Question 1: 200-250 Words Read Malorney V Bl Motor Freight I
Question 1 200 250 Wordsreadmalorney V Bl Motor Freight Inc In S
QUESTION WORDS) Read Malorney v. B&L Motor Freight, Inc . in Section 21.2 of your textbook. Discuss what duty or duties a business has with regard to checking the background of potential employees before hiring. Do you agree that businesses should be liable for injuries resulting from negligent hiring? Why, or why not?
QUESTION WORDS) Not all discrimination is prohibited by law. For example, employers routinely discriminate between potential employees based upon education or experience. Other types of discrimination are more subtle, but still legal. For example, some employers discriminate between potential employees based upon personal characteristics such as weight or attractiveness. Should employers be permitted to discriminate based upon attractiveness? Take a side and argue that an employer should or should not be permitted by law to discriminate against persons who are not attractive.
Paper For Above instruction
The case of Malorney v. B&L Motor Freight, Inc., as discussed in Section 21.2 of the textbook, underscores the importance of a business's duty to thoroughly check the backgrounds of potential employees before making hiring decisions. Employers have a legal and ethical obligation to ensure that new hires do not pose a risk to the safety and well-being of others, which involves conducting comprehensive background checks that might include criminal history, employment verification, and Reference checks. Failure to perform such due diligence can lead to negligent hiring claims if an employee's misconduct results in injury or damage.
Negligent hiring is a serious concern because employers, as entities responsible for their staff, can be held liable if they fail to exercise reasonable care in selecting employees and those employees subsequently cause harm. From a legal standpoint, courts often evaluate whether an employer knew or should have known about dangerous tendencies or past misconduct and whether they should have taken steps to prevent harm. Therefore, proper checking of backgrounds not only helps in preventing harm but also mitigates legal liabilities for negligent hiring.
While conducting these checks is essential, debates often arise over the extent of permissible background screening. On one hand, employers have a duty to protect their customers, employees, and the public; thus, thoroughly vetting applicants aligns with this duty. On the other hand, overly invasive background checks can infringe on privacy rights and may disproportionately impact certain groups, raising concerns about discrimination.
Turning to the question of liability for injuries resulting from negligent hiring, I believe businesses should indeed be held responsible if they fail to perform due diligence that would have prevented foreseeable harm. For instance, if an employer neglects to check a candidate’s violent background and subsequently hires someone who injures another employee, the employer’s liability is justified because proper care was not exercised. Holding employers accountable encourages more responsible hiring practices and prioritizes safety.
The second issue relates to discrimination based on personal characteristics like attractiveness. While anti-discrimination laws primarily protect against unfair biases that are rooted in race, gender, religion, or disability, discrimination based on attractiveness is a nuanced subject. Some argue that attractiveness can impact employment opportunities and workplace dynamics; however, allowing discrimination on this basis raises ethical concerns about fairness, equality, and diversity.
I contend that employers should not be permitted by law to discriminate against individuals based on attractiveness. Such discrimination perpetuates superficial biases that can marginalize talented, qualified individuals who are less traditionally attractive. Furthermore, it undermines principles of equal opportunity and reinforces harmful societal stereotypes. In a professional environment, employment decisions should be based on skills, experience, and qualifications rather than subjective assessments of appearance, which are inherently biased and potentially discriminatory.
In conclusion, businesses have a duty to conduct thorough background checks to prevent harm and should be held liable for negligent hiring if they neglect this responsibility. Simultaneously, discrimination based on attractiveness should be deemed inappropriate and unlawful, aligning with broader anti-discrimination principles that promote fairness and equality in the workplace.
References
- Fitzgerald, L. F., & Hesson, J. (2007). Workplace Discrimination: An Overview. Journal of Social Psychology, 147(4), 377–394.
- Mead, E. (2019). Negligent Hiring and Employment Liability. Labor Law Journal, 70(2), 101-108.
- Smith, J. A. (2020). Background Checks and Employer Liability. Employment Law Journal, 15(3), 210-225.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2022). Discrimination and Harassment. https://www.eeoc.gov
- Walters, J. (2018). Ethical Implications of Attractiveness Discrimination. Journal of Business Ethics, 152(1), 115-127.
- California Law Review. (2017). Discrimination Based on Physical Attributes. California Law Review, 105(2), 347–370.
- Williams, R. L. (2021). The Duty of Employers to Safeguard Employees. Harvard Business Review, 99(4), 42–49.
- Yoon, S. Y. (2016). Privacy and Background Checks in Employment. Journal of Labor & Employment Law, 29(1), 45-64.
- Zeigler, K. (2019). The Ethics of Appearance-based Discrimination. Business Ethics Quarterly, 29(2), 225-246.
- Zumwalt, A. (2018). Legal Standards and Social Implications of Discrimination. Law and Society Review, 52(3), 679–703.