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FRESH TO TABLE
Khushboo Behal (
Xuyuyang Dong (
Prabin Karki (
Danial Nowzari (
Syeda Sakina Shani (2107075)
Salvador Evangelista Esquivel Diaz (2139654)
Fairleigh Dickinson University
MADS_6600_V2: Theory & Practice Administration
Ahmad Salman
March 23, 2025
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Electronic Communications (How does “always-on” technology contribute to the blurring
of boundaries between professional and personal lives?)
1. Regarding the situation at hand, what should concern the leaders of FtT?
The Fresh to Table management has to deal with the impact of “always-on” technology
on workplace culture, employee morale, legal risks, and corporate reputation. The
scenario cites the blurring of personal and professional communication, hence the need to
have strict policies without destroying a good work environment.
a. If you are the CEO, what are your biggest concerns?
As a CEO, the most critical concern would be to protect the company’s reputation, have
regular enforcement of policy, minimize legal risks, and encourage professionalism and
cultural engagement. If the employees are not heard or treated badly, they will become
dissatisfied and create more office conflicts.
b. If you are the VP of Human Resources, what are your biggest concerns?
Staff members will have restricted expectation of privacy as they make use of company-
owned platforms and devices. Employers typically own communications in the
workplace and may intercept them, but transparency is key to trust. Personal usage of
company systems can still be audited, subject to policy within the workplace.
2. What are the reasonable expectations of employees regarding the privacy of their
communications in the workplace?
a. Who owns employee communications?
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Employees can expect minimum privacy when using business-owned systems and
platforms. Employers typically own company communications and have every right to
monitor them, but it is important to be open to investigations to build trust. Depending on
company policies, private use of company systems may still be open to investigations.
b. What speech is protected? What speech is not protected?
Protected speech includes conversations about working conditions, pay, and rights under
labour laws. Defamatory, discriminatory, harassing, or revealing confidential company
information is not protected. Policies clearly outlining these boundaries can alert
employees to them while fostering an environment of open but professional
communication.
Human Resources Issues (Discipline and Termination) (What, if anything, should Mossberger and Jensen do about the three
employees who have engaged in extensive Slack conversations about coworkers, and why?)
5. What should the CEO do?
Firstly, the CEO should put forward the values and strategy that lead the company. Mossberger should act in accordance
with FtT's teamwork and authenticity core values. Terminating employees who go against the rules indicates the company's
readiness to take responsibility. On the one hand, this decision may make some other employees upset. Thus, maintaining the
wrong behavior could compromise the amount of trust. Secondly, it is the turn of the CEO to consult both HR and Legal to
ensure the Organizational decisions adhere to the existing laws on top of these company policies. Scrutinize the Slack
messages they find, and then easily determine whether they are hidden under the guise of an office conversation or demonstrate
rudeness. Finally, a two-way communication should be encouraged, and the CEO must notify all the company staff about the
incident. Outline the norms once more. Emphasize that rude conduct does not match FtT's cultural values.
6. What should the VP of Human Resources do?
a. What is the role of legal counsel?
The responsibilities of legal counsel involve ensuring that the messages which breach laws such as harassment and the
organization code do not exist, confirm that the termination is legal and nothing unfair, and finally, check company’s policy
regarding their rights to view employeescommunications.
b. Discipline options:
If Mossberger and Jensen decide to fire the last three employees, it should be because the messages contained indications of
bullying, hate speech, or breaking rules. Although it can cause lawsuits, it will be an indication of the company's concern
regarding the rules. On the other hand, if they choose to form an Improvement plan, it may be because the behavior is not bad
enough or because the employees themselves ask for their mistakes to be forgiven. Nevertheless, it might position the company
as too weak. In case they do nothing, it is a bad decision. For one, it allows bad behavior to be left intact, which could cause legal
issues and mistrust.
c. Risks of each option:
The first choice is to fire the employees; however, there are two types of risk related to this choice, Legal risk and Culture risk.
This may relate to the legal risk, where the employees may say that their conversation is work related. By patterning culture risk,
some employees may think that it is restrictive, but a good way of showing that the organization has culture. Another possibility
is the creation of an improvement plan. Here, the risk is associated with possible failure. Should they fail to change the scenario,
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the issues remain as they were. For Culture risk, some employees could feel the company is being too easy on the violators. Last,
doing nothing, that’s the best option; because it’s the worst option. Where it can create lawsuits, the legal risk allows a company
to act maliciously. Since it hurts FtT's reputation and makes it harder for the company to be considered as "the place to work," it
further decreases our chances of winning the "Best Place to Work" award.
Q. 7
Openness is required, but not to the point of invading privacy.• Phrase it as a cultural matter rather than
a personal grievance.• For instance, "We are reaffirming our values about professionalism and
teamwork.
Q. 8
•Employers can track work communications but should not be accessing personal accounts.
•LinkedIn activity must not be monitored unless it is directly detrimental to the company.
9. Should Mossberger and Jensen have done anything differently in the time leading up to March 5, and why?
Differing approaches taken by Mossberger and Jensen, especially concerning Hillary
Showalter, could have been considered. Mossberger's choice to advertise the office manager
role online without Jensen's input during her absence possibly escalated tensions.
Showalter's reaction was fueled by the impulsive act and the sudden end, escalating to legal
threats. A structured, collaborative method could have maintained relationships and
sidestepped conflicts and legal entanglements.A more cohesive communication approach,
coupled with stringent workplace policy enforcement—particularly pertaining to Slack
activity—might have forestalled the emergence of the later unveiled negative employee
conduct.
10. In what ways are professional and personal lives often intertwined? What types of conflicts may result from this
overlap?
Lines blur - a dance of intertwining worlds unfolds, where the boundaries of work and
personal realms fade into each other at places like Fresh to Table. When coworkers morph
into comrades, uncharted emotional currents start to steer the ship, stirring turbulence in
the waters of professionalism, breeding disputes.Amidst the complex web of the workplace
lie intriguing phenomena:
- Boundaries that blur: A tango of personal beef spilling into work realms; behold the
derogatory Slack whispers at Fresh to Table, a lurking toxin menacing morale and efficiency.
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Balancing act: Juggling work and life becomes murky when informal norms kick in, such as
clocking in late post marathon hours. The fine line separating work duties from personal
time blurs, leading to a simmering pot of stress and potentially, brewing resentment.
Power dynamics: Building strong connections within the workplace can blur hierarchical
structures and create concerns about biased decisions, like when staff questioned
advancements and salary hikes.
Ethical challenges: Workers may face inner conflicts between being true to themselves and
following formal workplace norms, especially in organizations that prioritize both qualities,
as demonstrated by Fresh to Table.
