Clean Edge Case Analysis free essay sample

The Yellow Wallpaper

Presentation The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that clarifies the miserable story of a lady experiencing intense post birth anxiety. Composed during the withering long periods of the nineteenth century, The Yellow Wallpaper is normal for the psychological and enthusiastic treatment that ladies were exposed to during this period. To be sure, Gilman utilizes this short story as her â€Å"reaction† to this kind of treatment.Advertising We will compose a custom exposition test on The Yellow Wallpaper explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Given the weight that Gilman gives The Yellow Wallpaper and thinking of her as own life, one would be enticed to reason that she was in fact utilizing the story as a source of perspective to her life. Through perusing the story, one can see an unmistakable want for the ladies in this period to ensnare themselves from mastery. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, there is an away from of control of ladies and the general public is by all accounts consistent on its side. From the surface, the story is by all accounts tending to the narrator’s infection yet a more profound investigation uncovers that it is in reality discussing the state of the ladies people when all is said in done. Indeed, the general public appears to have allocated jobs for ladies, which they should stick to. In the story, John is utilized emblematically to speak to the male people while the storyteller speaks to the ladies. All through the story, the storyteller along with the remainder of the ladies caught in the backdrop are frantically attempting to loosen up from the capacity that the general public has appointed for them. Despite the fact that these ladies are making a decent attempt as they can, their mental fortitude consistently appears to bomb them particularly around evening time when their spouses and the remainder of the family are at home. Be that as it may, their fearlessnes s at long last gives way and this is the reason John who is utilized to speak to men blacks out after understanding that his better half has at last broken liberated from his control. Despite the fact that this perception is begging to be proven wrong, there is clear proof from the story to demonstrate this point. Directly from the beginning, there is by all accounts explicit obligations that spouses and moms need to satisfy. These obligations appear to have been so abusive with the end goal that the ladies will in general get discouraged subsequent to bringing forth their first kid. This downturn drives them to take the rest fix during which time they should sit idle yet to eat and stay in isolation. The rest is so outrageous to such an extent that one is even illegal from composing anything since this would be equivalent to workaholic behavior their cerebrums something that would ruin their recuperation. This is regardless of the way that the storyteller realizes that â€Å"conge nial work, with energy and change, would do me good.† (Gilman)Advertising Looking for article on american writing? We should check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More indeed, the abuse of ladies appears to have been so incredible to such an extent that John and the narrator’s sibling who are the two doctors accept that the storyteller isn't wiped out regardless of her reasoning in any case. This occurs regardless of the way that the two of them love the storyteller beyond a reasonable doubt. Is astonishing that regardless of this type of drug, the storyteller doesn't appear to show signs of improvement. Truth be told, she wishes that she could get well quicker just to get away from this type of routine. Clearly the storyteller sees the treatment as a pointless break in her life that ought not have happened in any case. Regardless of this, she knows about the repercussions that might follow her refusal to stick to the particulars of t he medicine. Rather than glancing in to the reasons why her recuperation is moderate, John accepts that her better half is to be faulted something that appears to alarm the storyteller a lot. This is seen when she says, â€Å"If I don’t get quicker he will send me to Weir Mitchell in the fall.† (Gilman) Although we are not determined what sort of a spot Weir Mitchell was, there is no uncertainty that it was a spot that imparted dread on the storyteller and this makes us to consider what sort of a spouse would need to take his significant other in such a spot. Truth be told, Gilman appears to have put this announcement for impact just to show us the extraordinary end that these men were happy to go to monitor their ladies. Despite the fact that the couple leases a frontier manor for the spouse to recover, it is amusing how she isn't permitted any opinion valued by anyone. All through the story, John appears to realize what is best for his significant other and he doesn' t acknowledge her yield in the issue. Of the considerable number of things, the spouse doesn't permit her to pick her room from the numerous rooms yet rather he drives her to consume the stay with the revolting backdrop. The storyteller needs to do such a large number of things yet as it was trademark in that period, the marriage foundation that she is resolved to bargains her opportunity and bliss. Notwithstanding the room containing the monstrous backdrop, the room has no windows and even the bed is dashed to keep her from moving it to some other position. This is an away from of control and mastery by the spouse. By breaking down the lives of the ladies behind the backdrop, clearly they are attempting to search for their opportunity. On her part, the storyteller is searching for opportunity from her better half and the rest fix that she has been exposed to. All through the story, the storyteller makes a decent attempt to liberate ladies from the sexual orientation inclination tha t had leaked in the general public. In any case, this isn't simple in light of the fact that simply like the backdrop these cultural changes had become â€Å"ridged and yellow with age.