2.

A junior member of staff has brought up an issue on her lack of focus in carrying out her duties at
work. Instead of working full-time as a part of the team, she is incurring lapses at work in order to care
for her elderly mother. This junior member was supposed to be competent at work, but due to sudden
circumstances with her family, she is now under pressure. Currently, she is unstable at work, at the
same time, incapable to work full force. Moreover, she is also affecting her colleagues due to her
tardiness. Her colleagues are now covering up for the work she misses which causes them to be
overworked. With this, the manager has to take action because she is already burdened by pressure at
home, and now, with her colleagues starting to dislike her performance, is likewise burdened by work.
In this case, the junior staff member has violated at least two principles, namely: professional
competence and due care and professional behavior. First, professional competence and due care is
violated by the time she started to lie low at work. She was supposed to be a competent staff member,
but due to her lack of focus, her work became affected. How can she continuously give her full expertise
when she cant even give her full attention? As they say, you cant serve two masters at one time. In
the clearest alternatives, you can either be industrious at work and inconsiderate at home or
understanding and caring at home but incompetent at work. Yes, one may try to balance and please
both sides, but no one is a superhero who could do excellent in both areas. As the manager, I cannot
benefit much from her due to this divided attention. Instead, I am given additional worries because of
the effect it has brought to my other staff members. They are beginning to get overworked; therefore,
there is a risk for them to also become partially incompetent due to the possibility of being physically
dysfunctional. Second, professional behavior is affected when the junior staff member has been
incurring absences and tardiness at work. A professional accountant shouldve been a professional who
does not only possess expertise, but could also showcase a good moral character and a pleasing
personality. Furthermore, her colleagues are not also radiating proper professional behavior, because
they are beginning to belittle their team member. Instead of guiding her to gain perfect balance of
competence at work and care for her mother, they are getting every chance they get to impair her
capabilities through weakening her at every opportunity they could get. With this, the junior staff
member is now losing opportunities to carry out excellent professional services.
In order to resolve this case, the junior staff member, her colleagues, and me, as her manager, are
primarily involved. The manager should discuss again their rules and regulations regarding working
hours and professional characteristics. There should be assurance of this stricter implementation.
Furthermore, the manager and the junior staff member should also compromise in order to reach each
of their desired work objectives and focuses. This may include adjusting her work schedule and likewise
calculating her righteous pay because of the decrease in her workload. Their agreement could also
include assurance that she should perform competently at work and give her full attention by the time
she steps in the office. The manager may also choose to inform her elderly mother of her condition so
there may be mutual understanding as well. In addition, if the manager finds the necessity to do so, he
may also assist in his junior staff members home care arrangements for her mother. Of course, failure
to fulfill their agreements is tantamount to neglect of work, which in this second time around, causes
her expulsion.