Chapter 24. Employee to Employee

Seeking alternative to layoff

Patrick Eally, Director of Sales

Dear Patrick,

Since the beginning of the year, the sales department has been working under a general directive to reduce our expenditures by 15 percent. At this time I can report that we have met, or even slightly exceeded, that goal through cutbacks in new hiring and the elimination of many sales training and conference expenses.

I received today your memo in which you ask for a layoff of three staffers to further reduce our budget.

Before I do that, I would like to meet with you to see if there are not other ways to help our company succeed in this difficult economy without dismissing some of our best salespeople.

I think it would absolutely send the wrong message to our customers if we were to dismiss any of the men and women who sell our products. They are the face of our company, and their regular visits to clients are our best—and sometimes our only—way to put our products in front of buyers.

In my opinion, we have the best sales force in our industry. Our products are excellent, but we do have competitors. It is the expertise of our sales force that distinguishes us from the others.

We all are cautiously optimistic that the current economic downturn will soon reach bottom and that sales will begin to pick up in the next year. I would like to discuss ways that we might keep our company poised to take advantage of the rebound.

Among the possibilities are deferred bonuses, a carefully managed program of unpaid leave for some employees, and the use of web-based catalogs to reduce or eliminate the cost of printing and shipping sales collateral.

I’m available to meet with you at any time that is convenient.

Chuck Francona, Sales Manager

Establishing guidelines for holiday gifts

To All Employees,

As we prepare for our annual holiday party on Monday, December 22, at 6 p.m. at Rocco’s Restaurant, I wanted to make a special request regarding gifts offered as part of the “Secret Santa” event.

First of all, in fairness to everyone, I want to remind everyone that the value of gifts is to be no more than $20.

Secondly, I want to ask that we all remember that our staff is wonderfully diverse and everyone’s beliefs and culture is worthy of respect. We are asking that gifts as well as cards and wrapping not be of a religious nature.

Let’s celebrate the holiday season in a way that does not make any of our employees feel uncomfortable.

If anyone has a question about this policy or seeks advice about the appropriateness of a particular gift, please call me or see me in my office well before the party.

Sincerely,

Mary Lou Sheets, Administrative Assistant

Declining invitation to retirement party for cause

Dear Mary,

I received your e-mail about the retirement party for Stan Bailey. Thank you for inviting me, but I will not be attending. I think it would be awkward for both of us if I were to attend; we have had many disagreements over the years.

Please make it clear to anyone who inquires about my absence that I wish Stan the best in retirement. I certainly will express that to him privately at an appropriate time.

Thanks,

Jim Brennan

Laying out the rules of the coffee club

Dear Debbie,

I hope you are enjoying your new job with Wilson Textiles. I’ve been here eleven years now, and I think it is a great place to work.

I wanted to let you know that the coffeemaker in the break room is not owned or provisioned by the company; it is maintained by a group of us in an informal club.

There is, as you know, a vending machine in the room, and you can always use it.

If you prefer better coffee (much better, actually) and would like to join us in our club, please see me sometime at lunch or on break and I will explain how we collect money for coffee and filters and the rules about responsibility for maintaining the equipment.

Regards,

Marsha

Objecting to delay in work schedule

Riccardo Mayor

Shipping department supervisor

Dear Riccardo,

I want you to know first of all how much I enjoy working here at the plant; we have a great group of people and a fine operation.

I am writing, though, to ask you help in a matter that is causing me difficulty. When I was hired as a “floater” in the department, I fully understood that my work hours and days would change from week to week; my role is to fill in any gaps that result from vacations, personal days, and other needs of the company.

That sort of arrangement was, and is, fine with me. However, I was told I would receive each monthly schedule at least two weeks before the end of the previous month. This is important to me so that I can arrange for child care and tend to personal appointments.

For the past several months, my assigned hours have not been made available to me until just a few days before the next month’s schedule is to begin. It truly does not matter to me what days I work in a particular time period, but it is very difficult for me to handle my personal life when the schedule arrives so close to its starting date.

I would appreciate your assistance in helping me do my best for the company. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make the scheduling process go more smoothly.

Sincerely,

Barbara Dugan

Withdrawing offer to take friend’s work shift

Jean,

I am very sorry to have to do this to you on such short notice.

I had agreed to take your shift this coming Friday, but I’ve just been asked by my mother to help her with an unexpected visit to the hospital for a medical test. I’m sure you understand that I have to help her.

I’ve checked with a few others in my department and I haven’t found anyone who could help both of us for Friday. I’m hoping you can make some other arrangement.

Again, my apologies.

Jessica