Doohickeys U Need, Inc.

​
Memo

TO: John Doohickey CEO

FROM: Jane Smith, Director of Human Resources

DATE: April 12, 2019

SUBJECT: Policy and Procedure Recommendations

Included is my fourth report with my analysis and some suggestions on ways we can continue to
improve as a company. There are a few things I think we can implement right away that will be
able to greatly help the company. One issue we should address immediately is the impact of
society on the workplace and an in-depth analysis is included for your consideration.

Brittany Bradshaw, Katy Michener, Stephanie Nekoba, Khemia Popa, Michael Rudd, Chantel Younger
Human Resource Management B370-05 Group 7
Table of Contents
Problem 1 - Workplace and Society 2
Solution 1.1 - Create More Visibility and Openness in the Office 2
Solution 1.2 - Create Affinity Groups to Support Cultural Diversity 2
Solution 1.3 - Provide Professional Counseling Services 3
Solution 1.4 - Roll Out Telecommuting Three Days Per Quarter 3

Problem 2 - Layoffs and Employee Dismissals 4

Solution 2.1 - Documentation 4
Solution 2.2 - Training Supervisors 4
Solution 2.3 - Standardize the Termination Process 5
Solution 2.4 - Effectively Communicate With Employees 5

In-Depth Look at Workplace and Society 6

Action 1: Create More Visibility and Openness in the Office 6
Action 2: Create Affinity Groups to Support Cultural Diversity 6
Action 3: Provide Professional Counseling Services 7
Action 4: Roll Out Telecommuting Three Days Per Quarter 7

Conclusion 8
Works Cited 9

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Problem 1 - Workplace and Society
In a world that is constantly changing, workplace and society can have a huge impact on
companies and the performance of employees. I feel that our company is lacking basic resources
that are necessary in the workplace today. As depression, nonconformity to gender norms, and
even commuting are becoming more prevalent today, it is increasingly important to provide
solutions and alternatives to employees in order to promote success. Below I have outlined a few
issues that I have noticed and how we can address them so that our company can be more
motivated and successful.

Solution 1.1 - Create More Visibility and Openness in the Office

The first solution that I recommend is increased visibility of management to the employees. To
build trust in our management the employees need to see what management is doing daily. I
recommend that we move our management and executives out of their offices and allow our
employees to see them work. I believe this will have a two-fold reward. First, it will build trust
with our employees and allow them to see our executives and management hard at work. Second,
it will hold the executives and management accountable for their actions and work. I believe this
model will build stronger morale and teamwork across the company. Furthermore, our
executives and management will be able to see what is being done on the floor and within the
company without being
boxed in their offices.
Included is a diagram of
my recommendation for
one department supervisor
seating change.

Periodically getting the

supervisors and executives
to ditch their suits and put
on a hard hat and do the
basic work with their
employees will really help
them raise team morale
and gain more knowledge
about their departments
and segments.

Solution 1.2 - Create Affinity Groups to Support Cultural Diversity

One manufacturing supervisor talked to me about John, saying “I just don’t like the guy! He
dresses funny!” This was blatant discrimination from a superior to an employee. Our employees
need to know that they are safe when they come to work and that they are supported. I
recommend enacting a program called “Affinity Groups”. These groups will be created on an
as-need basis for our employees. The employee described above may fall into a group where he

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feels alienated at work and might find an Affinity Group valuable. For example, the LGBTQ
community in our workplace may feel unsupported by fellow employees. To ensure that our
company knows that we support and recognize them, I recommend we start a Pride group where
our LGBTQ employees can meet and help our straight or cisgender employees work better
together with them. Another group that I recommend supporting and creating an Affinity Group
for is our minority employees such as those from African, Mexican, or Asian descent, among
others. As needs arise within our organization we can expand and create more groups to fulfill
and meet the needs of our employees.

Solution 1.3 - Provide Professional Counseling Services

Further, in my first week as Human Resource Director at Doohickeys U Need, Inc., I was
approached by a young woman who was ecstatic that there was finally a resource that she could
talk to and felt comfortable reaching out to about a situation of sexual harassment in the
workplace. As a Human Resources professional, I find it very disheartening that this young
woman felt that she could not talk to someone about what was going on in the workplace.

