Once an employee leaves an employer, that employee:
A) loses all health insurance coverage.
B) is immediately eligible for health insurance under Social Security.
C) may pay for and keep their health insurance for 18-36 months.
D) gains coverage under COBRA or ERISA, depending on their age.
Workers’ compensation:
A) pays only if the worker cannot.
B) is considered a no-fault system.
C) is mandatory in all fifty states.
D) covers employees’ medical costs with Medicaid.
Recently, employees walked out of their jobs at Sonnet Industries. They learned about
some serious discipline meted out by the company against one of their co-workers and
believed it to be unfair. The workers spontaneously quit work and went home. This
action is known as a(n):
A) wildcat strike.
B) economic strike.
C) intermediate strike.
D) sympathy strike.
Once a union gains the right to hold an election, management and the union are
restricted in the actions they can take. However, management is permitted to:
A) warn employees of dire consequences if the union wins.
B) offer employees incentives for not voting for the union.
C) secretly watch organizing meetings.
D) send employees personal letters.
Additional Case 9.2
Martin, the director of HR at Austin Designs, is meeting with the career development
team. The firm’s CEO has decided that the company needs to invest the time and effort
into improving the direction and development phases of the current career development
program; however, development funds are limited. The CEO and most of the executive
management team are self-made professionals who believe strongly in individual
responsibility. The organizational structure of Austin Designs is very flat. The company
has a wide variety of jobs but few levels of high responsibility. Feedback from
employees suggests that they don’t know when promotional opportunities are available.
Refer to Additional Case 9.2. Which statement most likely describes the future of career
development efforts at Austin Designs?
A) Management will take responsibility for employee career development through
coaching.
B) Career development will become the increasing responsibility of individual
employees.
C) The firm will create an assessment center and career resource center in the near
future.
D) The firm will increase its emphasis on assessment prior to selection.
The critical incident technique can be used to create ________ rating scales.
A) relative-judgment based
B) trait-judgment based
C) outcome-based
D) behavior-based
Public and nonpublic praise, honorary titles, and expanded job responsibilities are all
examples of:
A) financial rewards.
B) lump-sum payments.
C) nonfinancial rewards.
D) employee services.
What is the maximum contribution for 401(k) plans?
A) 15% of salary up to $17,500
B) 25% of gross income up to $49,000
C) 50% of gross income up to $22,300
D) 100% of salary up to $5,000
Additional Case 6.3
MedEquip, a medical services company with 500 employees, has experienced an
extensive business downturn, and a layoff is necessary. MedEquip managers expect a
layoff to be problematic because the firm made verbal commitments to workers for
lifetime employment. You are an HR consultant brought in to assist with the layoff. The
firm has also hired a PR specialist to handle the press releases and public
communications about the layoff. Although MedEquip is a large company, the firm has
built a family atmosphere. Corporate headquarters is located in a small community of
about 10,000 people.
The firm is planning to implement a layoff of 20% of its hourly and managerial
employees. Because of time demands and financial pressures, the layoff will occur in
30 days. The firm plans to use work performance as the layoff criterion. Three areas of
the business will be affected: MIS, facilities, and accounting. Management is concerned
about security in these areas.
Olivia, a middle manager who will not be laid off, has decided to hold group meetings
with the units affected by the layoff. Employees will not receive information in writing
regarding the layoff to avoid litigation issues. Instead, affected employees will receive
verbal communications from Olivia about the layoff. Employees at the firm who are not
losing their jobs will receive e-mails that summarize the current situation at MedEquip.
Refer to Additional Case 6.3. Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to
MedEquip at this time?
A) How will MedEquip’s community reputation be affected?
B) How can MedEquip maintain the morale of surviving employees?
C) How do MedEquip’s competitors handle employee security during layoffs?
D) What policies exist regarding separation pay for laid-off MedEquip employees?
Manvel Enterprises is implementing a differentiation strategy. Manvel will most likely:
A) supervise its staff employees very closely.
B) design a product for easy manufacture.
C) strive for low-cost production.
D) create a unique product.
Additional Case 10.1
Brighton Manufacturing is reviewing its compensation system. The CEO wants
employees to be paid wages and benefits comparable to Brighton’s competitors. He
wants a system that allows for maximum flexibility in reassigning workers to different
jobs without requiring compensation adjustments each time. The Finance VP suggests
that the company link compensation costs more closely to productivity and profit.
When profits are down, compensation costs should be reduced as well. The Finance VP
also believes that employees should be paid for what they produce, not for their time,
and the compensation program should apply to all employees equally. The VP of HR
suggests that the key to the company’s success is their employees and advocates an
individual-based compensation plan. People should be paid for their skills or
knowledge, not just because they are fulfilling certain jobs. The VP of HR also feels
that it would be simpler to implement a compensation system by level rather than by
job.
Refer to Additional Case 10.1. Brighton executives have decided to implement a
decentralized pay system. Which of the following, if true, best supports this decision?
A) Brighton is a large, diverse firm that has never faced legal challenges regarding
compensation.
B) The Brighton CEO wants pay decisions to be made at the firm’s headquarters.
C) Brighton’s unit managers have never received compensation training.
D) A large percentage of Brighton’s staff is non-exempt.
Which of the following is a true statement about the differences between the protection
of government versus non-government employees’ rights?
A) Government employees may have their personal work space searched without
reasonable cause, but non-government workers are protected from this type of activity.
B) Government employees may not copy or correct the information in their personal
files, but non-government employees may.
C) Government workers’ right to free speech is protected more fully than that of
non-government employees.
D) There are no differences in the protection of workers’ rights.
Additional Case 13.1
The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has
been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to
communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second,
Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about
their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and
employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally,
David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer
service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers.
Refer to Additional Case 13.1. The best means for Randall to communicate information
is most likely through a:
A) company newsletter.
B) social network site.
C) bulletin board.
D) memo.
Virtual reality training is best for tasks that:
A) involve computers.
B) can be learned quickly.
C) are potentially dangerous.
D) require on-the-job supervision.
Additional Case 16.2
John is the newly hired director of HR at Richmond Manufacturing, and he is in the
process of learning about the firm’s HR policies and procedures and determining what
areas need improvement. John learns from his staff that the firm’s workers’
compensation rates have risen dramatically in recent years due to rising claims. The
firm has not received any OSHA citations, and most claims have been related to
employee mistakes. Many HR staff members suspect that burnout, substance abuse, and
depression are the primary causes of worksite accidents at Richmond. Although
Richmond established a safety program two years ago, workplace accidents continue to
occur at a significant rate. John is considering the idea of establishing an EAP at
Richmond.
Refer to Additional Case 16.2. Which of the following is the most likely reason that
Richmond’s safety program is ineffective?
A) Most injured employees are unaware of EAP opportunities.
B) The safety committee consists of line managers and top executives.
C) The firm rewards its best truck drivers with gift cards and plaques.
D) Online safety training programs and demonstrations are available to all employees.
It has been estimated that using an expatriate costs ________ more than a local
employee.
A) 200%-400%
B) 500%-1,000%
C) 1,000%-2,000%
D) 3,000%-5,000%