| Course | HRM-5300 Human Resources Management |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 1 |
| Paper type | Case study: the HR profession and the legal environment |
| Length | About 902 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Thomas Edison State University |
| Program | Master of Science in Management |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HRM 5300 Module 1
Light Duty, Not Unpaid Leave: An HR Case Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
Student Name
Master of Science in Management, Thomas Edison State University
HRM-5300: Human Resources Management
Mentor Name
Month Day, Year
Light Duty, Not Unpaid Leave: An HR Case Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Case
Great Lakes Fulfillment, a composite regional distribution center in Ohio with 480 employees, employs Maria as an order picker, a job that involves walking the warehouse with a cart and lifting cartons of up to 45 pounds. In her fifth month of pregnancy, Maria gives her supervisor a note from her provider recommending that she not lift more than 20 pounds and that she take a short rest break every two hours for the remainder of her pregnancy. The supervisor, worried about productivity during peak season, proposes that she take unpaid leave until after childbirth. Maria asks HR whether she must. This analysis answers the case's questions: what the law requires, what HR should do, and what the case reveals about HR's role.
Question 1: What Does the Law Require?
Since June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act has obliged any employer of 15 or more people to adjust work for an employee whose pregnancy, recent childbirth or a connected medical condition limits what she can do, as long as the adjustment would not cause the business undue hardship (42 U.S.C. § 2000gg-1, 2024). The EEOC's implementing rule, effective June 18, 2024, spells out how that duty operates (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2024). Three of its points settle this case. Leave, whether paid or unpaid, cannot be imposed when some other adjustment would let the employee keep working. The two sides must talk through options together before settling on one. And an employee remains qualified even when a core task, here heavy lifting, is beyond her for a while, provided the limit is temporary, she is expected to resume the task before long, and the task can be set aside or given to someone else in the meantime.
The rule also names a short list of changes, extra breaks among them, that employers should treat as reasonable in virtually every case, so HR should not demand detailed medical paperwork before allowing Maria's breaks. Unpaid leave, as the supervisor proposed, would therefore run directly against the statute
Question 2: What Should HR Do?
HR should begin the interactive process promptly, meeting with Maria and her supervisor to discuss what she can do and what changes would help. Several accommodations are reasonable at a facility of this size.
| Option | Fit with the law | Operational effect |
|---|---|---|
| Rest break of 10 minutes every two hours | Presumed reasonable | Minimal; covered by floating staff |
| Temporary reassignment to packing, returns or light-item zones | Reasonable; heavy lifting temporarily suspended | Small productivity change |
| Team lift or lifting aid for cartons over 20 pounds | Reasonable if available | Uses existing equipment |
| Unpaid leave | Prohibited if other accommodations work | Loses a trained employee |
HR should recommend temporary reassignment to the light-item zone with scheduled breaks, document the accommodation and its expected duration, and schedule a check-in every month or when her provider's recommendations change. HR should also remind the supervisor that retaliation is prohibited and that Maria's performance should be judged on the modified duties. After childbirth, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act will require reasonable break time and a private space other than a bathroom for expressing breast milk, which HR should plan for now.
Question 3: What Does the Case Show About HR's Role?
Noe et al. (2015) describe HR's evolution from an administrative function to a strategic partner that helps the organization gain competitive advantage through people. This case shows both sides. The administrative and compliance side is essential: a supervisor acting alone was about to violate federal law, exposing the company to an EEOC charge and litigation. The strategic side is equally visible. Wright et al. (2001) argue, from the resource-based view, that a firm's human capital and the HR practices that develop and retain it can be sources of sustained advantage when they are hard for rivals to copy. In a tight labor market for warehouse workers, accommodating Maria keeps a trained employee and signals to the whole workforce that the company supports employees through life events, which helps retention.
Recommendations for the Organization
Beyond Maria's case, HR should train supervisors on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the interactive process, create a short accommodation request procedure with a 48-hour response target, identify light-duty assignments in each department in advance and track accommodation requests and outcomes. The cost is modest: some training time and occasional productivity adjustments. The benefit is legal compliance, retention of skilled workers and a reputation as a fair employer in a competitive local labor market.
