The document outlines a scenario where HR managers discuss employee work-life balance needs and propose solutions like flexible work hours, improved health benefits, and childcare support. They also analyze labor demand forecasting, identify a need for a 15% increase in workforce, and address challenges related to recruiting skilled labor. The coordination of these strategies is aimed at enhancing employee satisfaction and meeting operational demands.

1. HRM500 Week 3 Scenario Script: Work/Life Balance; Planning
and Recruiting Human Resources
Slide #
Scene/Interaction
Narration
HRM500 Week 3 Scenario Script - Part 1: Work/Life Balance
Slide 1
Introduction Page
Slide 2
Scene 1
Angela’s Office
[HR Director Angela, HR Manager Michael and HR Manager
Ashley]
Angela: Ashley and Michael, I have been looking at the
absences in the organization and reviewed the feedback from
the last survey regarding work/life balance concerns.
Our employees want more flexibility to attend their kids’
sporting events, take them to doctor’s appointments, and to visit
or volunteer at the school.
They are also concerned with childcare costs and caring for
elderly parents.
Ashley: Also, our single parents have a hard time finding
affordable child care and health insurance.

2. Michael: Middle class families with two incomes have to work
longer hours and it’s hard for them to coordinate care for their
children outside of school hours.
Families are torn between spending time at work or with their
family.
Slide 3
Scene 2
Angela’s Office
Angela: What do the two of you suggest so that we can meet the
needs of our employees? Keep in mind that more than half of
our workforce represents single parent homes.
Ashley: We need to expand our health benefits to offer more
complete coverage to our employees’ children, for one thing. In
addition, we could provide education benefits for our workers.
We can provide vouchers toward day care costs and referrals for
individuals caring for elderly parents.
Michael: We need to incorporate flex time that will allow
employees to attend activities for their school aged children.
Angela: This will also give us an advantage in our recruiting
efforts.
Slide 4
Scene 3 – Angela’s Office
Ashley: When providing flextime, we need to make sure we still
have enough employees at work to meet the needs of our
customers.
Michael: We can require employees to give us at least a week’s
notice prior to the time off needed, and they can make up the
time away from work within the same work week. This will

3. prevent other employees from becoming overworked and the
company from paying overtime.
Ashley: We will need to look at forecasts for each day to
determine how many people can have time off in a given day.
Exempt employees will have the option to work from home
remotely to make up the hours, since each has been assigned a
laptop.
Slide 4
Interaction:
What suggestions can be made to young managers regarding
work-life balance?
Leaders are willing to accommodate work-life balance
challenges if your performance is up to par.
Work-life policies are a recruiting tool and work arrangements
should be negotiated with your leader within the work
environment.
Employees that continue to have work-life balance issues can be
viewed as entitled, uncommitted and even incompetent.
Although leaders are accommodating when it comes to work-life
balance, many ultimately believe it is your responsibility to
solve the problem.
Slide 5
Scene 3
Angela’s Office
Angela: Great job! The two of you have come up with some
good ideas on how we can support our workforce in the area of
work-life balance by addressing employee requests for more
flexibility to attend their kids’ sporting events, take them to

4. doctor’s appointments, and become more involved in their
school lives.
Ashley: We also brainstormed ideas for managing childcare
costs and caring for elderly parents.
Michael: So what comes next, Angela?
Angela: Our final steps will be to take our recommendations to
the executive team and determine how much is in the budget to
support these programs. We will also need to look at the impact
on operations and research the possible elimination of
underutilized programs so that funding can be redirected
towards the new programs.
In the meantime, let’s move to the conference room to discuss
the next item on our agenda - Planning and Recruiting Human
Resources.
HRM500 Week 3 Scenario Script - Part 2: Planning and
Recruiting Human Resources
Slide 6
Part 2 - Introduction
Slide 7
Scene 4
· Conference Room
Angela: Ashley and Michael, I just came from Montrose’s
strategic management planning meeting for the upcoming year.
We will need to consider forecasting the demand for labor,
determine the labor supply, and define labor shortage.
Based on a trend analysis of the previous year, we will need to
increase our work force by ten-percent to meet the demands.
This estimate is based on changes in the economy and
technology, competitors, and trends in the workforce.

