Your team may wish to role-play this case for the class and then discuss what the supervisor in the scenario should do and how he should respond.

Joaquin has been a machinist for Linco Tool and Die, a manufacturer of engine parts for large motors, for sixteen years. Lately, more of Joaquin parts have been rejected for errors; he seems preoccupied with outside matters—leaving early, asking to take off days beyond sick days allowed. He has missed three work days in two weeks, and Jonas, his supervisor, wondered if he smelled alcohol on his breath after lunch yesterday. Jonas hasn’t said anything yet; he doesn’t want to invade Joaquin’s privacy. He thinks Joaquin, who in the past has been cooperative, positive, highly productive, and rarely sick or absent, may just be going through a tough time. Besides, the past month has been difficult because a major shipment required overtime and all machinists have been asked to work eighty to ninety-five hours a week until the shipment is complete.

At lunch, Jonas overhears an argument between Joaquin and a coworker, Elizabeth, each blaming the other for a part being rejected by quality assurance. Joaquin tells Elizabeth to “stay out of his way and his area,” and that “the next time they’ll settle it outside,”

poking her in the chest with his finger. Joaquin then slams a

$1,250 gauge down on the floor, shouts profanities, and adds, “I don’t care if the part falls off or if this place burns to the ground, anymore; I’ve about had all I can take of you and this place! You know my wife left me for my best friend last week, left me with a two-year-old to raise by myself, and my other kid got expelled for possession. It just doesn’t much matter to me what you think, so I’d leave me alone if I were you!” Jonas heads for the human resource office, unsure of how to proceed.

Here are some questions to guide you:

1 What should Jonas do?

2 What advice would you, as the human resource manager, give Jonas?

3 How should Jonas respond to the immediate situation?

4 How can you apply the assessment questions regarding violence to help Jonas and other supervisors handle future situations more effectively?

AppendixLO1