Deck 13: Supervising a Diverse Workforce

Question 1

It is illegal for a company to sponsor English improvement or business English courses for minority employees.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Sexual harassment is only applied to situations in which the male is harassing the female.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Diversity management now encompasses many considerations, including, legal, demographic, economic, and political.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Homosexuals are a legally protected class of employees by federal legislation.

Question 5

Reports by the U.S. Justice Department indicate that alleged discrimination in the workplace has decreased rapidly during the past two decades.

Question 6

One of the barriers to integration in the workplace that minorities face is the lack of role models.

Question 7

Managing a diverse workforce is a benefit to the firm and its employees.

Question 8

When considering equally qualified employees a supervisor should select a male instead of a female, because females have a higher absenteeism rate.

Question 9

It is still fairly common for women who take nontraditional jobs to be resented and criticized by their male co-workers.

Question 10

If a minority employee complains of harassment or discriminatory treatment by another employee, the supervisor must treat that complaint as a priority concern.

Question 11

It is a reality that certain categories of employees cannot be disciplined or discharged because of government regulations.

Question 12

The majority of women prioritize work-life balance as the most important aspect of job satisfaction, whereas men prioritize it last.

Question 13

The philosophy behind affirmative-action plans is to overcome the impact of past discrimination and to provide greater opportunities for underrepresented groups to participate in the workforce at large.

Question 14

Diversity management has become an area of vital importance to a firm's long-term success.

Question 15

Protected group employees are classes of employees who have been afforded protection by supervisory management.

Question 16

Differences in ethnic/cultural backgrounds do not contribute to prejudicial attitudes and treatment of minority employees.

Question 17

The identification of employees who have been afforded special legal protection comes from equal employment opportunity regulations and civil rights legislation stemming from numerous court decisions.

Question 18

At Speedy-Quik Printing and Signage, the men in the printing plant often make lewd, sexual, and suggestive remarks to Heather, the receptionist, but this is not considered sexual harassment as no physical contact has occurred.

Question 19

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, Sarah is allowed up to six months of paid leave related to the birth of her child.

Question 20

Unlike the past, there is a low percentage of women who are currently employed in clerical and service jobs.

Question 21

As long as a pregnant employee reports to work, she must fulfill all job responsibilities without special accommodations.

Question 22

Because of the Equal Pay Act and other equal employment opportunity legislation, women and men receive almost the same pay in the United States.

Question 23

The Age Discrimination In Employment Act prohibits discrimination in employment for individuals younger than 25 and older than 50.

Question 24

Employers do not have to make reasonable accommodations for employees with differing religious beliefs.

Question 25

Leaving pamphlets at co-workers' desks warning them of the dire consequences of not belonging to a certain church is acceptable of the Civil Rights Act that protect an employee's freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Question 26

"Reasonable accommodation" simply means making buildings more accessible by building ramps.

Question 27

Employees of the same race or gender as the supervisor may be more likely to take advantage of the supervisor.

Question 28

Supervisors of integrated racial groups may be reluctant to discipline anyone to avoid charges of discrimination.

Question 29

Women supervisors face much skepticism that rarely goes away, even after they have proven their competence.

Question 30

There is a discrepancy between the pay scales of women and men because there is no legislation that protects women in terms of pay.

Question 31

Comparable worth is the concept that jobs should be paid at the same level if they require similar skills and/or abilities.

Question 32

Female supervisors are often tougher on their female subordinates than they are on male employees in order to avoid charges of favoritism.

Question 33

There are no exclusions from the coverage of the Civil Rights Act.

Question 34

The Rison Company requires all job applicants to submit to a drug test. This violates the provisions of the ADA.

Question 35

Supervisors should encourage recent retirees to attend company social functions in order to aid the transition to retirement.

Question 36

Most companies can still require their employees to retire at age 65, but not sooner.

Question 37

Reverse discrimination is often charged when a more senior or qualified person is denied a promotion because preference was given to a protected-group individual who may be less qualified or more junior.

Question 38

The ADA attempts to change the way employers view disabled employees, not just the employers' actions.

Question 39

A qualified disabled individual under the Americans with Disabilities Act is someone with a disability who can perform the essential components of a job with reasonable accommodation.

Question 40

Most courts have ruled that the hiring of part-time or temporary help or the scheduling of extra overtime to accommodate a pregnant employee constitutes an unreasonable burden for employers.

Question 41

Which of the following statements concerning the supervision of protected-group employees is CORRECT?

A) Protected-group members cannot be discharged or disciplined because of government regulations protecting them.
B) Supervisors need knowledge about protected groups and the various laws, rules, and regulations, but they need not change their supervisory practices.
C) Supervisory actions need to be objective, uniformly and consistently applied, and related to the job at all times.
D) Supervisors need not document their actions regarding protected-group employees.

Question 42

Which of the following situations would a court or enforcement agency MOST likely consider illegal discrimination against non-English-speaking individuals?

A) Omaha General Hospital requires all staff nurses to speak English.
B) Kramer's Department Store requires all sales staff to speak English.
C) The Dash Corporation requires all janitorial employees to speak English.
D) All of the above would be considered illegal discrimination against non-English-speaking individuals.

Question 43

A supervisor does not have to be able to manage diversity in the workplace in order to be considered effective.

