Consider the following scenario and provide your analysis and recommended course of action.
You have been the director of human resources at a mid-sized manufacturing firm for about six months. The hiring process consists of HR advertising, screening applicants for qualifications, and recommending the top ten to the department. The department heads review the top ten and bring in the top three applicants for an interview. Since joining the company, you have reviewed the hiring statistics and found that in no case was a disabled applicant considered in the final interview step of the hiring process even though the HR screening has found more than a few to be qualified. There is no formal or stated policy against hiring the disabled, but you are concerned that it might be an unwritten practice based on a concern that disabled employees are not as productive as the able-bodied. What are the legal and ethical issues associated with such a staffing philosophy? What do you recommend as a course of action?
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