Bad News Letter

You are an upper-level manager in a large metropolitan hotel. One of your assistant managers, Jeff Clarke, left you a voicemail message requesting emergency leave for his next shift, which begins in 21 hours. You know from previous requests for emergency leave that Jeff's grandmother is coping with a debilitating illness. Your other assistant manager, Nina Hernandez, has covered for Jeff three times in the last two months. She has been looking forward to having this weekend off, as she is going out of town to celebrate her grandson's first birthday. You are already on the schedule this weekend and if you allow Jeff's emergency leave, you'll be short-staffed. To make matters worse, there's a professional conference this weekend for electrical engineers at a nearby convention center and many of the attendees will be staying at your hotel. This is the first time the convention center has directed attendees to your hotel and, if all goes well, this could mean a lot more business throughout the year. Having considered the entire situation, you denied Jeff's request for emergency leave. In turn, he wrote an email asking for you to reconsider your decision. After further thought, you have decided to stand by your decision. Write a letter to Jeff reiterating your decision denying his request.