Activity 4

Incoming mail procedures

Interacting with your co-workers

You are a general clerk in a small medical clinic. Kelly, the receptionist, is responsible for sorting and distributing all incoming mail. Mail addressed to the three physicians is opened before it is delivered; mail addressed to the general staff is to be delivered unopened. Today, however, Kelly delivers a letter addressed to you that has been opened. The letter includes salary information that is both personal and confidential in nature. You are concerned that Kelly may have read the letter.

Should you ask Kelly why the letter was opened? Should you ask her if she read the letter? How should you handle this situation?

What You Are To Do: Prepare a response to the questions raised.

Activity 5 data processing: financial applications

You have been assigned the task of serving as cashier for the petty cash in your department. The fund is maintained at $1,000 because of the numerous small payments that must be made in the course of the month. One Wednesday, shortly after the fund had been replenished, one of your friends in the department says to you; ‘I certainly didn’t budget my money very well this week; I’m down to my last $5. You know that I’m dependable. Would you let me borrow $25 from the petty cash fund? You have almost a thousand dollars just lying there! And if I had only $25, I’d be able to take care of my expenses until Friday, which is payday.

You wonder why your friend didn’t plan better. You know that you can depend on him/her to repay the fund as soon as paychecks are distributed in two days.

What You Are To Do: Explain what you would do if you were faced with the situation described above.

Case study problem solving

Last month I was hired as an office worker in an auto parts supply store. My duties include keying invoices and correspondence, keeping the books, and answering the phone. I’m interrupted often by the phone. To make the situation worse, my supervisors always seem to misplace the messages I leave. Mr. Parra is especially bad about losing messages. More than once he has said something like, ‘Sylvia, I can’t find that message from Peter Torres. Please, look up his number in the phone book.’ So, I’m interrupted twice about the same matter!

1. Do you notice the contradiction in this letter?

2. Does answering the phone contribute to the smooth functioning of an office?

3. Is answering the phone as important as the other tasks performed by the secretary?

4. Why does Sylvia feel annoyed each time the telephone rings?

5. Can feeling annoyed reduce her willingness to work efficiently?

6. Does the overall productivity of an office worker suffer as a result?

7. How should Sylvia regard her duty to answer the phone? Should it be a high work priority for her?

8. Does the telephone keep her from doing her job or is it her job?

9. Is giving attention to incoming calls an important task?

10. Is it a good practice for an office worker to switch his/her full attention to the caller?

11. Should a secretary be helpful whenever his/her supervisor requests information?

12. Would you like to keep such an ill-tempered clerk if you were an office manager?

13. Do you think Sylvia will stay long in employment if she doesn’t change her attitude?

14. What kind of worker is she? Think of how you could characterize her?