Carol Burgess Case Summary
Case Summary:
Carol Burgess is a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier and a part-time trainee for a major west coast city. Her service area makes up a large portion of the state and she has trained approximately 318 new letter carriers in the past five years. The training program Burgess follows goes on for three days (one day for orientation and two days for skill training). Skills training ranges includes things like sorting the mail, reading the maps, planning the route, and many other necessary job functions. Orientation includes a policy and procedures discussion, as well as, a packet with information about employee benefits, tax forms, insurance information, holidays, and the locations of important department along with their phone numbers. …show more content…
Some trainees get a more detailed orientation while others get very little. Some supervisors give their trainees pass or fail assignments with little to no help provided to help the trainees succeed. This has caused 17% of new hires to not perform well during their probationary period. Most recently, a former trainee of Burgess, Edith Jones, called Burgess to let her know of how miserable she has been at her station. Jones informs Burgess that she has received no written materials, one introduction to another employee, and constant route shifting over the past ten weeks. Jones stated that her supervisor berates her for taking too long on her routes despite her not getting any help to improve from her supervisor. Jones stated that she is going to quit soon but Burgess suggested to Jones that things will get easier and that she should stick it …show more content…
Alternative Solution #2: Burgess could extend the orientation process she does for more than three days instead of one to better acquaint the new trainees to their facility and take some of the responsibility from the direct supervisor.
Alternative Solution #3: Burgess’s new orientation program could include a precise detail as to how supervisors go about introducing the new hires, providing the proper material, and providing help to new trainees who are struggling on routes. This program would also do away with pass or fail assignments.
Recommended Alternative: Alternative
Carol Burgess is a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier and a part-time trainee for a major west coast city. Her service area makes up a large portion of the state and she has trained approximately 318 new letter carriers in the past five years. The training program Burgess follows goes on for three days (one day for orientation and two days for skill training). Skills training ranges includes things like sorting the mail, reading the maps, planning the route, and many other necessary job functions. Orientation includes a policy and procedures discussion, as well as, a packet with information about employee benefits, tax forms, insurance information, holidays, and the locations of important department along with their phone numbers. …show more content…
Some trainees get a more detailed orientation while others get very little. Some supervisors give their trainees pass or fail assignments with little to no help provided to help the trainees succeed. This has caused 17% of new hires to not perform well during their probationary period. Most recently, a former trainee of Burgess, Edith Jones, called Burgess to let her know of how miserable she has been at her station. Jones informs Burgess that she has received no written materials, one introduction to another employee, and constant route shifting over the past ten weeks. Jones stated that her supervisor berates her for taking too long on her routes despite her not getting any help to improve from her supervisor. Jones stated that she is going to quit soon but Burgess suggested to Jones that things will get easier and that she should stick it …show more content…
Alternative Solution #2: Burgess could extend the orientation process she does for more than three days instead of one to better acquaint the new trainees to their facility and take some of the responsibility from the direct supervisor.
Alternative Solution #3: Burgess’s new orientation program could include a precise detail as to how supervisors go about introducing the new hires, providing the proper material, and providing help to new trainees who are struggling on routes. This program would also do away with pass or fail assignments.
Recommended Alternative: Alternative