Documentation and Follow-Up
HR should record the request, the options discussed, the accommodation chosen and the review dates, and give Maria a copy. The record protects both sides: it shows the company met its duty, and it gives Maria a clear statement of her modified duties. When her provider's recommendations change, or after she returns from leave following childbirth, the accommodation should be reviewed rather than ended automatically, since related medical conditions after childbirth are also covered.
Conclusion
The law requires Great Lakes to accommodate Maria's limitations rather than place her on unpaid leave, and the accommodations available are simple and inexpensive. The case also shows why HR's legal expertise is part of its strategic value: by preventing a costly mistake and retaining a trained employee, HR protects both the company's compliance and its human capital.
References
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2024). Implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Federal Register, 89, 29096.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2015). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
42 U.S.C. § 2000gg-1 (2024). Nondiscrimination with regard to reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy.
Wright, P. M., Dunford, B. B., & Snell, S. A. (2001). Human resources and the resource based view of the firm. Journal of Management, 27(6), 701-721. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630102700607
What the HRM 5300 Module 1 instructions ask for
HRM-5300 requires two written assignments, individual case studies drawn from the course textbook, worth 10 percent of the grade together, along with ten discussions, a midterm covering the first three modules and a final paper. The syllabus does not publish which chapters' cases are assigned, so this sample applies Module 1's material to an original case in the same format. Answer each case question directly under its own heading, apply the textbook's concepts by name, and state current law accurately with citations. Recommend specific actions and explain how they serve both compliance and competitive advantage. Keep your answers in the order the questions appear. Keep each answer focused on its question.
How the HRM 5300 Module 1 example is put together
The analysis restates the case briefly and then answers three questions in order, which mirrors how textbook case questions are usually posed. The legal section names the statute and rule, gives effective dates and applies three provisions that decide the case. A table compares accommodation options on legal fit and operational effect. The HR role section connects the case to the textbook's strategic partner idea and to research on the resource-based view. Recommendations extend from the individual case to organizational practice, with costs, and a short conclusion gives the answer. Read it for how each answer rests on a named rule or concept from the course. Note the table.
Where the marks sit in the HRM 5300 Module 1 rubric
HRM-5300 case studies receive a percentage mark under the course rubric. They look for direct answers to each case question, accurate application of textbook concepts, and correct statements of law with current dates. Recommendations should be specific and practical, and the paper should connect HR practices to organizational outcomes, the theme of the textbook. Research beyond the textbook and correct APA citations strengthen the analysis. Clear headings, a table where useful and concise writing complete the grade. Papers that summarize the case without answering its questions, or rely on outdated law, lose points. Answers that connect legal compliance to organizational advantage reflect the textbook theme and earn particular credit. Clarity helps.
HRM 5300 Module 1 help: mistakes that cost marks
Case study answers often restate the facts at length and give short, general answers to the questions. Another common error is stating employment law from memory, since rules such as the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act are recent. Our writers can prepare HRM 5300 case study analyses for the case your mentor assigns. Read the questions first, then the case, marking facts relevant to each question. Check the current statute or agency rule for any legal issue. Answer each question under its own heading with the concept that applies, and finish with recommendations that a manager could carry out. Finally, confirm that each recommendation could be carried out by a supervisor this week.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Thomas Edison State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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HRM 5300 Module 1 questions, answered
Where can I find a free HRM 5300 Module 1 sample paper?
A Human Resources Management case study on the legal environment appears above, applying the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to an accommodation decision at a composite distribution center.
Can an employer require a pregnant employee to take leave?
Not under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act if another reasonable accommodation can be provided.
What accommodations are presumed reasonable under the EEOC rule?
Several simple modifications, including additional breaks, are presumed reasonable in nearly all cases.
What textbook does HRM-5300 use?
Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright's Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage, ninth edition.
How many case studies does HRM-5300 require?
Two individual case studies from the textbook, worth 10 percent of the grade together.