5. Scene 5 – Conference Room
Ashley: Based on our inventory levels and the forecasted
demand for our products and services, the need to hire more
employees is justified.
Michael: Before we make a hasty decision to hire new
employees, we should consult with experts in the field who can
review and analyze statistical planning models and look at the
history of our growth and relationships between variables.
Some variables may include customer buying patterns and call
center call history.
Angela: Good observations, both of you!
Ashley, I would like for you to review inventory and service
levels for the previous twelve months.
Michael, I would like for you to contact Source Forecasting to
help us with determining labor demands for the upcoming year
based on the previous year’s demand for our products and
services and other variables external to the company.
Let’s meet tomorrow morning to discuss your findings.
Slide 8
Scene 6 – Conference Room
Angela: Good morning! Yesterday I asked you to review
inventory and service levels for the previous twelve months and
to contact Source Forecasting to help us determine labor
demands for the upcoming year.
Ashley, tell me what you found out.
Ashley: Based on historical trends, we need to increase our
staffing levels by fifteen-percent, which is five-percent more
than originally stated. This takes into consideration voluntary

6. and involuntary terminations and the potential for employees to
move to new positions.
Michael: When I contacted Source Forecasting, they were able
to look at trends in the economy, competitors within our
industry, changes in technology, and trends in the labor force.
They recommended a fifteen-percent increase in staff as well.
Scene 7 – Conference Room
*Address will be shown on slide (www.bls.gov)
Angela: Sounds like you both got solid information! Next we
will need to look at determining the labor supply to fill these
positions.
We have to analyze detailed information of how many people in
the organization are in each job category and possess specific
skills.
Ashley: We may need to modify our plan to reflect changes due
to retirements, promotions, transfers, and voluntary and
involuntary terminations.
We will need to monitor the plan during the year to determine if
there are unforeseen circumstances that exist in the external
environment.
Angela: Where can we find this information?
Michael: Sources of data for the external labor market include
the Occupational Outlook Quarterly and the Monthly Labor
Review, which are both available through the Labor
Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
Slide 9
Scene 8 – Conference Room
Angela: Ashley and Michael, I would like for both of you to
review these sources today, and we will meet again later to

7. determine if there is a labor shortage in the areas we will be
hiring for, as well as your findings regarding the external labor
market.
Ashley, you did an excellent job looking at historical trends to
support the need to increase our staffing levels by fifteen-
percent, which was five-percent more than originally stated
based on voluntary and involuntary terminations and the
potential for employees to move to new positions.
Michael, you did a good job contacting Source Forecasting to
look at trending in the economy, competitors in our industry,
changes in technology, and patterns in the labor force.
Let’s complete a brief activity before you move on to your
assignment.
Slide 10
Interaction
Slide 11
Scene 9 – Conference Room
Angela: Great job completing the activity.
Your last assignment was to check the Occupational Outlook
Quarterly and the Monthly Labor Review to determine if there
is a surplus or shortage of labor in the areas in which we will be
hiring. What did you find?
Michael: Based on the forecasts for labor demand and supply,
there is a surplus of customer representatives in the labor
market. There is a deficiency in skilled laborers, whom will we
need to manufacture our products.
Ashley: This will present serious hiring challenges for the
organization. The demand for skilled-trades positions is great.
The average age of skilled laborers working in this area is fifty-

8. five years, and the younger generation does not find skilled
labor positions attractive. However, since a higher number of
older workers are now working past retirement, if we could find
a way to recruit younger workers, we would already have
training opportunities in place for them through this older
generation.
Slide 12
Scene 10 – Conference Room
Michael: There is a misconception that these jobs do not pay
well.
We will need to partner with the employment commission and
community colleges in the area.
We can offer paid education and training if students agree to a
two year commitment here at Montrose.
Ashley: We can hire employees who possess the core
competencies needed to be successful at the organization, and
then offer extensive training for new employees to cover any
gaps.
As a final option, we may decide to outsource some of our
production or customer service to a vendor.
Slide 13
Scene 11 – Conference Room
Angela: These are all great ideas. I can tell that you have done
your research.
Now that we have ideas for meeting the demands of our increase
in products and services, we can create a plan and set a specific
goal for gauging our success in addressing our labor
deficiencies.
Our goals will be based on our analysis of labor supply and

9. demand. Ashley and Michael, you did a great job forecasting
the demand for labor, determining the labor supply, and
defining the labor shortage.
Don’t forget to participate in this week’s discussions and
complete your assignment on Trends in the Workplace. We will
meet next week to finalize staffing plans and set our goals –
have a great week, team!