Problem Analysis

Problem Awareness It was apparent there was a problem in the office when there was a significant change in the workload, especially in the operations department. Our office is quite busy a majority of the time and there seemed to be less work which raised awareness of the situation. The reason for the workload change was due to work not being processed as normal because some financial advisors did not have sales assistants to process their requests. In addition, clients began to start calling and questioning why they had not received their monthly payouts on their Automatic Fund Transfers. Finally, other sales assistants and the operations staff were assigned duties to help out, which created a high volume of work being done all at once along with the regular work that was completed on a daily basis. Framing the problem Framing a problem can help you recognize what the cause of a problem is and not just what the problem appears to be. Framing the problem also allows the problem to be thoroughly examined before attempting to resolve it. Framing also aids in gathering information about the problem and understand what the problem entails, the root cause of the problem and what contributed to it or led to the situation. The goal of the workplace problem is to be able meet the demands of the clients in a timely manner, which is not possible until the objective is achieved, which is to eliminate the problem of not having sufficient staff in the office. Effects on Organization A problem that exists so persistently, as such, creates great strain on a company. Animosity can be created when employees are required to cover such heavy workloads for other employees that seem to hold no regard for their position or duty to the company. To further add to the growing problem employees can then begin to not complete other's work unless it directly affects their own, resent management for requiring them to complete such work, or eventually leave their position for a less work load or more monetary compensation elsewhere. If the problem escalates to this point it only worsens the original problem. In addition to the strain on the employees, the strain on customers is also felt. Deadlines are not met, work may not be as accurate, and also customers can feel the strain with atmosphere of over worked employees. Extent of Problem Solved The problem of absent employees may not ever be completely solved but it can be maintained. The main issue is that there are unscheduled absences frequently and when there are scheduled absences at the same time it creates a huge problem. Finding a staff that is dedicated and loyal is the first step and this can be monitored and reviewed during the interviewing process. Looking into how individuals are evaluated at this step could help to start out on the right foot. In conjunction with the interviewing process employees should be evaluated throughout their employment. Giving rewards whether monetary or non-monetary, depending on what the employees value more, will help in keeping morale high as well as the dedication and sense of duty to their position. On the flip side of this the attendance policies should be enforced and if needs be, employees relieved of their duties. Causes and Forces Many causes and forces influence an employee's decision to be absent from the workplace. Some reasons have included absence due to being sick, having family emergencies, or an appointment. And some just feel tired and simply call in. Other times people are absent while taking a vacation or personal day. Lack of motivation at organizations can also make employees want to stay home. If an employee is not satisfied with the type of job they do it can affect the way they perform their required work. The influences and reasons for an employee's absence at times can be taken into account if scheduled. At other times it becomes difficult to foresee a problem when employees are absent on an unscheduled basis. During these unscheduled absences, the necessity