You work for a growing accounting firm in a large city. Before the pandemic forced most workers in the organization to work from home, you were aware that the company lost several promising job applicants because they did not wish to spend two or more hours a day driving to and from work. Upon inquiring with co-workers, you discover that just over half of the firm’s current workforce commuted more than an hour each way. You’re aware of other firms and similar businesses that have implemented a permanent telecommuting option for some employees. When you bring this issue up to your boss at the next Zoom productivity meeting, she says that she’d be willing to consider transitioning to a permanent telecommuting schedule as an option for some employees but she needs more information first. 

Activity

Research Report for Your Boss: At least two full pages, single spaced, plus a References page (at least three pages total). As you do research and write about this topic, remember who your primary audience is and consider what information would be most relevant to this audience so that she can make a decision about offering the workplace changes to some employees permanently. Remember, too, that this report might be read by others in the company. Your document needs to follow the genre conventions of a report, you must cite in-text every source you use every time you use it, and you must have at least these sections in this order: Executive Summary, Current Situation, Affordances and Limitations, and Conclusion.

You may choose to include other sections but you must have each of these main sections in this order:

Executive Summary: Brief summary of the main points of the report. You will probably write this section last;

Introduction: Background information and context nationally on the issues at stake, i.e. workplace productivity, environmental factors, employee satisfaction, recruiting efforts, and/or why you’re writing/recommending or not recommending this change, and anything else you think would help frame the report for your boss (“frame” = provide your boss with enough information to understand the issue and the rest of the report);

Affordances: Generate a section that discusses the most likely positive outcomes for the company/the workers/stakeholders if the company decides to make the workplace changes permanent, and how specifically the company can maximize these benefits based on the research you’ve done;

Limitations: Generate a section that discusses the possible negative outcomes if the company decides to make the workplace changes permanent, and how specifically the company can deal with and/or address these possible situations based on the research you’ve done;

• Conclusion: Write up your formal recommendation here and provide suggestions about how to proceed with your recommendations based on the research you’ve included in the report.