† (Gilman)Advertising We will compose a custom paper test on The Yellow Wallpaper explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite John’s mastery, the storyteller gradually starts to assume responsibility for her life. In spite of the fact that she had abhorred the yellow backdrop from the outset, she starts increasing some psychological quality just by watching it. As her brain beats, she compels herself to think and this is something that her better half doesn't care for. Where it counts her heart, she realizes that her better half doesn't really know it all yet she doesn't utter a word inspired by a paranoid fear of responses. Despite the fact that John has advised her not to trouble herself with anything, she starts dissecting the backdrop and that is the point at which she sees the figure of ladies attempting to free themselves. For probably the first time, the storyteller feels that she knows something that her better half or some other individual so far as that is concerned doesn't have a thought regarding. This is introduced when she says, â€Å"there are things in that paper that no one knows yet me.† For once, the storyteller is happy since she feels that she has direct information that isn't yet clear to her better half. For once in her life, she appears to have reasoned that she has a practical brain that is altogether hers and one that she can use as she wills. Indeed, even to John, her better half resembles a puzzle that he can't unravel and that is the reason he keeps he secured in the room just to monitor her. Be that as it may, what he neglects to acknowledge is that by doing so he is really helping her to comprehend her own riddle. As the story approaches peak, John appears to be confused and he even is by all accounts seeing a difference in demeanor on the storyteller. Indeed, he praises her for investing an energy to show signs of improvement yet she realizes that she is getting great for different reasons. Despite the fact that he doesn't let it be known, John has understood that the backdrop is a portrayal of his significant other and that is the reason he reproves her any place he finds her gazing at it. Just with a day to go before they go out, the storyteller experts her fortitude and tears down the backdrop. The narrator’s sentiments of opportunity top when she figures out how to pull down the yellow backdrop from the dividers where it had hanged for a long time. So as to achieve this, she utilizes a lot of resolution and persistence yet she at long last figures out how to complete the work. She is persuaded that John would denounce her for tearing down the backdrop yet for once, she isn't troubled. To her, assuming responsibility for anything regardless of whether it is the â€Å"odious wallpaper† is superior to simply sitting and sitting idle. For sure, tearing down the backdrop appears to just be the initial move toward her opportunity. To her, she appears to have inferred that her life was in her own hands and not on Johns or some other male so far as that is concerned. Inside a brief timeframe, she appears to have grown intellectually as a lady. The narrator’s last triumph comes when John shows up home and acknowledges what she has done. In the first place, he is stunned when he understands that she has bolted the entryway something that she had never done. Nonetheless, the peak shows up when he goes into the room and understands that she has torn down the backdrop. There is no uncertainty in John’s mind that his significant other has at long last grown intellectually and recovered the opportunity that he had for such a long time denied her. Truth be told, the stun is such a great amount for John to such an extent that he faints.Advertising Searching for exposition on american writing? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Find out More The evidence that the storyteller has increased mental control comes not long after when she says that â€Å"now for what reason should that man have blacked out? In any case, he did, and directly over my way by the divider so I needed to crawl over him each time.† (Gilman) At this point, she isn't irritated by what he thinks and his swooning doesn't astound her. To her, removing the backdrop from the dividers is an indication of demonstrating that she is happy to assume control over issues and this is the thing that startles the spouse and makes him black out. End The Yellow Wallpaper is an away from of life in the nineteenth century. During this period, ladies appear to have been under male mastery and the general public appears to have acknowledged this reality. All through the story, the storyteller is by all accounts battling to get her very own voice. In any case, h

Biology Essay Topics - Why Use Them?

