Communicating a New Policy

Assessment Description
Academic writing is different from business writing. The purpose of this assignment is to create a positive message using email for two different audiences and one negative message for a third audience regarding the same, sensitive topic.

Read the scenario below and communicate it to the audiences indicated in writing. This direction is coming from your supervisor, who has asked your department (the communication team) to create the written message for the employees. Remember that this is to be approached as a workplace writing task rather than an academic assignment. You will also create a follow-up communication to the mid-level management team and one to employees who will be terminated due to noncompliance.

Your message for each write-up should be 200 words. You may submit either three separate files or one document file with a clear page separation between the three communications.

Overview

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted how businesses operate and communicate. For a number of months, all company employees have been working from home. Your organization feels it is now time to create a new normal by letting employees know it is time to return full-time to the office. Your leadership feels this is important for productivity and is not making it optional for employees. The new policy elements include the following:

New Policy

In the new fiscal year, all employees will need to return to the office for work.
There will no longer be an option to work from home the entire work week.
Employees will have the option to work from home one day per week, excluding Mondays or Fridays, providing no meetings or in-person presentations are scheduled that cannot be done through video conferencing.
Employees who refuse to return to work will need to connect HR directly to discuss their decision.
The organization will also begin providing daily continental breakfast and coffee in the morning for employees.
This is a company-wide change and there will absolutely be no exceptions.
Primary Task: Communicate to General Employee Audience

As part of the communication team, you are tasked with creating the messaging for this new policy change. Your manager wants the messaging to be persuasive and positive, presenting leadership in an optimistic light. While the policy update needs to be clear in messaging, the formatting approach you take for this email communication is up to your direction. Consider each of the following audiences, remembering it is critical this written communication via email is clear and concise.

Follow-Up Task: Communicate to Midlevel Managers

In addition to the above primary task, you also need to communicate via email suggested talking points to the midlevel managers who will need to implement the policy and field questions from their staff.

Separation Communication Task: Communicate to Noncompliant Employees

For your final task, create a professional email communication to inform a group of employees that their employment with the organization will be terminated as a result of noncompliance with the new policy change that was previously implemented.

Reflection

The Christian faith seeks to exercise compassion, justice, and concern for the common good. In your communication responses you developed, how do you believe one or more of these principles is evident?