Unfolding Situation A: ‘Absence makes the heart ….’

Part 1

  • You are a Team Leader in the Warehouse and have just come back from holiday to be told by one of your Senior Advisors (Michelle) that one of your other advisers JUSTINE Time has just ‘crept in’ 10 minutes late again. This is the fourth time in 2 weeks (it happened twice before you went away and JUSTINE said it wouldn’t happen again). Michelle and JUSTINE don’t get on.
  • JUSTINE has been working for the company for 3 years. Her previous record is acceptable though erratic. On approaching her she says it was the trains to work that delayed her. She’s sorry but what could she do?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION?

(Do not look beneath this line until requested to do so)

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Part 2

  • On your way to see JUSTINE someone else using the same route mentions someone else using her train route was delayed or late.
  • Michelle says JUSTINE is not pulling her weight and her performance has slipped. Others in the team says she seemed distracted and not very helpful over the last 2 or 3 weeks. She is also very keen to leave early each evening, not even offering to stay an extra 5 or 10 minutes.
  • This is all getting you down as you’re short staffed and it’s a busy period.

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS WOULD YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS SITUATION?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO AND WHY?

(Do not look beneath this line until requested to do so)

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Part 3

  • After investigation you discover that her mother cannot look after JUSTINE’s 4 year old daughter at present because she has been unwell. A friend picks her daughter up after school but can’t look after the girl for long

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS WOULD YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS SITUATION?

WHAT DO YOU DO AND WHY?

Unfolding Situation B: ‘Breath of fresh air’

Part 1

  • You are a Showroom Manager and one of your Sales Advisers has just approached you in the back office to say that one of your other Advisers DEBBIE has just come back late from lunch (for the second time that week) with the smell of alcohol on her breath
  • Debbie is 17 and has been working for the company for 7 months. Her previous performance record is good. She has been keen to learn about the job.

WHAT CONSIDERATIONS DO YOU HAVE ABOUT THIS SITUATION?

WHAT DO YOU DO AND WHY?

(Do not look beneath this line until requested to do so)

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Part 2

  • You approach DEBBIE just as she is finishing with a customer. You take her into the back office and mention her lateness and the faint (but definite) smell of alcohol on her breath.
  • She says she’s sorry but it was someone’s birthday and they lost track of time (she came back about 10 minutes late). She says she doesn’t and won’t make a habit of it. She also says she sells better when she’s had a little drink though.

WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

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Part 3

  • After investigation you discover she has in fact been back late 10-15 minutes about 6 times over the past month when you’ve not been around. Her colleagues haven’t mentioned it but have ‘covered for her’ as she’s still young. They think it’s her new boyfriend she’s meeting and it doesn’t do too much harm especially as she does indeed approach customers and sell more confidently after a drink.

WHAT DO YOU DO AND WHY?

(Do not look beneath this line until requested to do so)

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Part 4

  • You decided to tell DEBBIE informally to improve her time keeping and for a few weeks she has improved, but you have been away from the showroom for 3 days and she’s been late back from lunch on all 3 days. She’s less attentive to customers. She’s also been seen at the pub with ‘that new boyfriend of hers’ by MAVIS (another sales Adviser)
  • WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

(Do not look beneath this line until requested to do so)

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Part 5

  • You have issued a verbal warning to DEBBIE who seems genuinely upset. She and her mother assure you she’ll improve. Her behaviour does improve again for a few weeks then a customer complains she was rude. Another Adviser does say she was offhand. The Area Manager wants you ‘to get rid of her’ – it’s about time.
  • Some of the team comment that although she’s no longer late back she is less friendly and more rebellious behind your back.
  • They say she claims being a Sales Adviser isn’t what she’d expected and wasn’t her first choice of job.

WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

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