| Course | GB512 Business Communications |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 3 |
| Paper type | Routine business memo |
| Length | About 440 words, 4 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | MBA |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for GB512 Unit 3
Holiday Staffing Schedules Due November 15: A Unit 3 Routine Business Memo
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
GB512: Business Communications
Unit 3 Routine Business Memo
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The bank, its branches and its staff are composite; the sources cited are real.
The Memo
TO: Branch Managers, Fieldstone Community Bank FROM: Teresa Ng, Regional Operations Manager DATE: October 28 SUBJECT: Submit December 16 to 31 staffing schedules by November 15
Please submit your branch's staffing schedule for December 16 through December 31 by Friday, November 15. Early schedules let us cover gaps before they happen; last year, two branches closed early on December 23 because too many staff were on leave at once.
# What to Include
Every scheduled shift, with each employee's name and hours.
Approved leave, including any requests still pending.
Your minimum coverage, the number of tellers and bankers needed to open, as listed in the branch operations manual.
# How to Submit
Use the holiday staffing template in the Operations shared folder, under Branch Scheduling. Save your completed schedule in the same folder with your branch name in the file title.
If your schedule falls below minimum coverage on any day, mark that day in yellow, and I will work with you to arrange cover from a nearby branch.
Thank you for getting these in early. I will confirm receipt of each schedule within two business days. Questions go to me at extension 4417.
The deadline sits both in the subject and in the opening request, so a manager who reads nothing else still knows what to do and by when.
Notes on the Choices
Mary Ellen Guffey and Dana Loewy recommend that routine requests open with the request itself, followed by details and a courteous close that names a next step or contact (Guffey & Loewy, 2022). The reason, last year's early closings, comes in the first paragraph because managers are more likely to act early when they see why it matters. The headings let a manager find what to include and where to send it without rereading. Peter Cardon notes that headings and lists make workplace documents easier to scan and act on (Cardon, 2021). The memo asks for one thing only; a second request, such as training dates, would go in a separate message. The yellow marking gives managers a simple way to flag a problem without writing an explanation, and the named extension tells them exactly whom to call. The tone is brief and courteous, suited to colleagues who receive several such memos each month and will judge this one by how quickly they can finish it.
References
Cardon, P. W. (2021). Business communication: Developing leaders for a networked world (4th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Guffey, M. E., & Loewy, D. (2022). Business communication: Process and product (10th ed.). Cengage.
GB512 Unit 3 instructions, in plain terms
In GB512 Unit 3 you write a routine memo that makes one clear request of a defined group. Set it up with the usual four memo header lines. Put the task and the deadline in the subject line. Make the request in the first sentence and say briefly why it matters now. Use headings and a short list so readers can find what to include and how to submit without rereading. Give a simple way for readers to flag a problem. Close briefly with thanks and a named contact. Keep the memo to one page and to one request; a second request belongs in a second message. Add a short note explaining your choices if your section asks for one, citing the course text in APA 7.
Inside the GB512 Unit 3 example
The memo from Teresa Ng to Fieldstone's branch managers is dated October 28 and has the subject Submit December 16 to 31 staffing schedules by November 15. The first paragraph makes the request and recalls last year's two early closings. A heading called What to Include lists every scheduled shift, approved leave and minimum coverage from the branch operations manual. A heading called How to Submit names the holiday staffing template and the Operations shared folder. Days below minimum coverage are to be marked in yellow, and the writer promises to confirm receipt within two business days. The highlighted sentence explains why the deadline appears twice. Notes cite Guffey and Loewy on routine requests and Cardon on headings and lists, and explain why the memo carries one request only.
Reading the GB512 Unit 3 grading rubric
On the GB512 rubric, this memo is judged by its request, how hard the deadline is to miss and how quickly a busy manager can act on it. Instructors look for standard memo headings and a subject line that names the task and date. The request should come first, with a brief reason. Headings and a short, parallel list should let readers find details quickly. A simple way to flag problems and a named contact show care for the reader. Keeping to one request shows discipline. Tone should be brief and courteous. Guffey and Loewy on routine requests and Cardon on headings and lists are cited in APA 7.
Common GB512 Unit 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Many GB512 Unit 3 memos open with background about the holidays or the bank and put the deadline in the last paragraph. Others combine several requests, so readers miss one. A common gap is the subject line, which often names a topic such as Holiday staffing rather than the task and date. Some memos give instructions in a long paragraph that readers must reread. Put the task and date in the subject, make the request first, give one reason, use headings and a list, offer a way to flag problems, name a contact and ask for one thing only.
Get a GB512 Unit 3 example written to your instructions
Forward the Unit 3 scenario, who the memo addresses, and the rubric from your GB512 section. A routine memo or positive email written to those details returns in 24 to 48 hours, and the first sample is free. Memo headings, lists, and the deadline placement follow the conventions shown in your instructor's materials. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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- GB512 Unit 4: Bad-news Message
- GB512 Unit 5: Persuasive Message
- GB512 Unit 6: Report Proposal
- GB512 Unit 7: Annotated Report Outline
- GB512 Unit 8: Formal Business Report
- GB512 Unit 9: Business Presentation Deck
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GB512 Unit 3 questions, answered
What is the difference between a routine memo and a positive message in GB512?
Both use the direct pattern, but a routine memo usually requests or informs, while a positive message delivers good news, such as approving a request or announcing a benefit. Many Unit 3 prompts include one of each. The good-news version opens with the news itself rather than a request and tends to carry a warmer goodwill close.
Does a memo need a greeting and signature like an email?
Usually not. Standard memo format replaces the greeting with the TO line and the signature with the FROM line, and some organizations add initials beside the sender's name. Your course materials may show a specific template. Adding an email-style greeting to a memo is a small format error that some graders do mark.
Can I use bullet points in a formal memo?
Yes, and in GB512 they are often expected where content has parallel parts, such as items to include or actions to take. The list should be introduced by a sentence and kept parallel in grammar. Bullets replacing all prose, though, can make the request and its reason hard to find, so finished memos combine both.
Where can I find a free GB512 Unit 3 sample paper?
This page carries a full GB512 Unit 3 routine business memo requesting holiday staffing schedules from bank branch managers, with headings, a list, notes on the choices and APA 7 references.
Why give the reason in the first paragraph?
Managers are more likely to act early when they see why it matters. Mentioning that two branches closed early last December shows the request prevents a real problem rather than adding paperwork.