Write a Formal Memo Announcing Holiday Diversity (LO 13-1 to LO 13-3) Your organization has traditionally given employees several holidays off: New Year’s; Martin Luther King, Jr., Day; Independence Day; Veterans’ Day; Thanksgiving; and Christmas. Employees who celebrate other holidays (e.g., Good Friday, Yom Kippur, Ramadan, Chinese New Year, the Hindu Holiday Diwali) have been able to take those days off with the consent of their supervisors. But some employees have complained that it is unfair to depend on the goodwill of supervisors. And now a few other employees have complained that people who honor other holidays are getting “extra” days off since they take those days in addition to the standard holidays. Therefore, the executive committee of your organization has decided to allow employees any 10 days off for holidays. They will have to tell their supervisors which days they plan to take off. People will be asked in December which holidays they want to take off in the following year. People can change their minds during the year as long as they have not yet taken off the full 10 holidays. Any religious, ethnic, or cultural holiday is acceptable. (Someone who wants to take off Cinco de Mayo or Bastille Day can do so.) Vacations, personal days off, and sick days are not affected by this policy. As vice president for human resources, write a memo to all employees, announcing the new policy. Hints: * Pick a business, government, or nonprofit organization that you know something about. * Will the office be “open” every day? If not, do all employees already have keys, or will they need to pick them up so they can get into the office to work days that few other people work? * See www.holidayfestival.com for a list of holidays in various countries. * Use the memo format found on page 138 or 139.
