persuasive Memo

Persuasive Memo Assignment
Business Solutions

Scenario
You work with the executive team for a mid-sized company that has been growing well in the last 10 years. At present, the company employs about 150 people and about 20% of them are part time, working less than 30 hours generally. But depending on the season or active projects, the number of part-timers grows another 10 to 15% and many of them also work additional hours. Though these employees have been integral to the company’s growth, because they are part time, they are not extended the health insurance benefit offered to full time employees.

The company president has recently asked the executive team for recommendations on how to address part-timers and the Affordable Care Act mandates that become effective soon. She is very conscious of how important the part-time staff is to the company, but she is also conscious of the ever increasing cost of the health care benefit to the company’s bottom line.

As part of the executive team, your task is to research the implications of the Affordable Care Act from several perspectives as it applies to a company of your size and offer recommendations for your boss to consider, regarding the part time staff. Recall, as our book points out, persuasion most often recognizes that there are multiple sides to complex problems. Therefore, your response must offer both pros and cons for consideration, followed by your recommendation and why you think it is the better solution.

Assignment
Write a formal business memo to your boss explaining your position on the issue and include a recommendation. You should research the topic of the Affordable Care Act and provide evidence and reasons to support your final recommendation based on this research. Do not rely on a single research source on which to base your recommendations. Use APA Style for citing your sources.

Format
Your message should be in the form of a business memo, addressed to your president (feel free to create the name). Remember to include an appropriate subject line specific to the situation. Refer to the examples in the text for assistance.

Evaluation
This assignment is worth 100 points. Evaluation will be based on the following criteria at minimum:
1. Audience: Has the appropriate audience been considered for the document and/or has consideration been given to the scenario described in the assignment? Has an Audience Analysis sheet been completed and submitted?
2. Format: Is the document formatted according to assignment requirements and standard business practices?
3. Document elements: Does the document include all necessary elements, per the assignment and the particular type of document?
4. Language: Does the document use acceptable business language/style? Is the document free from errors in spelling, grammar, mechanics and punctuation?
5. Research: Has appropriate research been conducted to support the writing? Has it been used professionally and cited accurately for APA style?
English 211
Standard Memo Template
Use the following standard memo template for most professional writing situations, including writing memos to your instructors for class assignments.

Memorandum
To: Recipients’ names and job titles
From: Writers’ names and job titles
Date: Complete and current date
Re(Subject): Description of what memo is regarding
Begin with a brief introductory paragraph that contextualizes the memo for your readers and describes the main point or course of action that readers should take after reading the memo. The introduction should not have a heading.

Sample Heading

After the introductory paragraph, the body of the memo should be broken into sections with informative headings at the start of each section. These headings should not consist of generic words like “Problem” but specific phrases like “Avoiding Cost Overruns in Sector 7.”

Sample Heading

Remember that if there are others who will receive copies of memo, aside from the recipients, add cc: after the memo subject line with the names of those individuals.

Conclusion

Extra Sample Document – Writin
g for the Reader’s Situation
Chapter 1: Communication, Your Career, and This Book
In the workplace, readers’ responses are shaped by the si
tuation. As you read the memo below, take note of
how its contents and organization are shaped by this bas
ic situation: A small printing company wants to
query its employees on whether or not to establish a day care center for the children of employees. The
author, Jane, makes the following decisions based on her
situation as a writer and the situation of her
readers:
?
Jane begins her memo by stating the issue or concern of the letter. She immediately moves into
how this consideration might affect individual employees.
?
Jane chose not to use headers because the memo is brief, and headings seemed to break the
text up too much. Instead, she uses short paragraphs to help readers peruse quickly.
?
She doesn’t need to identify Fishburn as t
he General Manager because she’s writing to
employees who know who Fishburn is.
?
Jane lets people without children know that she wants their responses, also.
?
Jane assures employees that they are not co
mmitting themselves to participating in the day
care or work share programs by responding to this survey.
?
Jane invites employees to talk with her in person or via e-mail about questions or concerns.
?
She advises employees when and where the completed survey needs to be submitted.
Printers Ink, Incorporated
123 South West Avenue, Suite A
Makanda, IL 62958
February 22, 2003
TO:
Employees
FROM:
Jane Treadway, Personnel Director
RE:
Establishing an On-Site Day Care Center
Printers Ink, Incorporated is considering establis
hing an on-
site day care center. Those of you who
have children under school age might find having yo
ur children on-site not only convenient and
less expensive than alternative childcare opportunities,
but also personally beneficial; in the least,
you would be able to spend some time (breaks, lunch) during the day with them. Those of you
who don’t have children might enjoy the at
mosphere more with children present.

As many of you know, an on-site day care center has been discussed before; with the recent closure
of WeeTots Day Care Center, however, the ne
ed for quality day care has reenergized the
discussion. Ms. Fishburn has asked
that I prepare a formal proposal for the center at the next board
meeting on Wednesday, March 5.
My present
task is to determine the feasibility of
and interest in establis
hing an on-site day care
center. I have already talked with some of yo
u individually, but I need to collect more
comprehensive data to assess employee interest. Yo
u can help me in this endeavor by completing
the attached survey. Even if you do not have children, please review the survey and respond to the
questions that apply to you. It shouldn’t take
you more than fifteen minutes to complete the
survey.
This is a survey of interest, not a commitment
to participate. Your responses will remain
confidential and will be used only to determine inte
rest and need of establishing a day care center
at PII. If you have questions or conc
erns or just want to talk about the center, please feel fee to drop
by my office or e-mail me at j.treadway@printersink.com.
Please complete and return the attached survey to my mailbox by Friday, February 28.
Enclosure
Day Care Questionnaire
DIRECTIONS: Please respond to each of the fo
llowing questions. Your responses will remain
confidential and will be used only to determine inte
rest and need in establishing a day care center
at Printers Ink. This is a survey of interest, not a commitment.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Current Job
Assignment:
Total # of children:
Total # of children, 2-5 years of age:
Total # of children current
ly enrolled in day care:
Ages of children currently enrolled in day care:
Total # of children currently
in need of day care:
Ages of children currently in need of day care:
ON-SITE DAY CARE CENTER
Should Prin
ters Ink establish an on-sit
e day care center? Why or why not?
Would you consider enrolling your pre-school-age
d children in day care on-site? If yes, how
many? If not, why not?