Order 1065850: Read Instructions

Sample Bad News Letters

The two case studies below present a scenario and a well-written bad news response.

Case #1:  The Undervalued Employee

You are a devoted employee of Electrifects, a leading electronics company in Canada.  You have been working there for three years and enjoy your job immensely.  The only problem is that you feel you are undervalued as a team player. Despite your hard work, extra effort, and savvy, innovative ideas that have helped put your company on the map, you feel your achievements are largely unrecognized. 

What’s worse, a colleague, Ms. Dannicka Brown, just received a generous raise yesterday, even though she has been working for Electrifects for only two years. You feel slighted and angry. You deserve a raise much more than she does, especially since you know Ms. Brown often calls in sick or misses deadlines.

Write a letter to your boss, Mr. Jim Hogan, asking for a raise.  You may make up details about your history with the company.  Be very careful with your tone!

Sample Response for Case #1: Asking for a Raise

(Note: I have not used full letter format. You, however, will need to use proper letter format on the upcoming assignment).

Dear Mr. Hogan:

Having worked for Electrifects for three years, I am proud to be a part of the fastest growing electronics company in Canada.  Like many other employees, I enjoy being part of a team, and feel that my contributions have significantly helped Electrifects achieve the status of Canada’s leading computer company.

As you may recall, my project management of the Dexter portfolio gained Electrifects a 25% increase in sales.  My innovative ideas and quick problem-solving skills have also earned me the reputation of being reliable, and members of my teams know they can come to me if they have any problems or want to brainstorm new ideas. I feel that my dedication to the company, as demonstrated by my habitual overtime contributions and hard work, has readied me for more responsibility. 

Although working for Electrifects is already a rewarding experience, I ask that my salary be re-evaluated on the basis of my hard work and effort.  After three years, I know I have shown I am a dependable worker whose leadership skills and industry knowledge have helped Electrifects become what it is today. I am requesting an increase in my wage to accommodate my desire for more responsibility in this company.

I would very much like to discuss my contributions with you in person.  Should you consider my request, I can be reached at ext. 111 to set up a meeting.

Sincerely,

Erin Robb

Project Manager 

Approach: Your request for a raise is the main idea of your letter.  Thus, mention of Ms. Brown is off topic and, even worse, rude.  Never, ever play the blame game (even if (s)he is guilty), and never point the finger or “tattle tale” since these actions are petty and unprofessional in this context.  Always try to avoid involving another person/company if you can (unless ethics demands that you “blow the whistle”).

Tone: It is important to avoid sounding demanding or resentful.  Words like “please” or “would like to” instead of “want” or “deserve” can ease your tone. Also, showing appreciation and respect or even admiration for the company will improve tone.  Of course, connecting yourself to the success of the company is key to convincing the boss of giving you a raise, but do not sound boastful. Lastly, note the use of the you attitude to improve tone.

Positive expressions can be very helpful in emphasizing benefits for the company or in conveying a positive tone. Below is a list of positive expressions from the letter.

I look forward to continuing…

I have enjoyed working…

I would like to… (not I want, or I need, or I deserve…)

I am pleased that/to…

I put a lot of effort…

I have enthusiasm for…

I am devoted to…

Case #2: Refusing a Raise

As Jim Hogan, write a letter to Ms. Erin Robb who has asked for a raise, letting her know that you will not give her a raise at this time because, quite frankly, you do not believe she deserves a raise.  Make up any details necessary, but be very cautious with your tone.

Sample Response for Case #2: Refusing a Raise

Dear Ms. Robb:

I would first like to thank you for choosing to dedicate three years to Electrifects.  As the CEO of the company, I have always been proud that our employees choose to stay with us long-term.  This is why, as a company, we provide excellent benefits to all our employees; we hope that our extra employee rewards and team atmosphere make it enjoyable to work here, at Canada’s leading electronics company.

I have carefully reviewed your performance records for the past three years, and am satisfied with your commitments to and achievements in this company. In particular, I congratulate you on a job well done for the Dexter project you headed.  While I would like to reward all hard-working employees with an increase in salary, raises are generally reserved for outstanding employee achievement. The raises for this year have already been given out.  Nonetheless, I encourage you to continue your hard work and submit another request six months from now, when the review board re-evaluates employee income and effort.

Again, thank you for your effort and commitment to this company.  I will be sending out a reminder to all employees in six months’ time about our income review board.  Also, best of luck on the upcoming Jourall project—I see you are the product specialist for this case.

Sincerely,

Jim Hogan,

CEO

Note:  This case study is not a real-life scenario. Seldom would a boss write a letter to refuse a raise. Rather, a face-to-face meeting would be most appropriate for such a delicate situation. This case is simply good practice for tone, innovation, and organization.

Approach:  You need to refuse giving an average employee a raise, but two problems arise: 1) you don’t want to seem completely unsatisfied with the effort made (this approach is too discouraging and rude); 2) you certainly don’t want to seem overly satisfied with the employee’s achievements (this is misleading and sends a confusing message).  To help keep the employee happy or appreciative, you can remind him/her what the company does for the employees (benefits, rewards, parties, incentives).  Then, try to refuse the raise without using negative words (like unable, not, cannot, refuse, etc.) To soften the blow, refer to future possibilities (another review upcoming).  Finally, referring to personal employee achievements shows you are a caring and capable boss, and finishes on a positive (but not misleading!) note.

Organization: Notice where the “bad news” is placed: hidden in the middle of the middle paragraph.  This organization uses the indirect approach: it de-emphasizes the refusal and helps focus on (happier) possibilities or good news.

Tone: For bad news, always try to emphasize what you CAN do or CAN give instead of what you cannot do or will not give. 

Eg: “Raises are generally reserved for outstanding employee achievement” is more positive than “raises are not given to average employees.” 

Eg.  “The raises for this year have already been given out” is better than “due to budget constraints, we cannot give any more raises at this point in time.”