I propose a partnership with Western Illinois University Counseling

Center to support our employees’ mental health needs. The world we live
in and the workplace in which we are employed can be unforgiving when
it comes to our employee’s mental health. Just as important as our
employees’ physical health should be their mental health. I have
negotiated with the university to allow our employees to receive three free
thirty-minute counseling sessions per year. After the employees have
reached their cap, the university will accept our health care plan that I
outlined in my previous report. The university supports individual
counseling, couples counseling, and group counseling. In doing this, our
employees will never feel like they cannot talk to someone about what is
going on in the workplace and will feel supported by a health care professional. My job as a
Human Resource Director is not to diagnose or counsel our employees. We will need
professional services to ensure our employees receive the help they need.

Solution 1.4 - Roll Out Telecommuting Three Days Per Quarter

As I have walked around the manufacturing floor, I have seen many of our technicians bored,
unmotivated, tired, and unhappy. I feel like we are not giving them the freedom to own their job.
From what I have summarized and viewed in my short time with the company, our employees
are not implementing the mission of our company. I believe this is because they are not enjoying
themselves and enjoying working at Doohickeys U Need, Inc.

To ensure that our employees are getting the freedom that they need to be successful, I am
recommending that we allow up to three days telecommuting per quarter for our executives,
supervisors, and sales teams. Since our manufacturing employees cannot complete their work
from home, I suggest that we implement a flex day for them. This flex day would allow
employees to take a mental health or personal day and make up the day during the respective
month. For example, if they took off Tuesday March 2​nd​, they could come in to work and make

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up their flex day on Saturday March 15​th​. Allowing telecommuting for our executives,
supervisors, and sales teams gives them the flexibility to take a day per month for themselves if
they need a day to collect themselves and come back more energized and determined to perform.
In doing this, I believe this is the best course of action to achieve a work/life balance and support
our employee’s mental health.

Problem 2 - Layoffs and Employee Dismissals

When a manufacturing supervisor came up to me, demanding I fire John before he starts a
mutiny on the factory floor, I questioned the supervisor about documentation to support
employee termination. He said that was my job and that he “can fire him whenever [he] want[s].”
This employee had never received any kind of warning that his behavior was unacceptable.
Illinois is a work “at-will” state, but there is more than personal opinion to consider when
terminating an employee. Many things can be assumed about the length of employment at
Doohickeys U Need, Inc., so we need to make sure that we are being clear with our employees
about their expected employment duration. The supervisor also raised an issue by telling me to
fire John and then saying that he could fire him. There needs to be a termination process in place
so that it is clear who can and cannot handle employee terminations.

Solution 2.1 - Documentation

In cases of involuntary termination, as with the current situation with John, it is important that
we have documentation clearly showing why we are terminating that employee. Yes, Illinois is
an “employment-at-will” state, but that does not mean we can simply terminate employees due to
personal opinions about the way they dress. “...[I]f the reason for discharge seems unreasonable,
the reason may be deemed a pretext for discrimination or some other unlawful motive should
litigation follow the discharge. Therefore, it is in the best interest of all employers to carefully
document the reasons for terminating an employee and make every effort to avoid arbitrary and
capricious terminations” ("Termination Policies").

The supervisor told me that Human Resources should be handling documentation regarding
termination, and I agree. That means the managers and supervisors need to submit said
documentation to HR, because HR cannot be expected to watch all of the employees and make
our own documentation. Supervisors need to provide HR with documentation of any verbal or
written warnings that an employee receives and any other disciplinary actions taken with an
employee. Those will be added to the employee’s personnel file and kept for such a time as they
are needed. We shouldn’t be “caught trying to reconstruct documentation (such as warnings or
poor performance reviews) after the fact, when [we] should have been creating them all along.
… Selective documentation may be proof that a person was the victim of discrimination”
("Employee Termination Procedures & Policies").

Solution 2.2 - Training Supervisors

The conversation with the manufacturing supervisor made it clear that the supervisors don’t
understand how employment-at-will works. In theory, it means that either the employer or

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employee can terminate employment at any time for any reason. In reality, there are exceptions
to that, the most notable for Doohickeys U Need, Inc. being a breach of implied contract. A court
can restrict a company to for-cause terminations for many reasons, including “length of past
employment…; lack of past warnings regarding conduct; ‘raises, bonuses, and promotions’
received; … a statement that those at the employee’s level would be terminated only for cause…;
and assurance that the employee ‘was doing a good job’” (Paine).