Biology Essay Topics - Why Use Them?Biology topics are great for essay writing. Students will find them interesting and find answers to questions. Topics for the biology essay that are usually included are reproduction, development, and evolution.Reproduction is the most common of all biology topics. Students will find all sorts of ideas on reproduction. There are different ways that students can relate to this topic and how this relates to their own lives. Also, the entire essay can be about reproduction, if students choose.Development is another great topic for the essay. It may even be good to include it at the end. The ideas that are included here can help the students who are studying these topics to understand.Students can choose to research on a subject or use a method called the growth rate. This method makes a person to calculate the growth rate by taking the number of cells and dividing it by a set of numbers. With this, the student can figure out what the biological age is and what part of the organism has the maximum growth rate. This information is essential when students write about the difference between the cellular biology and the biological growth rate.Evolution is a great subject for the essay because it allows the student to analyze which organism has evolved. There are two methods to look at evolution. The first is to look at the history of evolution and find that organism existed before the other.Another way is to go into the groups of organisms. Using this method, the student can get a better idea about what group the organism belonged to before evolution. This is because with this, the process will follow an evolutionary path.Biology essay topics like reproduction, development, and evolution are great for the writer. Students who are studying biology should try to do research on the topic. Students need to find out information about the topic and about the process involved in studying and writing. The more students are knowledgeable abou t the topic, the easier it will be for them to write the essay.They also need to know what their topic is. Knowing the topic makes it easier for the student to focus on it. Students can use the biology essay topics that are good for essay writing.

The Truth About Government Grants

Contrary to what books and TV ads say, the U.S. government is not giving away free grant money. A government grant is not a Christmas present. According to the book American Government Politics, by Jay M. Shafritz, a grant is, A form of gift that entails certain obligations on the part of the grantee and expectations on the part of the grantor. The key word there is obligations. Getting a government grant will get you lot of obligations and not fulfilling them will grant you a lot of legal troubles. In fact, the tantalizing but false lure of â€Å"free† money from the government has spawned some potentially disastrous government grant scams. Few Grants for Individuals Most federal grants are awarded to organizations, institutions, and state and local governments planning major projects that will benefit specific sectors of the population or the community as a whole, for example:   A neighborhood street paving projectA state-wide program to re-train displaced workersA project to attract new businesses to a depressed downtown areaA regional water conservation programA state or county-wide flood control project   Organizations that get government grants are subject to strict government oversight and must meet detailed government performance standards during the duration of the project and funding period of the grant. All project expenditures must be strictly accounted for and detailed audits are conducted by the government at least annually. All granted funds must be spent. Any money not spent goes back to the Treasury. Detailed program goals must be developed, approved and carried out exactly as specified in the grant application. Any project changes must be approved by the government. All project phases must be completed on time. And, of course, the project must be completed with demonstrable success. Failure on the part of the grant recipient to perform under the requirements of the grant can result in penalties ranging from economic sanctions to prison in cases of improper use or theft of public funds. By far, most government grants are applied for and awarded to other government agencies, states, cities, colleges and universities, and research organizations. Few individuals have the money or expertise necessary to prepare adequate applications for federal grants. Most active grant-seekers, in fact, employ full time staffs to do nothing but apply for and administer federal grants. The plain truth is that with federal funding cutbacks and competition for grants becoming more intense, seeking a federal grant always requires a lot of time and potentially a lot of money up front with no guarantee of success. Program or Project Budget Approval Through the annual federal budget process, Congress passes laws making money -- lots of it -- available to the various government agencies for doing major projects designed to assist some sector of the public. The projects may be suggested by the agencies, members of Congress, the president, states, cities, or