Jacksonville Shipyards

Jacksonville Shipyards

In the Jacksonville Shipyards case, Lois Robinson is mistreated in the workplace for being a woman in an industry dominated by men. Robinson put the work in to be just as skilled as any of the men that she worked with, but because she was the minority, she was put in many uncomfortable situations. When she finally reached a point that she felt it necessary to report the disregard for her comfort, the harassment and discrimination became increasingly worse. Lois Robinson was forced to file a sexual harassment suit against Jacksonville Shipyards Inc. because of the supervisors’ and employees’ mistreatment towards her for being female.

Although the behavior of Robinson’s male coworkers is morally objectionable, should management attempt to prevent it? Do you accept the claim that the workers have a right to post pictures in the workplace? Is this a personal problem that workers should handle among themselves?

Even though the behavior of Robinson's male coworkers is morally objectionable, management should attempt to prevent it as part of their ethical responsibility to all employees. The work place should not be a place that employees dread attending, and Robinson’s experience was full of discomfort so management should have helped make Robinson feel more comfortable at work. The workers could argue that they have the right to post the suggestive pictures, since JSI was not obligated to follow the policy of the EEO and many supervisors did not even know there was a policy in place. According to our text, JSI’s position as a federal contractor requires that “the company is obligated by presidential order to be nondiscriminatory and to have an affirmative action plan” (Boatright, 2009, p. 198). Robinson might not have been physically assaulted but she was emotionally assaulted and bullied by her male coworkers. When there is blatant separation between one employee and the majority of the employees, the situation cannot be handled among...