈridiˌkyo͞ol|-noun-the subjection of someone or something to mockery and derision: he is held up as an object of ridicule .
- discriminate |disˈkriməˌnāt|-verb [ no obj. ]make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different categories of people or things, esp. on the grounds of race, sex, or age: existing employment policies discriminate against women.
- violate |ˈvīəˌlāt|-verb [ with obj. ]-break or fail to comply with (a rule or formal agreement): they violated the terms of a ceasefire.
- ire |ī(ə)r|-noun-anger: the plans provoked the ire of conservationists.
- unhygienic |ˌənhīˈjēnik, ˌənhīˈjenik|-adjective-not clean or sanitary: damp, unhygienic accommodations.
Reading Comprehension fill- ins
1.a- 2. c-3. b-4. a-5 c-6. a
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