members of the public. But, in the end, Congress decides which programs get how much money for how long. Finding and Applying for Grants Once the federal budget is approved, funds for the grant projects start to become available and are announced in the Federal Register throughout the year. The official access point for information on all federal grants is the Grants.gov website. Who is Eligible to Apply for Grants? The grant’s entry on the Grants.gov website will list which organizations or individuals are eligible to apply for the grants. The entry for all grants will also explain: How  the grant money can be used;How to apply including detailed contact information;How applications will be reviewed, judged and awarded; andWhat is expected of successful grantees including reports, audits, and performance standards Other Types of Federal Government Benefits While grants are clearly off the table, there are several other federal government benefit and assistance programs that can and do help individuals with many needs and life situations Beware the ‘Free’ Government Grant Scams The illusion that government grants are somehow â€Å"owed† to taxpayers and are thus available for â€Å"free† has inevitably led to numerous dangerous grant-getting scams. Consider the following offer. â€Å"Because you pay your income taxes on time, you have been awarded a free $12,500 government grant! To get your grant, simply give us your checking account information, and we will direct-deposit the grant into your bank account!† So compelling! But as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency warns, such money for nothing† grant offers are almost always scams. Some ads will claim that just about anybody will qualify to get â€Å"free grants† to pay for education, home improvements, business expenses, even credit card balances. Along with email ads, grants scammers often make telephone calls claiming they work for a â€Å"government agency† that has â€Å"discovered† you qualify for a grant. In either case, the claim is the same: your application for a grant is guaranteed to be accepted, and you’ll never have to pay the money back. No matter what the offer’s bait is, the hook is always the same. After congratulating them on their eligibility, the scammer asks their victim for their checking account information so the grant money can be â€Å"deposited directly† into their account or to cover a â€Å"one-time processing fee.† The scammer may even reassure the victims that they will get a full refund if they are not satisfied. Of course, the reality is that while the victims never see any grant money, they do see money disappear from the bank accounts. As the FTC advises, consumers should never give out their bank account information to anyone they don’t know. â€Å"Always keep your bank account information confidential. Don’t share it unless you are familiar with the company and know why the information is necessary,† warns the FTC. Persons who suspect they have been a victim of a government grant scam should file a complaint with the FTC online, or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

The Andre Yates Case Crime And Delinquency - 1602 Words

Beatrice Benjamin Crime and Delinquency SO209 12/03/14 The Andre Yates Case On June 20th 2001, Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the bathtub of her small suburban home in Clear Lake Texas. The subsequent trial and conviction caused a gargantuan amount of controversy. Jurors found Andrea guilty and sentenced her to life in prison despite the fact that there was an abundance of evidence to suggest that Andrea was legally insane at the time of the killings. In fact, 63% of the American public wanted her to receive the death penalty (). Although she was eventually acquitted by reason of insanity, both the judicial system and the American public should take a more mental-health-aware approach to the individuals they commit to prison. Andrea Yates, then Andrea Kennedy, was born July 2nd 1964 to a middle class family in Houston, Texas. From the start she was an overachiever and goal oriented. She maintained high marks in school, graduated valedictorian and had been captain of the swim team. Forensic psychiatrist _____________, an expert witness for t he defendant in the trial, would later comment on her constant desire and need to be perfect in everything she did. She attended University of Texas Health and Science Center’s nursing program and had a successful career as a nurse, a job that she later resigned from after conceiving her first child. Andrea was 25 when she met her husband Russell â€Å"Rusty† Yates, after dating for three years theyShow MoreRelatedEbooks Solution Manuals and Test Banks for Text Books19223 Words   |  77 PagesHealth by Rebecca J. Donatelle, Emeritus,Patricia Ketcham 12 Instructor’s Manual Access to Health by Rebecca J. Donatelle, Emeritus,Patricia Ketcham 12 Test Bank Accounting and Auditing Research Tools and Strategies by Weirich, Pearson, Churyk 7 Cases Solutions Accounting and Auditing Research Tools and Strategies by Weirich, Pearson, Churyk 7 Solution Manual Accounting by Carl S. Warren, James M. Reeve 24 Instructor’s Manual Accounting by Carl S. Warren, James M. Reeve 24 Test Bank Accounting