In the situation with John, he was not given any prior warnings, and because of his manager’s
dislike of his clothing, we could very easily be taken to court if we terminate him. Managers
need training in order to understand the implications of their words, both negative and positive.
Negative comments about clothing could lead to a discrimination lawsuit, while positive
comments when they aren’t warranted could imply more of a contract than we have with an
employee and lead to a wrongful termination lawsuit. It will also be important for managers to be
aware of how they interact with our seasonal workers. There should not be talk of continued
work after the season is over if an employee will not be receiving a more permanent offer of
employment at Doohickeys U Need, Inc.

Solution 2.3 - Standardize the Termination Process

We need to establish a termination procedure. There is already a hierarchy in place, but it needs
to be clear who has the power to terminate employees and what needs to happen before the
termination is final. The manufacturing supervisor told me to fire John, but it should not be HR’s
place to fire non-HR employees. Manager positions, and their superiors, should be the only
positions with the right to terminate employees. However, supervisors should have the ability to
recommend someone be terminated.

A resignation letter should be submitted to an employee’s supervisor or manager before a copy is

sent to HR to be placed in the employee’s personnel file. It is customary that this letter be
submitted at least two weeks prior to the last day of employment so that we can make
arrangements for that employee’s workload to be taken care of. When it comes to terminating an
employee without cause (such as layoffs), the employee needs to be assigned a specified time in
advance. I would recommend at least one week prior to their last day of employment. In the case
of involuntary termination, the manager should submit termination paperwork to HR on or
before the employee’s last day of employment. If needed, a termination meeting can be
scheduled with the manager or supervisor and a member of HR ("Termination/Separation of
Employment Policy Template | Workable" 2019).

Solution 2.4 - Effectively Communicate With Employees

We will be hiring at least ten seasonal workers for the upcoming Christmas rush. The hiring
manager needs to be very clear with those employees about what their expected employment
duration will be. When advertising for these seasonal positions, it would also be advised to put
season start and end dates. If there is a seasonal employee that a manager would like to keep on
part or full-time, that employee should be given a new job offer, noting the change of status from
seasonal to part or full-time.

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Along with being clear with our new hires, we need to be just as clear with our current
employees. In my first report, I suggested implementing annual performance reviews and
informal check-ins about every 6 weeks. Managers should be clear with their employees about
their current work. While they should not be overly harsh and document every little mistake,
they need to be honest in their appraisals. If an employee needs to improve, the manager should
not sugarcoat it when addressing the issue with the employee. As with John, a lack of dealing
with behavioral issues as they occurred led to a more complicated situation later.

In-Depth Look at Workplace and Society

The world around us is rapidly changing and there are many societal issues that are affecting the
workplace. At Doohickeys U Need, Inc., I think there are four areas that we can focus on and
prepare for as changes in businesses continue to happen and be able to plan accordingly. I
believe it’s worth looking more in-depth at these issues and how we can implement positive
changes to stay contemporary and be the best company we can be.

Action 1: Create More Visibility and Openness in the Office

A trend that many businesses are following right now is open concept work spaces. While I
know this isn’t possible for those working on the factory floor I think it’s something worth
considering for those working in management, sales, and customer service. I recently read an
article about open plan offices and learned a lot. A few benefits are that it can create more
collaboration, fairness, ability to interact, transparency, and employees are more freely able to
exchange ideas and information (Stevenson 2014). I have included a link ​here if you are
interested in reading it.

Challenge 1.1: Figuring out the logistics of how to pull off an open concept feel would
take some work. One possibility is creating big, open windows that would make it so
workers and management can see what is going on. Another possibility is taking down
some walls and creating a more communal workspace feel for management.

If remodeling or doing more drastic changes isn’t possible right now, I recommend focusing on
our culture and creating a feel of openness and visibility by having management leave their doors
open when possible. I also think it would be beneficial for management to visit the floor weekly
so they can put a name to a face and make sure people know who they are to show they care
about our employees.

Lastly, I think it would be great if every employee had a name tag. Knowing someone’s name
can make a huge difference in how they feel at work. When someone knows you and truly cares
about you it can make all the difference in the workplace.

