The class action lawsuit facing Eli Lilly & Company (Lilly) concerns the discriminatory practices and human rights violations thought to have been undertaken by Lilly against minority employees despite the fact that the company is thought to have a lot of minority friendly policies. In requesting the presiding judge to grant a class-action status to the lawsuit, the attorney and plaintiffs have sought to enjoin in the case all Lilly employees who have been victims of racial discrimination and other unfair workplace practices, such as disparities in wages, bonuses, promotions, performance evaluations, and discipline.
Drawing from this background, it is prudent for Lilly to avail credible evidence before the judge to demonstrate that such discriminatory practices and human rights violations have never taken place in the company. Owing to the fact that Lilly is the defendant in this case, it may compile the necessary evidence, which could then be used to request the judge to dismiss the case. However, in the absence of such evidence, the company may seek for arbitration with the view to settling the physical, psychological, emotional, and financial injuries or damages outside the court and hence effectively dealing with negative publicity and loss of reputation often associated with prolonged discrimination lawsuits.
Available Options for Lilly and Best Choice
From the case study, it appears that Lilly’s top management is sincere and fully committed to the promotion of diversity policies at the workplace. However, the core values and norms of diversity are not upheld by middle-level managers and supervisors whose task is to implement these policies at the organizational level. Consequently, the options available for Lilly include settling the damages as ruled by the court, seeking for arbitration, enhancing its diversity programs to ensure more minority employees hold senior positions, and improving management practices to ensure that such discriminatory practices are avoided in the future.
Improving the management practices at the company to avoid recurrence of discriminatory practices against the minority is the most preferred option, as it will help the company deal with negative publicity associated with future discrimination lawsuits. It should be noted that negative publicity arising from such lawsuits not only substantially damages the reputation of Lilly irrespective of whether the firm is liable or not, but also hampers its ability to attract and retain key talent. However, this choice will lend credence to the plaintiffs’ assertion that the company has been engaging in discriminatory practices against minority workers.
Reflection on how Organizations are dealing with Diversity
In my own considered opinion, contemporary organizations are dealing with the diversity issue with greater awareness and sensitivity than was previously the case owing to a number of reasons, key among them being that the modern-day workplace has become increasingly multicultural due the effects of migration and globalization. Another reason why contemporary organizations are showing greater awareness and sensitivity in dealing with diversity is embedded in technological advancement, whereby workers now have enhanced leverage to air their complaints to the outside world using alternative means other than reporting to their respective managers.
Organizations now cannot afford to ignore workplace grievances reported by employees due to the technological revolution. Lastly, owing to the stiff competition in the contemporary business environment, organizations the world over are relying on diversity as the main driving force behind competitiveness due to its capacity to guarantee creativity and innovation. Consequently, organizations are increasingly focusing on diversity programs to enhance their competitive edge through attracting and retaining creative and innovative employees.