Question 1

Which of the following is not likely to be an effect of workforce reduction?
A) Employee compensation usually increases when fewer employees are working for a company.
B) Job satisfaction and loyalty often decrease after a company experiences a workforce reduction.
C) Former employees may begin receiving unemployment benefits.
D) Remaining employees begin to take on more responsibilities and workload.
E) Remaining employees are anxious about job security after they survive a round of layoffs.

Accepted Answer

Employee compensation is unlikely to increase when there are fewer employees, as the reduction in workforce usually means that there is less money to go around.

Question 2

Which of the following is least likely to be an example of a work/life program arrangement?
A) Satellite offices of a large company are opened in various locations around large cities to reduce the stress associated with long commutes employees must make to get to the downtown office.
B) A mother needs to work approximately the same hours as school is in session so that she is able to take her children to school and pick them up from their after-school activities.
C) An employee is allowed to take the one-week of vacation time he has earned.
D) An employee is allowed to work from home three days a week during the hours that are most convenient for the employee.
E) An employee is allowed to come into work early and leave early two days a week in order to attend his son's basketball games and daughter's soccer games.

Accepted Answer

Simply allowing an employee to take the vacation time they have earned is not an example of a specific work/life program arrangement. The other options involve specific arrangements made by the employer to accommodate employees' personal lives.

Question 3

Which of the following terms is not commonly used to describe the elimination of employment positions?
A) Workforce reduction
B) Rightsizing
C) Downsizing
D) Erosion
E) Layoffs

Accepted Answer

While the other choices (A, B, C, and E) are commonly used to describe the elimination of employment positions, "erosion" is not commonly used in this context.

Question 4

Which of the following types of employees must be paid for overtime work under governmental labor standards and pay provisions?
A) Administrators
B) Outside sales people
C) Secretaries
D) Executives
E) Professionals

Accepted Answer

Secretaries are non-exempt employees who are entitled to overtime pay under governmental labor standards and pay provisions. Administrators, executives, and professionals may be exempt employees depending on their specific job duties and salary level. Outside sales people are also generally exempt from overtime pay requirements.

Question 5

What did the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 do?
A) It set uniform minimum standards to assure that employee benefit plans are established and maintained in a fair and financially sound manner.
B) It mandated that companies create a financially sound employee pension plan for full- and part-time employees.
C) It developed standards for the minimum wages a company could pay its employees in order to fulfill Social Security retirement obligations.
D) It detailed what benefits a company must offer its employees.
E) It implemented a plan for job-sharing and flextime arrangements with employees who are paid on an hourly basis.

Accepted Answer

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 set uniform minimum standards to assure that employee benefit plans are established and maintained in a fair and financially sound manner. It did not mandate that companies create a pension plan, develop minimum wage standards, or detail specific benefits that must be offered. It also did not address job-sharing or flextime arrangements.

Question 6

Initiatives in workplace diversity focus on
A) meeting the legal guidelines of equal opportunity.
B) developing a workforce that is 50 percent men and 50 percent women.
C) understanding the ways in which people from different generations communicate and make decisions.
D) reducing lawsuits related to affirmative action.
E) recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce as a business imperative.

Accepted Answer

Initiatives in workplace diversity go beyond meeting legal guidelines and include creating a diverse workforce as a business imperative, which can lead to increased creativity, innovation, and better decision-making. Option B is not feasible in all industries and may not reflect the actual size of the available workforce. Option C only addresses generations, leaving out other dimensions of diversity such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. Option D is not the primary objective of workplace diversity initiatives.

Question 7

In which decade was much of the employment law in the United States enacted?
A) 1890s
B) 1930s
C) 1850s
D) 1970s
E) 1990s

Accepted Answer

Much of the employment law in the United States was enacted in the 1930s through the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established a minimum wage and overtime pay. Other significant employment laws of that decade include the National Labor Relations Act, which protected workers' rights to organize and bargain collectively, and the Social Security Act, which established a system of social insurance.

Question 8

What is the main purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration?
A) To conduct surprise inspections of businesses to see what laws they are violating
B) To oversee the regulations intended to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for all employees.
C) To help employees seek restitution if they have suffered as a result of poor working conditions
D) To threaten all companies with the possibility of fines and other punishment if any employees are injured or killed
E) To improve the overall quality of the workforce in the United States and to increase global competitiveness

Accepted Answer

The main purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to oversee the regulations intended to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for all employees. OSHA sets and enforces standards, provides training and education, and conducts inspections to ensure that employers are complying with these standards. While OSHA can fine and punish companies for violations, its primary goal is to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses.

