Question

Caitlin Kelly has worked as a part-time cashier for six years while attending high school and college. Over those six years, Caitlin has been able to schedule her part-time job around her academic and social life by requesting and getting the shifts she wants.

Caitlin has been offered a full-time summer job with a local marketing firm. She also wants to join the firm’s soccer team, which plays or practices many nights during the week. She has written a message requesting a four-month leave of absence if she cannot work occasionally with irregular shifts.

You have been recently promoted to the role of assistant manager at The Super Market, and the manager has forwarded you Caitlin’s message, asking you to respond to her. The manager, Dominic Ricci, indicated that they would really like to see Caitlin stay over the summer, and if not, return in the fall. However, the manager has asked you to make sure she is aware of the organization’s new policy.

The Super Market has instituted a new policy to ease the complexity of scheduling and to provide employees with a stable and consistent schedule. It states that The Super Market will work with part-time employees to develop a regular schedule, where they work the same assigned shifts on the same days and times each week. But once they have their assigned shift, they must keep it.

Unless part-time cashiers are prepared to work the regularly scheduled assigned shifts, they will be asked to resign. Furthermore, employees who quit their job may be rehired if positions become available when they return, but at a lower starting salary. In Caitlin’s case, if she were to quit and return after the summer, in September, she will lose her $19 hourly wage and have to start at a lower rate of $15.00 per hour, if a position is available.

Emails

To:                   [email protected]

From:               Caitlin Kelly

Date:               Today’s date

Subject:           Summer Leave

Hi

I just wanted to let you know that I have gotten an amazing opportunity to work at marketing firm full-time over the summer. Marketing is a career I am considering, so I am really excited about taking the job.

As well, the department asked me to play on their soccer team and they said that we will be practicing or playing many evenings after work. So I might be able to take a few night shifts over the summer. I will know which nights at least a week in advance.

I will be able to return to my regular part-time work in the fall, when school starts again. I have been working at the The Super Market for 6 years now so I was hoping that, if it were possible to work the odd night shift during the summer that would be great. Otherwise, I would like to take a 4-month leave of absence until school starts. Please let me know what is possible.

Thanks,

Caitlin

To:                   [email protected]

From:               [email protected]

Date:               Today’s date

Subject:           FW: Summer Leave

Can you please respond to Caitlin’s email. We would really love to see her continue working here over the summer, but explain to her the new company policy. See what you can work out with her to accommodate her request.

Thanks,

Dom

Answer 1

Hi Catlin,

It is heartening to see that you have been a part of the company for 6 years now. Apart from the regular work you also take part in the varous other clubs and socitiy of the company which I appretiate a lot. I would be happy to accommodate requests in order to ensure that you continue to be an asset for the organization. However, there have been a few policy changes as a result of which employees must work in a certain shift once they have been assigned that.

While you are free to take the leave as you have planned for the summer, you would be required to join again and would be entitled to benefits which accrue to a new employee. My reccommendation to you threfore would be to let me know a shift which works the best for you and try and squeeze it within the present schedule. We are happy to have you and would request you to continue working during the summer as well.

If you want to discuss any other possiilities please feel free to drop in person so that we can explore other possibilities.

With best regards,

Andy