Question 44

Which of the following situations would probably NOT be a case of sexual harassment?

A) A prospective employee is subjected to sexually suggestive questions during a job interview.
B) A male supervisor sends his female secretary a bouquet of roses during Secretary Appreciation Week.
C) A female employee is in a work situation in which she sees suggestive calendars and hears off-color jokes on a daily basis.
D) A female supervisor makes sexual advances to a male subordinate.

Question 45

Which of the following situations may be considered discriminatory:

A) Must be Caucasian.
B) Must be 18 years old.
C) Must have a valid driver's license.
D) Must be able to speak English.

Question 46

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 requires that equal pay be given to:

A) All employees regardless of job or level.
B) Union and nonunion workers performing the same job.
C) Employees of all races/ethnic backgrounds who are performing the same job.
D) Men and women performing equal work.

Question 47

The largest number of cases of employment discrimination during the past decade occurred due to:

A) Sexual harassment.
B) Racial discrimination.
C) Gender discrimination.
D) Pay discrimination.

Question 48

Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative-action programs most often impact white female employees.

Question 49

Employers must provide _____ for employees of differing religious beliefs.

A) Reasonable accommodations.
B) Clearer expectations.
C) Whatever necessary.
D) None of the above.

Question 50

Supervisors normally should refer workforce compliance questions to a:

A) Personal attorney.
B) Human resource staff person.
C) Colleague.
D) Senior executive.

Question 51

Which of the following statements regarding employer-mandated medical examinations is TRUE?

A) Employers can require prejob-offer medical examinations to screen out job applicants who cannot physically perform the job.
B) After a job offer has been made, an applicant can be given a medical examination to determine whether he/she can physically perform the job.
C) Employers cannot legally require existing employees or job applicants to take any type of medical exam.
D) Established employees can be given medical examinations to determine their continued fitness for the job, but job applicants cannot be required to take such examinations.

Question 52

Which of the following situations would probably result in a case of age discrimination in which the company would find its position difficult to defend?

A) A 55-year-old worker is chosen for promotion over a 35-year-old worker due to the experience factor.
B) A 37-year-old employee is passed over for a choice foreign assignment in favor of a 26-year-old employee.
C) Two 30-year-old workers are denied promotion and one 45-year-old employee gets the promotion.
D) A 50-year-old employee with 25 years of experience is laid off, while a 33-year-old with 7 years of experience is retained.

Question 53

Initiatives and efforts to better manage a diverse workforce are growing significantly due to which of the following reasons?

A) Legal requirements.
B) Social considerations.
C) A firm's long-term success.
D) All of the above.

Question 54

The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 requires that:

A) Employers must provide up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to female employees.
B) Employers give pregnant employees easier job assignments.
C) Pregnancy be treated no differently from illnesses or health disabilities if an employer has medical benefits or a disability plan.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 55

When an employee is nearing retirement, the supervisor should be all of the following EXCEPT:

A) Supportive.
B) Critical.
C) Understanding.
D) Encouraging.

Question 56

The Americans with Disabilities Act exempts from its definition of disability individuals with:

A) Cancer.
B) HIV/AIDS.
C) A drug addiction.
D) Epilepsy.

Question 57

The ADA applies to:

A) Organizations with 15 or more employees.
B) Organizations with fewer than 15 employees.
C) All organizations regardless of the number of employees.
D) Only organizations that are not incorporated.

Question 58

According to _____, jobs that are distinctly different, but require similiar skills should be paid at the same level.

A) Probable cause.
B) Justified equality.
C) Comparable worth.
D) Inequity theory.

Question 59

The most common area of tension in the workplace continues to be between:

A) African Americans and Hispanics.
B) African Americans and Caucasians.
C) Caucasians and Hispanics.
D) Native Americans and Asians.

Question 60

In order to shatter the glass ceiling and bring more women and minorities into higher levels of management, which of the following is most essential?

A) A TQM program.
B) A mentoring program.
C) A technical training program.
D) Alcoholics Anonymous.

Question 61

What is the best way for supervisors to manage all employees in their departments?

Question 62

In what ways is the workforce becoming more diverse?

Question 63

What is considered sexual harassment?

Question 64

What must employers do to accommodate employees of different religious beliefs?

Question 65

Describe some of the barriers that minorities face in terms of workforce integration.

Question 66

_____ is giving preference to protected group members in hiring and promotion over more qualified or more experienced workers from non-protected groups.

A) Equal Employment Opportunity.
B) Discrimination.
C) Reverse discrimination.
D) None of the above.

Question 67

The best way for supervisors to manage their departments would be to:

A) Give more careful scrutiny to the work of protected groups.
B) Refrain from disciplining employees of protected groups at all times.
C) Carefully and specifically manage the protected-group workers while trusting the nonprotected groups to get the job done.
D) Consistently apply the principles of good supervision to all employees.

Question 68

What is a protected class?

Question 69

Describe what diversity is and why diversity is a "bottom-line" concern for organizations.

Question 70

Describe who is protected by the ADA. What must employers do to comply with the ADA?

Question 71

Although EEOC and court decisions have not always clearly defined religious discrimination in the workplace, two principles have evolved. Identify them.

Question 72

Female supervisors tend to put _____ pressure on _____ employees.

A) more; male
B) more; female
C) more; younger
D) more; older

Question 73

What is reverse discrimination?