May 2, 2018

WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASE

NORDSTROM

PROBLEMS INVESTIGATED
PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 1:

Employees have to work at the expense of their own in order to make customers satisfied and
pleased. But it causes some employees under pressure and having tough competition with other
employees to overcome them in pleasing the customers by providing them personal deliveries
and by sending thank you letters.

PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 2:

An employee Ms. Bemis felt that she had to work progressively harder for less money and more
fear of firing. Once she had a doctor’s advice that she wouldn’t wear low heel shoes but she had
to wear it because it’s one of the dress code of Nordstrom. In addition, she had to report at work
when she had strep throat. She said that you felt like an absolute nothing working for them.

PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 3:

Ms. Bemis had another issue regarding her low sales. She was one of top sellers of her
department but she only made $18,000, much less than she expected would earn. She delivered
cosmetics to customers in unpaid hours but still she had low rate of sales.

PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 4:

Ms. Bemis worked 12 to 15 hour shifts for a number of days without overtime pay or a day off.
On tenth night, when she was driving back home then she had an accident and got injuries on
head. When she was on best rest at home, her manager kept calling that if she didn’t join soon
then she would out from the job.

PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 5:

1
May 2, 2018
WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASE
The working schedule was so tough. An employee’s whole life is Nordstrom. If you complain
against any policy of Nordstrom then your manager punish you by scheduling you for bad hours
then your sales per hour would fall and you would be out of the job.

PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 6:

Ms. Lucas got Ulcer after having much pressure of work. Then she searched for another job and
left the Nordstrom.

PROBLEM INVESTIGATED 7:

Employees have to purchase and wear Nordstrom clothes while on job and acquire a certain
look. Nordstrom also involve in discriminatory practices because they demanded from their
employees to correct the accent and form a complete image of a Nordie.

2
May 2, 2018
WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASE

REASONS
REASON NO 1:

All this work is done after the work hours, employees have to do it “off the clock”, past the end
of a shift, on the weekends or through breaks and they don’t receive any incentive for these
activities. They have to go out of the way to maintain close relations with customers. Many
employees complaint about overbearing work pressure and “off the clock” work and it causes
them dissatisfied from working at Nordstrom.

REASON NO 2:

Managers were always grilling you about your sales and you have to follow all the rules and
regulations whatever condition you have. Your condition doesn’t matter for them, they only need
your work at Nordstrom and it made Ms. Bemis dissatisfied from Nordstrom.

REASON NO 3:

Whether you are free delivering the cosmetics or any material that customers need, if your sales
per hour are not high, you just forced out. Your helping behavior with customers doesn’t matter
for managers because their main concern is your high sales per hour.

REASON NO 4:

Although she met with accident because of over work and much burden of job on her shoulders
but still the manager wanted her to keep doing her job with injuries. Manager’s only concern was
to bring Ms. Bemis back to work regardless of her condition. That incident made Ms. Bemis to
make a decision about quitting the job from Nordstrom.

REASON NO 5:

Nordstrom’s rules and regulations are so much stricken that if you make any complain, you will
be out from job. They made employees so much tough and dedicated towards their rules that any
interruption is not bearable. Main focus is on making high sales per hour and if any employee is
not successful in meeting high sales then he/she’s out. This thing makes them follow duties of
sending thank you letter and free deliveries to customers.

3
May 2, 2018
WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASE
REASON NO 6:

She worked for 22 days without a day off and that continuous work routine made her ill and she
demanded a lunch break in which she applied for another job and quit her job from Nordstrom.

REASON NO 7:

Nordstrom has a certain image about its employees and it emphases on employees to look like
Nordies from every side. This give rise to discrimination among employees and employees from
minorities feel low level of respect because of their color or accent.

4
May 2, 2018
WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASE

RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 1:

 The Nordstrom’s management should hire separate employees for “off the clock” work.
 When management took “off the clock” work from permanent employees then they
should pay them some incentives in form of monetary terms in order to increase their
motivation level.
 Management should not make a norm of working “off the clock” for their employees
because they may be tired and want a relaxing lunch and break or have some other tasks
to complete at home or on the weekends.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 2:

Managers should give some relaxation for those employees who have any problem regarding
health so that they could perform their job better and with satisfaction.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 3:

Managers should consider employees’ “off the clock” work activities and give some benefits for
carrying out such extra activities so that if their sales per hour are low then they should have
some motivation incentive that their extra work is recognized by the managers.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 4:

 Managers should compensate their employees when had any medical issue and should
give them some days off to recover easily.
 They should give them medical facilities in case of any health issue or accident.
 Their employees are their strengths, so they should take better care of their health and
should give some break and holidays.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 5:

 Managers should minimize their rules and norms and give some relief to employees so
that they could enjoy their own life and get some relaxation.

5
May 2, 2018
WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASE
 They should make a certain number of sending letters to customers so that it doesn’t put
burden on employees.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 6:

 Managers should give employees days off in a week so that they could relax themselves.
 Managers should not over loaded their employees with extra duties like sending thank
you letters and delivering items on their own to the customers.
 Management should pay heed towards the problems of their employees.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROBLEM NO 7:

 Managers should accept the employees as the way they are.

 Mangers should complete freedom to employees to treat the customers according to their
sense.