Learning to Read and Write free essay sample

â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† by Fredrick Douglas is a story about a slave breaking the bondage of ignorance by learning to read and write. During the course of 7 years Douglas discreetly teaches himself to read and write by means of stealing newspapers, trading food with poor white boys for knowledge and books, as well as copying his master’s handwriting. Douglas learning to read gave him extreme awareness of his condition as he says â€Å"†¦I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy† (Page 168-169). With his new consciousness he suffered with depression envying his fellow slaves for their â€Å"stupidity. † But, like a true underdog, Douglas perseveres and through hope he escapes to the freedom of the North. There’s a quote by Harriet Tubman â€Å"I freed a thousand slaves, and could have freed a thousand more if they had known they were slaves. † Throughout the essay Douglas evaluates his slave master’s ignorance, his fellow slaves ignorance, and most importantly his own. The definition of a slave is â€Å"a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property†. Another definition says slave means â€Å"a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence. † Douglas finds proof of the flawed ideology that is slavery through the book â€Å"The Colombian Orator. † The book validates Douglas’s belief of human rights and gave him ammo to use against slaveholders who thought otherwise. The dilemma in him learning this illuminating information is his inability to figure a way out of slavery. Douglas writes â€Å"It was this everlasting thinking of my condition that tormented me†¦I saw nothing without seeing it, I heard nothing without hearing it† (Page 169). White slave owners made it unlawful for slaves to read and write, this ignorance kept them in a state of limbo which stopped their evolution. Without the capacity to examine their situation, they did not change their situation and stayed in this wheel of oppression and exploitation. Ignorance also befalls on the oppressors. Douglas sheds light on how slave owners prayed to Christ, went to church every Sunday and yet mistreated people to the upmost degree and punished them for reading. Southerners often justified slavery by saying they were bringing Christianity to slaves. Christianity is a religion based on love and compassion for your fellow man. Since the Europeans did not believe the Africans were worthy to be in the same human category as them they dehumanized them relating them to animals. Although the bible says â€Å"we must never treat any part of Gods creation with contempt. When we do, we are indirectly treating our Creator with contempt. † If they did not believe slaves were worthy to be treated as God’s creation then why did they push their religion on them? The answer is to keep them controlled and confused. Europeans stripped Africans of their traditions starting with their name, this in some degree made Africans like blank canvases ready to be painted anew. Christianity gave slaves hope that one day their situation will change if they prayed hard enough and abide by Christ words. It also gave them a brand new vision of what God should look like. White is good, Black is bad. In the Christian bible they saw Jesus as a white man so in turn they could have related the goodness of Christ to the â€Å"goodness† of their masters. Some slaves even argued about whose master was more kind. I guess this is what Douglas was referring to when he called his fellow slaves â€Å"stupid†. I relate the South hypocritical belief system to that of the Catholic Church during Medieval Times. The church dominated everyone’s lives using fear as a means of getting whatever they wanted from its believers. From a very early age, the people were taught that the only way they could get to Heaven was if the Roman Catholic Church approved them. Just like slaves of America many people could not read or write which kept the priests in power. Peasants worked for free on the church land to pay their tithe or to not have the burden of total damnation. The hypocrisy of Christians of the South exemplifies his mistress who he described before as â€Å"Having bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, and comfort for every mourner that came within her reach† (Page 167). Under the influence of slavery the angelical woman he knew turned into that of a demon in her conquest to prove her superiority over him. With praying to white Jesus not working, Douglas expresses a vulnerable side when talking about contemplating suicide. â€Å"I often found myself regretting my own existence, and wishing myself dead; and but for hope of being free, I have no doubt but that I should have killed myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 169). To counter this feeling of hopelessness he birthed a new objective, find the meaning of the word abolition and how it related to himself. Douglas speaks on his ignorance as he writes â€Å" It was always used in such connections as to make it an interesting word to me†¦I found it was â€Å"the act of abolishing†; but then I did not know what was to be abolished. Here I was perplexed. † I find it humorously ironic that he is a