Unit 1:

Volunteer projects for sabbaticals

Want to take that sabbatical but don’t know where to start? Then you are sure to be
delighted to know that we are sponsoring sabbaticals for all staff to participate in
overseas volunteer projects.

The company is happy to announce that it would welcome ideas for volunteer projects
from all staff. One exciting option has already been suggested. It is a sabbatical
working with a marine charity on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where you not
only engage in marine conservation, but also learn about marine life and how to surf.
Furthermore, you will have the chance to have one month to travel around the country
after your volunteering work.

If you are interested in this opportunity or have your own idea to submit, please
contact HR soon, as next year’s sabbatical schedule will be finalised by end of next
month. We would welcome any comments you might have about this volunteer
projects.

Unit 2:
I am writing to request some more professional training. As I am now having to
negotiate more new contracts with our customers, I feel that it would be very helpful if
I could attend this course to help me negotiate more effectively.

I believe that it is vital to attend the course so that I can recognise how negotiations
can change during the process and how to read the reactions of the people I am
negotiating with. It is very important to be able to know if the customers are likely to
accept our offer.

Another area where I need to improve my skills is being able to listen carefully and
ask the right question as I do not have enough experience in this area. The course also
help me to build a broader understanding of the negotiation process. Furthermore, the
course looks at the value of careful planning and preparation so that I can develop
strategies for each stage to use during negotiations.

I would therefore like to attend this course in two weeks' time, if possible. Please
could you let me know if I can do it by tomorrow afternoon because registration for
the course closes tomorrow evening. I attach full course details for your information.
Kind regards,

Unit 3:
2018 was a year of mixed results and challenges which were caused by an economic
downturn in some European markets and our entry into new, more buoyant markets
like India, Japan. However, the increase in group sales meant that we achieved better
results overall than expected.

We finished the year by achieving an overall group sales of £48 billion compared to
£40 billion in 2017 (up ...% on 2017). In addition, cash flow from operations also saw
an increase and was up 12,5 % on the previous year, at £4.5 billion. As a result of this
success, we were very pleased to be able to raise our annual dividend to £1.34, the
third consecutive year it has increased.

The total number of stores worldwide has reached 2,000 since we acquired five more
stores in Russia, ten new stores in India and four in Japan, while India and Japan are
our new markets. Furthermore, we successfully launched of new high-end brand in
Europe and this appears to be selling very well, which gives us cause to be very
optimistic about the future.

Our plans now include a major restructuring of the organisation in order to reduce
operating costs and a plan to buy back £1 billion worth of our shares over the next
three years. The forecast for the coming year looks promising.

Unit 4:
This proposal aims to assess the possibility of investing in driverless battery-powered
vehicles to transport people around the city. Recently, there have been problems about
traffic congestion in city centre, which causes high levels of pollution. Our long-term
strategy is to ban gas-powered vehicles completely from the centre within three years
to encourage more people to use public transport. The use of driverless battery-
powered vehicles would help to ease these issues.
The most efficient option would be driverless buses. They are reasonably priced,
cheaper to run than traditional forms of public transport and much cleaner for the
environment, so there would be far more people using it, which causes less pollution.
The city would also not have to build new infrastructure as these vehicles can travel
safely on existing roads and bridges. In addition, people who drive into the city
usually leave their cars parked 95 percent of the time, so using these vehicles would
free up car parks for other uses.
Although initial investment is high, these battery-powered vehicles are cheaper to run
than other forms of transport and cause less pollution. We could run a trial by the end
of the year in part of the city. In conclusion, I therefore recommend the city invests in
driverless vehicles and runs a trial route before the end of the year.

Unit 5:
I am pleased to report that you seem to have settled in well to your job as a sale
manager. You demonstrate very good communication skills in your role and an ability
to communicate information clearly and concisely with your team and colleagues. In
addition, you have exhibited the ability to listen actively and you are quick to
understand information and new ideas. Regarding your team, you display great
aptitude for developing the skills of others to help them solve any problems they have.
More importantly, you also always take responsibility for your team's actions, which is
a very important quality for someone in a management role.
Besides, you also remember to praise your staff when they have done something well
and always give constructive feedback if they have not. It is also pleasing to note that
you have successfully met all your targets and sometimes even exceeded them.
I am impressed with what you have done so far, although there are still some areas
which could be improved. Nevertheless, I am confident that this could be done with
more professional training. Occasionally you seem to lack a little confidence when
under pressure so a leadership course would be beneficial. Also, improving your time
management could help you avoid some of the pressure you find yourself under.
Keep up the good work!

Unit 6:
As we have had problems with achieving our environmental targets and reducing
waste in the company, we need to rethink our strategy. It appears that some people are
still using plastic coffee cups which cannot be recycled, and figures show that at least
50 percent of waste paper is not being recycled. Lights have also been left on in empty
offices and, in some, they have not even been switched off at the end of the working
day. As a result, the cost of energy is too high in the past year.
We are therefore working with everyone to look at ways of improving our systems and
reducing waste. We are currently investigating more eco- friendly systems but would
also like you to develop any ideas that you may have to meet our environmental
targets and eliminate as much waste as possible.
As a result, we will continue to implement other measures to ensure that we are the
most eco-friendly offices in town by putting in new lighting systems over the next few
weeks. At the same time, we are hoping to have a paperless office by this time next
year. We are also going to run a competition next month so staff can suggest ideas for
reducing waste. A fabulous holiday is the prize for the winning idea. What are you
waiting for?

Unit 7:
Project Manager
To: Production Director
Subject: Unexpected problem
Hi Sofia,
I'm really sorry to tell you that an unexpected problem has arisen with the equipment
we ordered for the new factory.
The main reason for this problem is that the supplier we chose has gone bankrupt. I
received a letter this morning informing me of this. As a result, we won't receive our
order. Unfortunately, this leaves us in a very difficult situation because we do not have
the machines we need.
Consequently, if we do not get the equipment, the factory opening will be seriously
delayed, which we cannot afford. There is also a problem with the fact thatra raid
adamasittartaqtayrrlimeryhnat We will ever get it back.
I therefore propose that I investigate alternative suppliers and see if anyone can supply
the equipment as soon as possible at a reasonable cost. Unfortunately, we will
probably have to pay more for other equipment. I'll have information about the costs,
delivery times and equipment specifications on your desk by the end of the week.
Hopefully we can then make a decision and re-assess our schedule if necessary.
Unit 8:
Move to Mumbai
Now that Hasfell Supplies is part of a multinational group, it has announced plans for
the relocation of its headquarters to Mumbai, in order to take advantage of the
growing markets in South East Asia. Unfortunately the media believes the company is
causing huge job losses in the UK, but this is far from the truth.
The move, which is expected to take place in December when the new office building
is ready, may result in job losses in the UK, but all employees have been offered work
in other parts of the UK organisation. Several staff have already indicated they are
happy to take voluntary redundancy.
Mr Raj Singh, the CEO, informed staff about the relocation before going public and
regretted the negative reaction to the announcement. He assured staff this expansion
would bring more business and offer new and exciting opportunities for promotion
and career development within the company. The company management team will
meet all current staff next week to discuss their future career options. Interviews for
jobs in Mumbai will take place next month.
Hasfell said there would be regular announcements on the progress of the move. For
further information, contact Anika Chadha on [email protected].