Practice Task 22 · Parts 1–4

From: Callan Osei, Inventory Clerk

To: Priya Nadarajah, Operations Supervisor, Brindlewood Logistics

Subject: Requesting a later start time

Hi Priya,

I wanted to formally request a change to my start time. I currently begin at 7:00 a.m., but the bus route I depend on changed its schedule two weeks ago, and the earliest connection now gets me to the warehouse at 7:20 at the earliest, which has made me late four times this month even though I'm leaving my apartment earlier than before.

I'd like to propose shifting my shift to 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. instead of 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I know this is later than most of the receiving team starts, so I understand if it needs approval from Denholm as well, since he coordinates the morning truck deliveries I usually help unload.

If a full hour isn't workable, would a 30-minute shift, to 7:30, be a reasonable compromise? I looked at the new bus schedule again and a 7:30 start would let me arrive with a small buffer instead of always cutting it close.

I should mention I'm not asking for fewer hours, just a later window, and I'm happy to stay later in the afternoon to make up any difference if the team needs coverage.

Thanks for considering this,

Callan

— REPLY —

From: Priya Nadarajah

To: Callan Osei

Subject: RE: Requesting a later start time

Hi Callan,

Thanks for laying this out clearly, and for flagging the bus schedule change — I've heard similar concerns from two other warehouse staff this week, so it sounds like a wider issue than just your route.

I checked with Denholm, and a full hour shift to 8:00 would conflict with the truck unloading window, which runs from 7:00 to 8:30 most mornings and needs at least three people. The 30-minute option is more workable: if you start at 7:30, you'd still overlap with the last hour of unloading, and Denholm agreed that's manageable as long as one other early team member covers the first thirty minutes.

I can approve the 7:30 to 4:00 shift starting next Monday, on a trial basis for one month. If it's working well for both the team and your commute, we'll make it permanent at that point. I'd also like you to keep a note of any days the new schedule still runs tight, since I'm planning to raise the bus route issue with the two other affected employees at our next team meeting.

One more thing: since your hours are only shifting, not increasing or decreasing, there's no change to your pay rate or benefits eligibility, so no separate HR paperwork is needed beyond my approval here.

Priya