Entering the World of Work

Chapter 9: Your First Days on the Job

Smart Tips

Real-World Connection
Use the following script as a model for your role-play activity.

Employee: Have you had time to look at the time-off request I sent you?

Supervisor: Yes, come in and sit down.

Employee: May I have the dates I requested for vacation?

Supervisor: I'm sorry, but there is a conflict. Another employee in the same department asked for the same dates. I cannot have two employees out at the same time.

Employee: I understand. If that employee is Sheriee, she and I talked. She is willing to change her dates. Those dates are very important to me because I have an out-of-state family reunion that I would like to attend. I have a new request from Sheriee showing that she is willing to change her dates.

Supervisor: That should work find then. Let me just confirm these dates for Sheriee are free. I'll get back to you later today to let you know for sure. Right now, it looks good that you can have your first choice.

Employee: Thank you.

Supervisor: You are welcome. Thank you for checking with Sheriee. That saves me a lot of work and helps both of us.

Point of View
Here are some suggestions of things you might be able to do without being asked.

• Empty the trash (at home and at school).
• Clean the board (ask first before erasing anything).
• Do the dishes.
• Set the dinner table.
• Clean your room or help clean another room in your home.
• Pick up paper off the sidewalk or school grounds and throw it into the trash.
• Change the toilet paper roll when the old roll is empty.
• Help someone with an armload of books or supplies.
• Take a younger sibling for a fun day.
• Offer to give your mom or dad a shoulder rub or a hand massage when one of them seems stressed or tired.

Making Good Choices
You do not want to sit around and grumble about the problem with co-workers. You want to find a solution. A solution will help the employees have their breaks and also get the work done.
         Think about your options. Perhaps you could talk with your supervisor. You might explain that taking breaks is important. Breaks help refresh you, so you can do a better job. Most states have laws for workers that include scheduled breaks. Perhaps you could give your supervisor a copy of the state law that shows the requirements for employee breaks. Perhaps you can suggest ways that breaks can be scheduled so that all the work can still get done. Employee breaks need to be scheduled on a regular basis. They can be staggered, so the work continues to get done even while some employees are on break.