Losing it by Diane L.

¶ … Losing it by Diane L. Coutu. Specifically it will discuss the case study's relevance to the human resource issues of the case, and answer the questions "What should Harry do about Katharina?" This is an interesting case because it brings up so many personal and business issues. Katharina is a talented staff member, but a troubled one, to be sure. Handling this issue could become a human resources nightmare if it is not handled delicately, and it could result in further mental instability for the woman, as well. Katharina has a real opportunity to sue the company if they handle this poorly, and she is a great risk to the company if her behavior continues, as well. Harry has some very difficult decisions ahead of him, and he needs to give real thought toward his actions before he makes any permanent decisions.

There are several relevant factors contributing to this case. First, Katharina is obviously suffering from some kind of medical/mental condition. Her actions are irreverent and abrasive, she is clearly out of control and cannot face it, and she could be causing damage to business and client relationships. If she is suffering from mania, as one of the authors suggests, she could even do harm to herself without even realizing it. Thus, she is a danger to herself and the organization, and the longer her condition goes untreated, the worse it will become. First, Harry must decide how to intervene. Does he have her committed? What are the implications of that for the company? Does he set up an intervention? Does he talk to her rationally and attempt to persuade her to get help on her own? Clearly, one factor is deciding how to take action in the case. Another is certainly the myriad HR implications in the case. Will Katharina sue if she is committed or undergoes intervention? Will Roland sue because of her outburst? Will Jose and his company create problems for the company, or will he take his business elsewhere? Will other employees become disgruntled if Katharina's case is handled delicately? Will they claim disparate treatment? Finally, the factor of continued preparation for situations like these must be addressed.

First is Harry's reaction to this case. He is fond of Katharina, which could pose a problem when he begins to deal with the problem. He is emotionally involved in some respects, and this could be a problem to human resource managers, they may feel he is too closely linked to the problem. They might recommend that Harry step aside and allow a HR specialist to handle this very delicate issue, but that might compromise the situation by bringing in someone that Katharina neither knows or trusts. Karl might be the man for the job, since he is close friends with Katharina. Intervention seems as if it would be a good choice in this case, but there are problems, as an author notes. She writes, "It may, however, be legally impossible for an employer to bring these people together; privacy and other sensitive issues may be raised if the employer tries" (Jamison, 2004, p. 44). Clearly, human resources has to be closely involved in this decision and the intervention, because there are so many legal implications for the company. If handled poorly, Katharina has numerous grounds to sue this global organization, and that could be disastrous to the company's reputation and bottom line. This situation indicates the need for specific human resource planning, and how it is imperative for an organization to develop crisis plans, not only for natural disasters and emergencies, but for employee emergencies, as well. This is extremely important not only to save Katharina's overall mental health, but also to spare the organization from lawsuits and sexual harassment suits, which could be extremely damaging to the organization. Harry should not make his decision alone that is clear. He needs guidance from human resources, the firm's legal advisors, and medical personnel, and he needs to get that guidance quickly, before Katharina implodes.