IntroductionBusiness is the art of making money. Businesses and employers are constantly trying to find new and inventive ways to generate revenue and increase their gross profit. Often, the best way to achieve these goals is to downsize or lay off several employees. Employees must be marketable and employable, and possessing one skill set is generally not enough to sustain a career in today's economy. Education, experience and previous achievements are taken into consideration, but employers also face the risk of lawsuits and slander for fear of discrimination. FastServe Inc. now faces this dilemma. In order to cut costs, they have to lay off 3 employees, and their decision is not an easy task. The COO of FastServe Inc. chose 5 employees who would be eligible for layoff, 3 of whom will ultimately be let go. The Candidates Carl Haimes is the first candidate to consider. His overall performance and productivity have been above average and has never had an absenteeism problem in the past. However, he did not contribute to any particular achievements for FastServe. Recently, other employees have harassed him based on his sexual orientation, which Carl has filed several complaints about, including his account manager, Ben. While Carl may not have made any particular contributions to the company, his past performance has shown that he is a valuable asset to FastServe. Additionally, if he were fired, he might think it was because of his sexual orientation and would claim discrimination. Brian Carter is next to consider. His performance was very average compared to other employees, but he was solely responsible for FastServe's highly acclaimed "drape-n-see" 3D mannequins. However, he was just diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, which caused him to miss 17 days of work over the last 2 months. The head of the IT department filed several complaints about Brian's absenteeism. However, if Brian is fired, FastServe could face legal action for causing Brian's current health condition. Sarah Boyd is the next person to consider. At the age of 53, she has worked at FastServe for years and knows the administration inside and out. Her performance has not been above average over the years, but she is a loyal employee of the company. His skills become obsolete because new, younger people are more qualified to perform his tasks, which Fast Serve could pay for with a lower salary..