Instructor: Pamela Stemberg

July 14, 2025

Superstore: “Safety Training” — Policy Writing Worksheet 

In the episode “Training Day” (Superstore, Season 3, Episode 14), several issues arise due to uninformed, untrained, or misinformed workers. 

Work in groups of 3–5. Use this worksheet to develop your policy. 

1. Scene Reflection 

What behaviors were problematic to the smooth running of the store? List at least 3. 

1. Sharing private matters with coworkers 
2. Lying to managers, even if the intent was to help a coworker 
3. Lack of a clear negotiation policy between employees and managers 

2. Policy Design 

A. Policy Title: 

_______ Ethical Communication in the Workplace ____________ 

B. Purpose of the Policy: 

(Why does this policy exist?) 

___ This policy exists to promote honest and professional communication among employees, so that the workplace can improve through shared responsibility and a collective effort to maintain a healthy work environment. _____ 

C. Scope of the Policy: 

(Who does it apply to?) 

____ It applies to all employees at Cloud 9 and it covers communication between employee to employee, employee to customer, and employee to management. _ 

__________________________________________________________________ 

D. Policy Statements (Write 3–5 straightforward, enforceable rules): 

1. Employees must maintain respectful and professional communication during work hours. 
2. Personal or sensitive information should not be shared publicly unless necessary for work-related reasons. 
3. Employees must not share inappropriate jokes that may make others uncomfortable. 
4. Any known medical conditions must be handled with  care.  
5. Employees are expected to communicate honestly and avoid withholding important information.  

E. Consequences (What happens if people don’t follow the policy?): 

__ Failure to follow this policy may result in warnings, temporary/permanent suspension or further disciplinary action depending on the severity of the behavior.  

F. Episode Justification: 

Quote or moment from the episode that shows why this policy is needed. 

___ In this episode, Ruby lied to Glenn and said it was her fault that she forgot to secure the bolt properly and used duct tape instead. Because of this, Glenn made her retake the safety training, while Kelly – the person who was actually at fault did not take the training. This miscommunication poses a serious risk to workplace safety because Kelly did not receive the necessary training and is highly likely to repeat the same mistake in the future. _