prime example of what a abolitionist is and going to become but there was a point in time were he didn’t recognize what the word meant. Using context clues Douglas unmask the true meaning of abolition when reading an article on abolishment of slavery in the District of Columbia. In conclusion Fredrick Douglas’s â€Å"Learning to Read and Write† maturely examines the world in which he lived in. Though Douglas was a slave physically he was never a slave mentally. He analyzes and challenges the norm in his quest for freedom; and because of Douglas’s thirst for knowledge he escapes the bondage of ignorance. Douglas also points out that learning doesn’t make the man free but it is how you use this knowledge to obtain freedom. In our day and age we take for granted things like owning a book, going to school, even the simple principle of being who we want to be. Douglas is a hero to Black Americans as well as people who believe knowledge is power. Work Cited Learning to Read and Write by Fredrick Douglas The Brief McGraw-Hill Reader http://www. sparknotes. com/lit/narrative/themes. html Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/medieval_church. htm The Medieval Church http://www. goodreads. com/author/quotes/18943. Frederick_Douglass Fredrick Douglas Quotes http://www. billygraham. org/articlepage. asp? articleid=6217 Christian view on treatment of animals http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/literature/life-of-frederick-douglass/critical-essays/douglass-canonical-status-heroic-tale. html

Janet Allen free essay sample

Whats a single mom to do? Janet Allen struggled to raise her child, Amanda, as a single mother in Arizona. She performed well in part-time positions in a couple of the Mojavi County departments when, from 1996 to 2002, she was able to accumulate a substantial amount of sick leaves to use in case she or her daughter ever become ill. During that time, she was also able to complete her Associate of Arts degree as an accountant technician, which allowed her to persue, in 2002, a higher paying, full-time job in the another of the countys departments, a much needed career move considering the increasing amount of bills to pay and lack of child support assistance from the ex-husband. The new job, however, was more strict and did not offer a flexibile schedule. Due to an asthmatic condition Amanda developed, Janet ended up depleting all her accrued sick leave by the end of 2003, her supervisor was unsympathetic of the situation, having expressed disapproval regarding to it. We will write a custom essay sample on Janet Allen or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Amandas condition kept on getting worse deteriorating Janets attendence as a result. In the mean time, a Sick Leave Management Policy was promulgated, established the premises in which employees could make use of sick leaves. At that point, Janet had already received her first Letter of Warning for overutilizating the benefit in January 2004, and by March of that year, she had received two Letters of Repriment for the same reason. Nevertheless, not having any extended family around, she had no choices other than taking care of her daughter herself. In hopes of being able to count with a more sympathetic supervisor, Janet got voluntarily transferred to another division of that Department in May 2004. As Amandas condition, became really severe and Janets overutilization of sick leave combined with her failure on following the requirements established by the Divisions Handbook (which required proper procedures when taking sick leave) had leaded to both verbal and written warnings, predisciplinary hearing concerning her excessive absenteeism and a five-day suspension without pay as a disciplinary act, which was later, at a grievance hearing, reduced to two and a half days. Still, Janet was not able to improve her attendance. In this context, an initial predetermination hearing was scheduled for November 4th, 2004. Her pernonnel profile indicated that from February to November of that year, Janet had used 213 percent of her accrued sick leave. By the occasion of the hearing it was suggested that Janets pattern of sick leave usage could be considered abusive. She was not accompanied by a union representative for not knowing she was entitled to one. At the conclusion of the hearing she announced intention to take a leave on November 12th, and was informed by the county administrator that her termination was been considered, based on indications that she was not motivated to change her pattern behavior. In her defense, Janet stated that her daughter was frequent sick and childcare undependable. She expressed her opinion that the county should be more family friendly and understanding to the fact that she is a single mother raising a child with medical needs all by herself and that a flexible working schedule would be very appreciated on her side. To that, the administrator reinforced the fact that the treatment given to her was the same as to all the other employees and stated that, besides not being a productive employee herself, the divisions productivity had been affected by Janets absenteeism. Subsequently, the county terminated Janet, the Letter of Termination stated that