[00:00:12]

Marcus White is the managing director of Quartz Power Group, an energy company. Every month, the departmental managers meet to discuss high level issues in the company. Marcus is leading this month’s meeting.

 

[00:00:26]

Marcus: Good morning everyone. Thank you for very much for being here on time. We’ve got a lot to do today, so let’s get started. Everyone’s here apart from John in Facilities, but we have apologies from him. Has everyone got a copy of the agenda? Good. Can I draw your attention to item four where it says, “Presentation of online survey results”? The presentation is going to be given by Ms. Patricia Reys, who is a representative of the research company we contracted to carry out the work. Ms. Reyes will arrive at 11:30, so I plan to break at around 11:15 to give her time to set up. It may also mean that we need to interrupt the first few agenda items, but we’ll come back to those. Lastly, I’d like to give time under any other business to discuss whatever might come out of the presentation. Item one is relocation and plans for flexible working. As you know, Paul and his team have been working on plans to extend flexible working hours across the company. Paul, perhaps I can begin by asking you to fill us in on your progress.

 

Paul: Sure, thanks Marcus. As Marcus said…

[Break in recording 00:01:58]

 

[00:02:00]

Marcus: Thank you very much indeed, Paul. On behalf of everyone I would like to say thank you to you and your team for all the hard work that you’ve put in so far on this project. I really appreciate it. Before we move on to item two, are there any comments anyone would like to make on item one? Maya, I’m aware that flexible working hours has a particular impact on some of your team. Do you have any thoughts on that?

 

[00:02:38]

Maya: Well from my point of view, what Paul is proposing sounds fine. I am a bit concerned about working with the system of core hours and then flexible hours, but I think we all need time to read through Paul’s proposal in more detail before discussing it any further.

 

[00:02:54]

Marcus: Okay, that sounds reasonable. What do other people think? Would you agree with Maya that we need to look through the proposal in more detail first? Yes? I’m sure we can return to it in next month’s meeting. Are we all okay to move onto the next point? The up-and-coming board meeting. We don’t need to spend too much time on this, but there are one or two issues which we need to be aware of. Lydia, can you warn me if we go beyond ten minutes on this one?

 

[Break in recording 00:03:38] 

 

 

[00:03:39]

So those two people will be replacing the two members of the board who are leaving us, and that’s everything on item two. Moving onto item 3, and the cost breakdown for the relocation. Maya, thank you very much for emailing the current figures to all of us, I hope that we’ve all had time to look at them, to read them through. Maya, is there anything you want to add before I open this up for questions?

 

[00:04:12]

Maya: Not really, nothing’s changed since it was sent out, as far as I know.

 

[00:04:17]

Marcus: Are there any questions arising from Maya’s report? Matt, you look as if you might have a question?

 

[00:04:24]

Matt: Yes, I suppose I do. It’s more of a comment really. The fact is, I.T will have the highest costs attached to this relocation in terms of moving equipment, and I’ll also need to bring quite a few contract people to help. The figures in here don’t seem to be the same as the estimates I gave you. It’s all going to require a lot of overtime in my department.

 

[00:04:46]

Maya: I have allocated some of the costs to the budgets of other departments. That seemed the fairest way to do it, otherwise as you say, I.T is responsible for a large part of the relocation costs.

 

[00:04:58]

Matt: Do you mean that any IT costs related to, say, marketing, will be covered by the marketing budget.

 

[00:05:05]

Maya: This might help clarify it. I have broken the I.T department up into segments.

 

[00:05:15]

Marcus: Sorry, can we continue this discussion after lunch? The lady from the research company is waiting to join us and to present her results. Before we take a break, I just want to summarise where we are so far. My understanding is that Maya has tried to allocate the relocation costs across departments as far as is possible, but that Matt feels that I.T is still taking too many costs. Is that right?

 

[00:05:46]

Matt: That’s about right.

 

[00:05:48]

Marcus: Good. Let’s take a break now. Can we all be back promptly at 11:30 to continue where we left off? Lydia, could you bring Ms. Reyes up please?

 

Lydia: [inaudible 00:06:07]