National Lewis and Clark Corporation Case Study

Essay by matisliaUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, August 2005

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The National Lewis and Clark Corporation (NL&C) is an extremely fast growing company. Due to their recent expansion, many employees, especially those with disabilities, have concerns about their treatment.

Over the years, many acts have been passed to protect employees in the workplace. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), whose main job involves receiving and investigating job discrimination complaints (Dessler, p. 31). The EEOC gives an individual the opportunity to bring a complaint against an employer and the EEOC will attempt to solve the dispute without formal charges being brought.

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was not established until 1990, Sears began making accommodations and hiring individuals with a variety of disabilities prior to 1990. "Sears Chairman and CEO, Edward Brennan states, "Is Sears approach effective for transcending compliance with the ADA?" In response, Brennan asserted what would become a central theme of the 1994 report: "At the bottom line, when Sears hires, works with, and accommodates qualified employees with disabilities, Sears enhances its customer base, employee morale, and its overall business strategy goals" (Blanck, p.8).

Sears has implemented an "Informal Avoidance and Resolution of ADA disputes with the installation of an 800-telephone help line available to employees for guidance on ADA-related ethics and business policy" (Blanck, p. 28). Employees are encouraged to seek assistance from supervisors or the assistance line. Sears also offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that gives employees a place to see professional guidance or a referral to a specific professional for a particular disorder.

Another service available to NL&C is the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). This organization is available to employers as a reference tool to find out what accommodation(s) an employee with disabilities would need. Since NL&C is currently experiencing issues where employees...