the measure was the appropriate action to be taken as progressive discipline. Janet, disagreeing with those terms, which she considered too severe as a disciplinary action, decided to grieve the decision based on the premises that except for sick leave overutilization, her performance was satisfactory; the County Administrator had exceeded his policy-making authority, back in February, when taking away sick leave rights for the countys employees; she had suffered disparate treatment; and that she was denied due process rights by not being informed of her right to have a union representative present at the predetermination hearing. Does Janet Allens absenteeism present any mitigating circumstances that should be considered by management, or should she be treated the same as all other employees regarding attendance policies? Janet Allen is a single mother, who instead of sit around regreating her isfortune of being abandoned by her husband and living on welfare, made the hard choice of going back to school and working part-time while raising her daugher by herself, it is important to recognize that during six years before the girls health condition present itself she had been cautious in accumulating sick leaves, never using them unapropriately, which shows her good faith. There are definitely mitigating circumstances to Janets absenteeism rates, even though all the countys employees were subjected to the same restrictions and conditions regarding sick leave, it is undoubtly a major hardship for single mothers to comply with them and these unequalities must be aknowledged. I strongly believe Janets family situation (as well as any other employees facing similar issues) should be taken into consideration when it comes to attendence management. The fact that labor itself has a social role once it provides individuals with means to support their families should be taken into account on this matter, rather than the blindfull application of rules. In your assessment, does Janets use of sick leave represent overutilization or abuse of sick leave? What is the significance of both and what difference does it make? The circumstances Janet faces in her personal life caused her to overutilizate her sick leave benefits indeed. Use of 213 percent of her accrued sick leave definitely characterizes overutilization, however, this does not necessarily configures abuse as the county suggests at a point, neither justifies her termination. One thing would be taking advantage of the benefit in order dedicate time to leisure activities, that is an excusable reason for termination of employement and it was not the situation on the case under our analysis. Janet was not being able to attend to work due to illness related issues, even though she did not present a health condition herself, as a mother it is her responsability to take care of Amanda, specially when there was nobody else around that could help her in this task. A supervisor should not be using his discretion to compel his employees to neglect their sick children in order to be able to keep their jobs, the fact that her was uneasy on the conception of use of sick leave to care for family member demonstrates how unsupportive her workplace was regarding this matter. That may, even, have disencouraged her to seek for HRM in order to work together on different options to adress her necessities, which could have avoid the overutilization of sick leaves. Has management acted in a punitive manner with Janet? What other options, if any, might be applied by management? Management has definitely acted in a punitive manner with Janet Allen by not taking into consideration the particularities of her situation and also by making no efforts to improve work conditions for her. Instead of being cooperative and act on finding a solution that would avoid such a high rate of absenteeism, they chose to simply terminate her, disregarding the impact that one-income family would suffer. It is true that she failed to properly follow the departments policies regarding to proper requests, notices and approvals, but is it that hard to understand how overwhelmed a single mother of a child facing delicate medical condition can be? Is it so outrageous to expect that a workplace may offer a family-friendly culture? Prior the termination, Janet had suffered several disciplinative acts including unpaid suspention already, the assumption that a change of behavior should necessarily occur does not take into consideration the root of the problem the uncontrollable illness of her daughter. They could have agreed upon specific conditions for upcoming leaves such as establishing that they would be credited as FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) leaves which are unpaid if they are covered by it, or just offer unpaid leaves instead if they are not covered by the FMLA. It is just unreasonable to assume that she just did not care about her job the only source of income her family could count on rather than to realize that as a mother, she is willing to make sacrifices to take care of her daugher which may include facing penalties for doing it so. Focusing on positive incentives rather than punitive measures would certainly reflect on the agencys productivity