NSPE Code of Ethics Case Study (Glass Ceiling)

Brenda Jones, a chemistry laboratory technician at XYZ, returned to her laboratory frustrated and angry after her meeting with her department manager, Mike Richards. She had asked for the meeting in order to discuss a job posting for a process chemist in one of XYZ’s factories. She regarded this job as a real opportunity to match her skills and abilities with her responsibilities. Brenda had been a brilliant college student, excelling in chemistry and chemical engineering. However, when she sought employment the state of the economy made it very difficult for her to find an appropriate position. She took the only job related to her field that she could find–a chemistry laboratory technician in the research laboratories at XYZ. It soon became obvious to XYZ’s research management that Brenda was capable of handling a much more demanding position. After a short time she was promoted to a chemist’s positon in XYZ’s technical service organization. She regarded becoming a process chemist as a good next step in her career. What frustrated and angered Brenda at her meeting with Mike was his flat refusal to place her name in application for the process chemist position. “Brenda,” he said, “you would find the atmosphere in a factory too demanding for you as a woman. That’s a very high-pressure job. What would you do if your kids got sick again? The factory has got to run and they wouldn’t wait for you while you stayed home to play nursemaid!” This was not the first time Mike had indicated doubts about what she could handle. Shortly after her transfer into the technical service department, Mike told Brenda that, as the only woman in the department, she would not be invited to the department’s annual off-site planning and recreational meeting. “You’d be the only woman there and I think you’d be very uncomfortable,” he said, adding that “besides, the language in the discussions sometimes gets a little rough and we wouldn’t want to subject you to that. OK?” Although too stunned to do anything but nod her assent, Brenda was very upset at Mike’s attitude, which she considered to be quite unprofessional. Even more upsetting to Brenda was Mike’s first performance appraisal of her work. During her first year in the department, Brenda had to take several consecutive days off when one of her children became seriously ill. She had done her best not to let her work assignments fall behind and had worked many extra hours after her child’s health was restored. However, during her annual appraisal, Mike had criticized her severely because of her “poor attendance record.” When she first considered whether to transfer into the technical service department, Brenda was warned by some of her co-workers that Mike Richards did not particularly like to have women working for him. But she decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. She was now convinced that her co-workers were right, but she was also faced with the question of what to do. She could take a grievance to XYZ’s human resource manager. But he was also male and had a reputation for giving women who complained to him a hard time. Sh might ask for a lateral transfer to another department in the research laboratories. She might try to stick it out and make the best of a frustrating situation, while keeping her eyes open for opportunities with another company. Or perhaps she could confide in someone she trusts and ask for advice. What advice might such a person give Brenda? What ethical questions does this case raise?