Anna's New Start · Season 2, Episode 8: Can We Change the Shift? November 9, 2026 · 5:34 · With Narrator, Lidia, and Anna
During a break at the Harbor Lane Hotel, Lidia asks Anna to swap a morning shift. Anna says she can work Wednesday until noon, but must leave then. They will ask Ms. Lopez about…
Transcript Narrator You’re hearing Anna’s New Start, a fictional continuing story about Anna building a new life in a new city and finding her place there. Anna works as a breakfast assistant at the Harbor Lane Hotel. During a break, her colleague Lidia wants to talk with her about changing a shift. Lidia Anna, do you have a minute? I want to ask about next week’s shifts. It isn’t urgent, but I’d like to check with you before I speak to Ms. Lopez. Anna Sure, Lidia. I’m on my break. What’s up? I have a few minutes, and I can look at the schedule with you if that helps. Lidia I’m listed for the Wednesday morning shift, and you’re listed for Thursday morning. Would you be open to swapping shifts? I have something to do Wednesday morning. Anna Maybe. Let me check the hours first. What time does your Wednesday shift start and end? I want to be sure I understand what you’re asking. Lidia It starts at seven and ends at one. Thursday is the same. I’m hoping to switch because I have something to do Wednesday morning, but I haven’t changed anything on the schedule. Anna Thanks for checking with me. I’m available Wednesday morning, but I can’t stay past noon that day. I have to leave by then, so I couldn’t work the whole shift as it’s listed. Lidia I understand. The shift ends at one, so your limit would leave the last hour uncovered. I hadn’t thought of that. I don’t want to ask you to agree to something you can’t do. Anna Right. I can work from seven until noon, but I can’t promise that last hour. I want to be clear about that before we make a plan. Could you still use help for the first five hours? Lidia Yes, that would help with most of the morning. But I can’t cover the last hour myself because I have to be somewhere then. We would need to ask if someone else can cover it. Anna That makes sense. I could take the Wednesday shift until noon, but only if Ms. Lopez can arrange coverage from noon to one. Otherwise, I can’t take that shift. Does that work for you as a plan to ask about? Lidia Yes. I’m glad you said exactly what you can do. If Ms. Lopez finds someone for that hour, I could take your Thursday shift instead. If she can’t, we’ll keep the schedule as it is. Anna That sounds fair. Just to be clear, we’re asking about a possible swap, not changing the schedule ourselves. I could work Wednesday from seven to noon, and you could work Thursday from seven to one, if she approves the plan and finds coverage. Lidia Yes, that’s what I mean. We should explain that the Wednesday shift still needs someone from noon to one. I don’t want Ms. Lopez to think the whole shift is covered when it isn’t. Anna I agree. I’m still learning how shift changes work here, and I want to follow the right process. I can tell her I’m available for part of Wednesday, but I need to leave by noon. Lidia That’s good. I’ll explain why I’m asking, and we can ask whether another person is available for that last hour. We don’t need to decide anything before she answers. Anna Would you like me to come with you? Then I can answer if she has a question about my availability. I don’t want you to have to explain my limit for me. Lidia Yes, please. I’ll say that I’m asking to swap my Wednesday shift for your Thursday shift. Then you can explain that you can work Wednesday until noon, but not later. Anna Exactly. If she can arrange coverage for the last hour, I can take the Wednesday shift until noon, and you can take my Thursday shift. If she can’t, I’ll keep my Thursday shift. Lidia That works for me. I appreciate your willingness to help, and I also understand that you have a firm limit. I don’t want you to feel you have to say yes to the full shift. Anna Thanks. I’m happy to help with the hours I’m available for. I just need us to be honest about the hour I can’t work. Does that work for you? Lidia Yes. Let’s ask Ms. Lopez together before our break ends. We’ll tell her the hours clearly and wait for her answer before either of us changes plans. Anna Okay. We have a possible plan, and we know what still needs to be checked. If she can arrange coverage, we can make the swap. If not, we’ll leave the schedule as it is.