Situation 3

Think of an idea you would like to see implemented in your job. Consider one of these ideas-
a way to increase productivity, improve service, increase business/clients or improve working
condition.

Assignment: Choose one of these aspects and write an email memo persuading your reader
that your idea is worthwhile. The job is the one you applied for the resume & letter
assignment.

Situation 4

You are the Chief Pharmacist at the University of Arizona’s campus health center. The
normal working hours are M-F from 8 am – 5 pm. However, less students come to the
pharmacy over the summer, so the Campus Health Director has decided to change the
summer hours to 8 am – 3:30 pm. This change will be in effect from May 23rd-August 22nd.
It’s currently April 21. The Director has asked you, as Chief Pharmacist, to write a memo to
the part-time pharmacists and pharmacy technicians informing them of this change. In
addition, you need to keep in mind that these employees are paid by the hour.

Assignment: Write a memo that explains the reasoning behind this change in hours and also
assuages the concerns of the employees. Remember that memos are public documents and
you therefore cannot just blame the Director!

Situation 5

You are the office manager at an architectural consulting firm. Your company is working on
a very important, time-consuming and time-sensitive proposal. Memorial Day is coming up,
and employees are supposed to receive holiday pay. Yet, with the impending deadline, you
need approximately 20 (out of 300) employees to volunteer to work on Memorial Day.
Volunteers will receive an incentive (choose an incentive you deem appropriate to the
situation, such as overtime pay); however, if enough volunteers are not found, you will have
to require others to work on Memorial Day, starting with those who have been hired most
recently.

Assignment: Write a memo providing all relevant information and persuading volunteers to
work on Memorial Day.
Situation 6

You work at an engineering firm with approximately 150 employees, and your company has
just changed its email system from Outlook to Gmail. Many employees are having trouble
using this new system (filters, folders, etc.), so your boss has decided to organize training
sessions. Since you understand the new system well, he has asked you to write a memo to
persuade your colleagues to attend the training. It’s now September 23rd, and the training
will occur in three 2-hour sessions on October 2nd (8 am-10 am, 10:15 am-12:15 pm, and
2:00-4:00). The conference rooms can accommodate 25 employees at a time. Employees
must email you with their chosen time, and they should keep in mind that these slots are first-
come, first-served.

Assignment: Write a memo that persuades your co-workers to attend these sessions, and be
sure to include all relevant information for scheduling the sessions. Oh—and your boss just
dropped by to mention that he cannot offer pay for any part-time or by-the-hour employees.
They must clock out for the training.

Situation 7

You run a dance studio, in which you have employed one receptionist, four dance instructors,
and an accountant. Massive street construction has been implemented on the main street
where your studio is. This construction will last from October 3rd through December
4th (Today is October 1st). You are very concerned that you might lose customers due to lack
of parking spots or general frustration with the construction, and you’re also worried that new
customers might not know your studio is open.

Assignment: Write a memo to the parents of your dance students that explains the
construction situation, indicating that your studio is still open during construction and
alleviating any concerns they might have about parking or general access to the studio. In
addition, consider asking the parents to promote your studio to friends (or come up with some
useful alternatives), since you’re worried about losing new business.