Considering Human Resource Planning from Different Perspectives

Two Olympic Gold Medalist in skiing married in 2014, Jason and LeAnn  Benson opened Adventurers and Explorers (A&E) outdoor sporting  store, which sells gear and clothing. The couple’s concept is different  than many of the other sporting goods stores in that, they design and  sell their own lines of specialized products. LeAnn’s focus is on the  design of products and Jason’s focus is on the financials. As a result,  no one is worrying about the organizational policies or controls.

Jason and LeAnn encourage their employees to continue their favorite  outdoor sports, from skiing to mountain climbing, white-water rafting,  etc. Employees are given two weeks of paid vacation. However, many  employees were allowed to take up to two months off at half pay so they  could fulfill their life-long dreams. Samantha just returned from a  successful climb of Mount Everest. Beth will use her two months off to  backpack around Europe. Around the office, emoloyees joked about the  "weekend flu," taking Friday through Monday off. The office often ran  below staffing levels depending on the season. In addition, because  Jason and LeAnn were Gold Medalists, they attract more employees who are  interested in skiing. The skiers want time off during the peak season.  This is also the peak time for A&E orders and service requests. 

In the last 3 years the company has grown from 30 employees to 100.  Jason and LeAnn need advice on controlling the daily staffing levels so  A&E meet or exceed customer expectations for responsiveness without  sacrificing its company identity. Choose one of the issues facing  A&E and propose a solution and rationale for your response:

Paid vacation along with the most valuable times for vacation (peak season time off)

Attendance Issue — The Weekend Flu (Friday-Monday)

A&E needs to know whether customers are satisfied with the  products and whether the company is responsive to those customers' needs  as outdoor enthusiasts.