Scenario: A Different Lunch

Group Size: 4-15

Scenario

“I just don’t think that he should be allowed to bring that kind of stuff to work,” says Karl Müller to Mohamed Mezini, the administrative supervisor, about Warrant Officer (WO) Ji Young Min, the newest team member. “I mean it stinks up the place. I know that he has a different palate, but that’s no reason why we should all be made to suffer these smells. Until he arrived, we used to be able to enjoy our lunch and relax at our desks.”

“You know, he’s only been here a little while and already I’ve heard good things about his professionalism and how well he works with others,” explained Mohamed. “I’ve been told that others really appreciate the experience and expertise he brings to his job.”

“Well, that may be true, but others are sharing their complaints with me about the cloud of bad odours that his eating habits are spreading around the office,” said Karl.

“Did you think of talking to him about it?” asked Mohamed.

“I thought about it, but I don’t want to come across as a bigot,” answered Karl. “Anyway, this is an office admin issue that has ethnic sensitivities and it’s not my job to deal with that.”

Mohamed pondered what he should do.

Categories

• Principles: Respect the Dignity of all Persons
• Values: Courage, Excellence
• Cultural themes: Leadership, Teamwork, Courage
• Misconduct types: Hateful Conduct 
• GBA Plus themes: Culture, Race/Ethnicity
• Audience: Defence Team

Facilitator’s Guide

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the ethical principles of “Respect the Dignity of all Persons” in this situation.
• Discuss the ethical values of courage, and excellence in a workplace setting.

Facilitation Questions

1. What would you do in this situation? What are the considerations?
   • Allow open discussion from the group.
   • Ethical concerns:
     • Discuss how criticism of a member’s cultural food choices is at odds with respecting the dignity of a person and constitutes unacceptable form of disrespect and harassment.
     • From a hateful conduct perspective, would it make a difference if the WO’s food was North American in origin, or if the WO and Karl shared the same ethnicity?
   • Personal factors:
     • The Admin Supervisor may be worried about alienating his peers if he appears to be supporting the interests and needs of the new warrant officer over others in the group.
   • Environmental factors:
     • Consider the physical accommodations made for taking meals. Is there any designated area for eating lunch that is not in the actual office area, and where odours would not interfere with the work environment?
2. What is the ethical dilemma in this situation?
   • In this situation, how can the Admin Supervisor balance the rights of all the individuals?
   • Discuss the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Department of National Defence (DND) policies pertaining to racism and hateful conduct.
3. What are some potential courses of action that could be taken in this scenario?
   • Option 1: Discuss the situation with the new WO in an objective and friendly manner to see if they have any suggestions on how to address the situation.
   • Option 2: Implement a rule that there is no eating allowed in the office area and lunches are to be consumed in designated eating areas.
   • Option 3: Let Karl know that his complaint could be considered racist, and he needs to be more accepting of others’ ethnicity and traditions, pointing out that the food he eats may seem just as offensive to someone with a different cultural background.