The Candy Jar
Samantha (Sam), the Factory Director of Operations, had a candy jar on her desk because she had a sweet tooth and liked a piece of chocolate after lunch. It also invited employees in. Hard candy, chocolate, caramels, an assortment. Employees had a habit of walking into her office, looking through the different choices, and carefully making their selection before sitting down to talk to Sam. Initially, when employees were hired, they walked in, chose their sweet, and started talking about schedules and benefits. After they’d been there for a while, they talked about their frustrations on the job. And eventually they felt comfortable talking about their personal challenges and career goals. It was an interesting progression to watch.
One employee, Marta, had been with the factory for over a decade. She’d been hired as a machine operator and over the years had been promoted to floor supervisor and eventually shift manager. One day, she walked into the dimly lit office with brown walls and brown carpet, closed the door, and chose her candy. A watermelon Jolly Rancher. She slowly unwrapped it as she eased into the chair. The crinkly wrapper echoed the creaky chair. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her breaths were short and shallow.
“Sam, I know we’re going into our busy season and I know how short-staffed we are. I hate to ask, but I need a month off to travel home. My mother just passed away and I need to tend to her affairs and her belongings.” Marta paused.
“We’re from a small village in Poland and it takes 4 days to get there. I guess I’d need about three weeks to get everything in order then another 4 days to travel back here. I have 4 weeks of paid time off to take and need to take it all now.” She started sobbing again.
Sam was glad she had an office and a door she could close. Marta was baring her soul and it couldn’t be easy. Sam thought for a few moments before responding, “I’m terribly sorry to hear about your mother. I didn’t know she was sick. I want to give you the time off but need to check a few things first. Can I let you know by the end of the day?”. Sam couldn’t imagine the pain Marta was in. She also couldn’t believe she didn’t have the authority to tell Marta “yes” straightaway. HR would tell her to quote the employee handbook that employees needed to put their request to use PTO in at least two weeks before they wanted to use it. What about the human element when these emergencies arise and employees don’t have the luxury of two weeks’ advance notice? Sam also understood that she needed to staff the floor and get the work done, but the team had managed in the past, and she knew they would pull together in this situation.
Sam's question is one many managers ask themselves: where does the human element fit when a policy says otherwise? A good place to start is with what the policy is for. The two-week notice rule exists so managers can plan coverage. It was written with vacations in mind. Marta's situation is different and she gave Sam as much notice as anyone in her position could. A manager who understands what a rule is for can see that right away. A manager who only knows what the rule says will start looking for a way to say no or will feel stuck.
Sam handled the moment well. She led with empathy, said she wanted to say yes, was upfront that she had to check something first, and gave Marta a specific time to expect an answer. A grieving person needs to hear all of that. Sam also kept her promise to answer by the end of the day, which matters as much as what she said in the office.
Trust is a leadership skill everyone needs when leading a team. Marta has been at the factory for years, moved up through the ranks and picked Sam to bring this to. As a shift manager, she also sets an example for her own team, and the floor will hear how she was treated. A month of stretched coverage is a manageable cost. Losing the trust of a long-tenured supervisor when she needed support would cost far more and would be harder to recover.
Sam should work on the staffing challenge with Marta instead of treating it as a reason to decline. That could mean sorting out who covers the shift, what needs handing off before Marta leaves, and whether she can be reached for a question or two. It also means telling the team plainly what is going on and what support they'll get, such as overtime or temporary help, instead of assuming they'll absorb the extra work.
When Sam goes back to her boss, she should bring a recommendation, not just a question: "I'd like to approve this, and here's my coverage plan." She should also make sure the decision is one she'd make for any employee in the same situation. That keeps the decision fair. It's also worth asking whether Marta might need more than four weeks or whether the company has a bereavement policy that could apply, so that conversation happens now and not from a distance while she's overseas.
Sam shouldn't have to wait for an answer for something like this. Companies do better when they tell managers ahead of time where they can use discretion, write the exceptions into the handbook, and have HR respond quickly when a manager asks. Whether Sam had to ask permission mattered less than whether she knew in advance what she was allowed to decide.
A month later, Marta was back from Poland. Sam called her when she got back to the States and asked her how her trip was and if she was ready to be on the schedule. Marta said she was ready to get back to work knowing her team supported her.
On her first day back, she headed straight for the candy jar in Sam’s office. Chose her Jolly Rancher and sat down, ready to dive into work.