Action 2: Create Affinity Groups to Support Cultural Diversity

The next societal issue I see affecting the workplace more and more is diversity and how to make
sure everyone feels safe, supported, and part of a team. “Smart Organizations want to increase
employee engagement and inclusion. One way to do that is through affinity action groups”

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(Segal 2018). Because our company strives to be all inclusive, I think creating affinity groups
could be really beneficial to Doohickeys U Need, Inc.

Challenge 2.1: Setting up the groups will take time, effort and research.

Challenge 2.2 : These can be very sensitive situations that will need to be handled with
respect and sincerity.

Additionally, I think that we could do some sort of diversity day or celebration of our differences
to better learn from each other and what we all have to offer.

Action 3: Provide Professional Counseling Services

Mental health is an important societal issue today. For so long it has been stigmatized and
undervalued, and I think creating resources for our employees to take care of their mental health
will be a huge benefit. We can show them that we not only care about their physical well being,
but their mental health as well.

I suggest that we compile a list of counseling services that are accepted by our plan and make
sure that every employee knows they are each entitled to three free thirty-minute appointments
annually at the Western Illinois University Counseling Center. This is a great asset and
something that they will hopefully take advantage of.

Challenge 3.1: Creating the list will take some time and effort. We will need to contact
our current healthcare plan provider and collaborate on who is covered in our area. It
would be ideal to find people who specialize in different areas so we are able to cover a
variety of employee’s needs. I also did a little bit of research, and for the majority of our
employees, after the first three visits they would be expected to pay 30% or a $45 copay
until the new year. Including this information could also be very helpful.

Action 4: Roll Out Telecommuting Three Days Per Quarter

Lastly, as technology is rapidly changing, many companies are allowing telecommuting or
working from home. Employees are able to have more flexibility and creative freedom while still
getting their work done. Allowing our employees more freedom would be beneficial and show
how much we value and trust them.

I feel that providing 3 days per quarter for our sales, management and customer service teams to
work from home would be a very positive benefit to working for our company. Employees
should call in the day before or morning of to let their supervisor and team know that they will
be working from home that day.

Challenge 4.1: As we allow more freedom, this benefit can be taken advantage of. If
employees are abusing this benefit there will have to be a way to deal with it. Managers
will need to make sure they are keeping track to ensure no one is abusing this, it should
be stressed that this is a privilege and can be taken away.

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 Challenge 4.2: Those that work on the factory floor would be unable to telecommute, and
there could be some pushback or feelings of unfairness. To deal with this, we will create
a flex day for them to use once a quarter. The same rules would apply, and they would
need to let their supervisor and team know as soon as possible. They would also need to
make up that day within the following two weeks.

Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe that by adhering to and implementing the above solutions, our employees
will become more engaged, supported and motivated to perform for Doohickeys U Need, Inc.
Our employees need to know that we care and want them to succeed. We need to ensure that we
give them the tools to succeed in the workplace. I strongly believe that the above solutions are a
good start to successful and engaged employees, which in turn, means a more successful
company in the long run.

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 Works Cited
“Employee Termination Procedures & Policies.” ​Bizfilings,​
www.bizfilings.com/toolkit/research-topics/office-hr/using-proper-employee-termination
-procedures.

Ludden, Jennifer. “When Employers Make Room For Work-Life Balance.” ​NPR,​ NPR, 15 Mar.
2010, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124611210.

Paine, Lynn S., and Christopher M. Bruner. "Employment At Will: A Legal Perspective."
Harvard Business School Background Note 306-036, August 2005. (Revised April 2015.)

Segal, Jonathan A. “Legal Trends: Affinity Group Danger Zones.” ​SHRM​, SHRM, 11 Apr. 2018,
www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/0913-affinity-groups.aspx.

Stevenson, Seth. “Are Open-Plan Offices Good or Bad for Workplace Culture?” ​Slate Magazine,​
Slate, 5 May 2014,
slate.com/business/2014/05/open-plan-offices-the-new-trend-in-workplace-design.html.

“Termination Policies.” ​Termination Policies & Procedures​,

www.hr360.com/Termination/Termination-Policies.aspx.

“Termination/Separation of Employment Policy Template | Workable.” ​Recruiting Resources:

How to Recruit and Hire Better​, 28 Mar. 2019,
resources.workable.com/separation-of-employment-company-policy.

“Western Illinois University.” ​Programs Index - Western Illinois University,​

www.wiu.edu/student_services/ucc/programs/​.