Dear Employees of Consolidated Insurance,

I'm writing this because I wanted to address the rumors that have been circulating about the future of our division. As you know, last month we were informed by company management that the structure of the company website ? the primary task of our Electronic Resources division ? would be reviewed. Many of you also know the reason for this review: some top executives were complaining about what they perceived as a lack of efficiency in keeping the website current. As a result, there are rumors going around that the website may be outsourced to an external company, and all the employees of this division could be laid off.

I want to let you know that these rumors are absolutely false. There are no plans whatsoever for any job cuts. Each and every one of you has an important and valuable role to play at Consolidated Insurance, and the company is not thinking of outsourcing our web development. Because our website is designed to provide detailed, complex information to all of our clients, it needs to be developed and maintained by people who know our company well. The company president has reassured me in person that he values the work of the Electronic Resources division and that our staffing levels and mission will remain essentially the same.

With that said, I do think that all of us need to acknowledge that there have been some problems in maintaining our large company website. As your manager, I know that the problems are caused mainly by the challenges of implementing our new customer information database, not by any laziness or negligence on your part. The committee that is currently reviewing our website will make recommendations for how to solve these problems, as well as suggestions for changing the structure of the website. I suggest that you view the committee's input positively, and consider this process as an opportunity for us to improve our services.

I hope that this has cleared up the situation. Please email me with any questions you may have, or if you prefer, you may make an appointment to speak with me privately.

Sincerely,

Jack Kemp

Manager, Electronic Resources Division

Career Advancement Opportunities Available

Help Market Research Associates Expand into Europe!

Market Research Associates, America's largest research firm, is planning to open several new consulting offices in Europe over the next several months. The first branch office will open in Paris, where French marketing experts have been impressed with our company's ground-breaking research on consumer preferences in French-speaking parts of Canada. We anticipate that Paris will be just the beginning: the board of trustees believes that our successful methodology can spread to business centers throughout Europe. This expansion will create exciting opportunities for our employees, and we want to give you more information about them.

Employees of Market Research Associates are encouraged to attend an informational meeting on Monday, March 5 at 3 p.m. in the Green Conference Room to learn about the plans for new consulting offices in Europe. If you're interested in travel and want to learn new skills that can forward your career, please attend this important meeting. You'll learn about the types of positions available, the internal application process, and the benefits you can receive. These include full payment of travel or relocation expenses, and paid training at a prestigious language school to bring your conversation skills in French (or eventually other languages) up to a professional level.

You can learn more about the plans for the new Paris facility by visiting the company website and clicking on the “Branch office in Paris” link. Should you have any further questions, please contact Emma at the Human Resources office, emma@mrassoc.com or 742-2451.

Richard Bachman

193 Fourth Street

Payton, OH 48331

Cyberworld

P.O. Box 83627

Cincinnati, OH 49363

May 25

Re: Account # 58363

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to request that you cancel my Internet service with Cyberworld, effective immediately. Although I had been using your service for almost four years with no complaints, the level of service you have provided during the past month has convinced me to take my business elsewhere.

At the beginning of this month, I noticed that it was very difficult for me to get a dial-up connection. The phone line always seemed to be busy. Then friends started telling me that they were unable to access my personal website. I thought this might be just a temporary problem, but after 10 days with no improvement, I decided to call your customer service line for assistance.

I had to wait on hold for almost an hour before speaking to an employee named John Redman. He told me to try connecting again in half an hour. When I tried to explain that the problem had lasted almost two weeks, he became very rude and told me that he was not a computer expert and could not solve my problems. When I asked him why he was answering the phone for an Internet service provider if he didn’t know anything about computers, he hung up on me. I had never been so rudely treated in all my life.

My account with you was paid in full through the end of May. If I receive any further bills from you, I will not pay them. I hope you will act on the information in this letter and improve your services.

Sincerely,

Richard Bachman

Seeking Staffing Coordinator

Martin Owens Agency is accepting applications for a staffing coordinator. We are the premier temporary staffing agency in the city of Burbank, and we are looking for a bright, motivated individual to join our team. The staffing coordinator is the main point of contact for our employees and business clients. Duties include testing and screening new employees, matching workers with appropriate jobs, notifying employees of job requirements, and contacting clients to assure that performance standards are being met. The successful candidate must be able to handle multiple tasks with ease. Other essential requirements include being well organized, highly dependable and people-oriented.

We offer an excellent benefits package, including health and dental insurance, a retirement plan, three weeks of paid vacation, and excellent pay plus commission and bonuses. We offer a relaxed, fun-loving work environment and a meaningful opportunity to help others advance their careers. We are a family-friendly employer, and some telecommuting is possible depending on staffing needs and workload.

To apply, send a cover letter detailing your qualifications for this position and your salary requirements, a resume, and the names, phone numbers and email addresses of four professional references to:

Martin Owens Agency

8463 Victory Boulevard

Burbank, CA 94632

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. For best consideration, apply no later than September 25. Visit our website at www.martinowens.com for more information.

To: Lisa Derby

From: Annette Shiffler

Subject: Mr. Martin's Retirement Party

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for forwarding me the email about Mr. Martin's retirement party; for some reason I didn't get it when you sent it out originally. I'm writing to confirm that I will definitely be attending the party. Also, as we discussed, I'd like to help out with the planning and organization for the party. I've worked with Mr. Martin for nearly ten years, and he's been the best boss I've ever had. I really want to make this a special event for him!

First of all, is this going to be a potluck, or will we be ordering a catered meal? I'd like to help out either way. If it's a potluck, I'd be happy to bring a dish to share. If we're going to hire a caterer, I can suggest several because I often arrange catering for our training sessions. I even have menus from several different catering businesses if you'd like to take a look at them.

Next, how about decorations for the party? I've actually got some nice banners at home that say “Congratulations on Your Retirement!” I originally used them for my uncle's retirement party last year. Would you like me to bring those and hang them up in the room? What other decorations are planned? How about some nice centerpieces for the tables, such as flower arrangements?

Finally, if there's any other way I can help out that I haven't mentioned above, just let me know. I'd really like to get involved in this and do something nice for Mr. Martin. Thanks for organizing the party!

Annette

Memorandum

To: All Employees

From: Bill Regan, Director of Human Resources

Subject: New Holiday Pay Policy

Johnson Security is implementing a new holiday policy for all employees. As you know, providing security services to our clients is our priority here at Johnson Security, and therefore most of our employees have to work on national holidays. Our policy in the past has been to pay employees their regular pay rate on holidays, and then to offer them another day off in compensation, scheduled in coordination with the employee's supervisor according to staffing needs. However, in order to comply with government regulations and to provide a more equitable holiday benefit for all of our employees, the policy will now be changed as follows.

Effective immediately, employees who work on holidays will be paid one and a half times their regular pay rate. This means that if you normally receive $8 per hour, you will be paid $12 per hour when you work on a holiday. However, as a result of this change, an additional day off will no longer be granted. For example, if you are required to work on New Year's Day, you will receive extra pay, but you will not be able to take off another day during the week, unless you arrange with your supervisor to use some of your vacation hours. This change will make it much more convenient for us to administer work schedules. All employees will continue to receive two weeks of paid vacation per year, exclusive of holidays, as explained in the employee manual.

We hope you will be pleased with the extra financial benefit you will receive for working holidays. If you have any questions or concerns about this new policy, feel free to contact me to arrange a meeting.