on the long run so why not start by being less technical regarding the application of rules and become more willing to deal with the peculiarities of each case? Initiatives allowing employees to accomodate their work requirements without having to sacrifice their parenting responsabilities, such as the option of a flexible schedule, suggested by Janet herself; implementation of parental leave policies; working from home options; subsidized childcare service; after-school programs there are many reasonable possibilities to be explored that would provide a supportive workplace environment leading to ore job related satisfaction, loyalty and consequently better performance from the employees: When there is a will, there is a way. The situation of single mothers in the workplace There is a greater social issue at play when it comes to this subject. We already analysed, in the classroom, many ways in which women face unequal employement opportunities, despite being increasingly relied upon to be the sole financial provider for their families, they are still paid inequitably for the work. Side by side with employment opportunity, guaranteed paid sick days are crucial to help single-mother headed households thrive, considering that there is no national standard for paid sick days, the usage of sick days to care for ill family members represents an even bigger issue, many times subjected purely to management discretion. The social impact of this reality is that families headed by single mothers represent the poorest sector of society. Even so, not much is done to improve their situation. Not being able to rely on dependable quality childcare, paid sick days, or equal pay, single mothers struggle to face the challenges of raising their children. It would probably help the situation if Congress would pass some legislation that are pending to be voted, such as the the Healthy Families Act, ensuring employees to receive at least seven paid sick days per year, and the Paycheck Fairness Act, to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work would allow great changes. A country that emphasizes, so fiercely, the importance of family values should have a system of social protections more specific than sick leave that assures single parents, specially single mothers, means to deal with unexpected events and conditions that are beyond their control such as illness, granting them security to care for their children without jeopardizing their familys economic security. It is true that there are different sectors of society demonstrating concerns regarding the issue, a petition addressed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, to support single parents, the Single Parent Employment Discrimination (SPEDA) is available on the internet as an attempt to draw some attention to the matter (http://www. gopetition. com/petition/33958. html). Also, initiatives such as the website momsrising. om, a resource center single mothers turn to for information, counseling and research under the premise that together we can build a nation where children, parents, and businesses thrive; and end discrimination against mothers are phenomenal tools, however, it is necessary more than just sympathetic organized social groups. Should not be a concern of a governmental agencies to successfully launch single mothers into economic self-sufficiency? They should be doing their share in providing flexible schedules for that group as much as possible since employment helps to alleviate the poverty rates, contributing to a better economy. Public agencies should, by all means, serve as a role model to the private sector by creating opportunities for single mothers to earn adequate wages and benefits and be able to provide quality care for their children while doing it so. Implementation of affirmative actions to reduce discrimination against single mothers at the workplace would benefit society as a whole. Human Resources Management (HRM) departments should attent to the fact that maintaining a single parent household is a difficult task and it should not be complicated further with discrimination at the workplace. Guided by this philosophy, the Montgomery County Commission for Women, in Maryland, elaborated an excellent document: Single Mothers and Poverty, which is an action agenda with the purpose to advance womens equal anf full participation in the benefits, responsabilities and opportunities of society. Initiatives as such, should be implemented in federal level and stimulated throughout all government levels. The public sector should be more proactive towards improving this situation by promoting integrated actions and estimulating the private sector to follow its lead. When it comes to stimulating self sustaintable single mother headed families, employement plays a very important role. Promoting family-friendly practices and implementating affirmative actions targeting this group should definitely be a concern of HRM in the public sector considering that its broad spectrum of benefits goes beyond the agencys productivity. Integrated measures to raise single mothers’ and their children’s living standards, estimulates their independence from govern support, which beneficiates the whole society.