Jessica Cruz has been the Department Manager for three years, and recently hired Mr. Smith as an entry-level employee in the Operations Section of her department.
Mr. Smith missed his scheduled shift yesterday, and did not contact Ms. Cruz in advance. Today, he has shown up a few minutes late, appears disheveled and out of sorts. He is still in the locker room getting ready to start his workday, so he is already running 20 minutes behind schedule.
Entry-level positions in the department have a high turnover rate. Mr. Smith's failing to show up for work, without notification, is a sign that he will likely not become an exemplary employee. Ms. Cruz is concerned that he will eventually need to be discharged, but at the same time, she has already spent a good deal of money recruiting, selecting and getting him on-board, and she would like to see him become a long-term, productive employee.
Ms. Cruz sees Mr. Smith leave the locker room and begin to walk to his workstation.
Questions:
- What should Ms. Cruz do now?
- What actions should she take to improve the likelihood that Mr. Smith will be successful?
- What should she do to make certain that she can maintain discipline in her department?
- If she believes that Mr. Smith will eventually have to be discharged, is there anything she should do now to position herself and her employer for that possibility?
- What other steps should she take in the upcoming days and weeks? Please give special consideration to those things she should do to assure that her company is legally protected.