What is the primary and secondary issue/s?
Primary Issue
Poor Company Policies
It is only after John, currently working in the Attractions Department, voices out his concern about the unjustified scheduling of vacations that this concern is recognized as a unanimous problem by all the departments. It is therefore apparent that the park’s policy dictates how the scheduling of vacation days is done. This policy does not act in favor of the park because it promotes discontent and inequity among the staff members. The policy to schedule vacation days is based on longevity; thus, it does not give all the staff members an equal chance for selection during the scheduling of vacation days.
Secondary Issues
Poor scheduling of vacation days
The various departments of the park do their vacation scheduling based on seniority, and this has stirred up resentment among the workers. As a result, there is dissatisfaction within the departments and some of the staff members intend to leave the park.
Resentment
Five senior engineers out of the fourteen in the Attractions Department of the Maintenance Division are the only ones with the privilege to freely choose their vacation days, including the major holidays. The other nine engineers do not have the freedom to choose their vacation days. As a result, there is resentment among the staff members in this department, and this affects the turnover rate for personnel.
High staff turnover
John and some other colleagues were thinking of leaving the workforce already, yet they have only stayed for a relatively short duration. The park will lose important staff members like John, who was selected for the Costa Rica trip due to his exemplary performance.
What should and can be done short-term and long-term to address the issue/s?
Short-term Intervention
Notifying the general manager
The managers of all the departments will need to work together and inform the general manager about the plight of the workers about the poor scheduling of vacation days.
Withdrawal of currently scheduled vacations
The general manager should write a memo to the department managers, stating that the currently scheduled vacations should be revised to avoid further stirring up of trouble among the personnel. The managers are the best persons to address the issue at the moment within their different departments. This will give managers the chance to implement the various agreed-upon suggestions for a later ultimate solution.
Reassurance
The general manager should write a memo to the staff members apologizing for the irregularities caused by the current vacation scheduling system. This is a gesture of respect and appreciation for the staff members. It also means that their opinions are highly regarded; thus, creating a working atmosphere of peace and encouraging the staff to work hard towards a similar course.
Deliberation
Each department should deliberate on a better way to schedule for vacations during the usual routine meetings. Upon agreement, the calendar of vacation days will be prepared as agreed. This will not interrupt the daily activities of the park.
Long-term
Change of Policies
The general manager, together with the department heads, will need to develop a policy that is friendly based on the suggestions given by the staff members in meetings on how to go about scheduling vacation days.
Briefing Staff Members
The staff members will require to be briefed on the changes to be made before the changes become part of Branton Park’s policy. This is necessary to obtain feedback and ensure that all the staff members are on the same page for the proper running of the park.