Question 9

In the ACORN model for handling generational diversity in the workplace, the "N" stands for
A) not limiting employees' right to speak out.
B) noticing the problems when generations talk to one another.
C) never forgetting that all employees are valuable.
D) nourishing retention to keep the best employees.
E) notifying people early of workplace reduction plans.

Accepted Answer

The "N" in the ACORN model stands for "nourishing retention to keep the best employees," emphasizing the importance of retaining valuable employees across different generations.

Question 10

What does the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) require of certain employers?
A) Provide 12 weeks of paid leave to an employee with a special family or medical circumstance.
B) Allow employees up to a year of unpaid leave to attend to a family medical emergency without the loss of their jobs.
C) Provide all employees with 10 weeks of job-protected leave for certain family and medical emergencies.
D) Provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons.
E) Provide 12 weeks of leave at 50 percent of the employee's normal salary for a family or medical reason.

Accepted Answer

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for certain family and medical reasons. This includes caring for a newborn or adopted child, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, or if the employee themselves has a serious health condition that prevents them from performing their job. The employee must have worked for the employer for at least 12 months and have worked a certain number of hours to be eligible. The law also requires that the employer maintain the employee's health benefits during their leave. However, there is no requirement to provide paid leave under the FMLA.

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of external factors affecting the perception of a firm's decision to downsize?
A) The downsizing corporation does not offer any kind of career or employment assistance to the employees that are being laid off.
B) A company begins assisting its employees who will be affected by the workforce reduction as soon as it is aware of potential reductions.
C) Other companies in the area quickly hire the employees laid off from the downsizing company.
D) The company considers how it will function after the workforce reduction has taken place.
E) External factors do not play a role in the perception of a company's downsizing decision; only internal factors are important.

Accepted Answer

C is correct because it involves actions by entities outside the company (other companies hiring the laid-off employees), which can affect public and market perception of the downsizing decision.

Question 12

The design, arrangement, and use of equipment to maximize productivity and minimize fatigue and physical discomfort are known as
A) comfort engineering.
B) chiropractics.
C) preventative health.
D) massagonics.
E) ergonomics.

Accepted Answer

Ergonomics refers to the study of designing equipment and workplace layouts to support the physical and mental well-being of workers by reducing physical strain and discomfort. Comfort engineering, chiropractics, preventive health, and massagonics, while related to ergonomics, do not fully encapsulate the design and arrangement of equipment for maximizing productivity and reducing physical fatigue.

Question 13

By the 1980s, what type of analogy was being used to describe the workplace?
A) Master-servant
B) Athletic team
C) Social club
D) Prison
E) Family

Accepted Answer

By the 1980s, the analogy of the workplace as a "family" became popular. This concept was used to foster a sense of belonging, loyalty, and commitment among employees, suggesting that the company cared for its employees in a familial way.

Question 14

Which of the following categories of employment discrimination is not covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A) National origin
B) Gender
C) Religion
D) Disabilities
E) Race

Accepted Answer

Disabilities are not included in the list of categories covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. However, disabilities are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Question 15

Until the early 1900s, how could the relationship between employer and employee best be characterized?
A) Teamwork
B) Master-servant
C) Father-son
D) Mother-daughter
E) Supportive

Accepted Answer

Prior to the early 1900s, the relationship between employer and employee was often characterized as a master-servant relationship, with the employer holding significant power over the employee and exerting control over their work and personal life. This was largely due to the lack of labor laws and unionization at the time. While there may have been some elements of teamwork or supportiveness within specific industries or companies, the overall relationship dynamic was more hierarchical and unequal. The choices of father-son or mother-daughter may be seen as more modern or progressive views of the employer-employee relationship, but they do not accurately reflect the historical reality.

Question 16

What concept governed employment up until the early 1900s?
A) Master-servant
B) Employment at will
C) Vesting
D) FLSA
E) Labor unions

Accepted Answer

The answer of What concept governed employment up until the...

Question 17

What is the psychological contract between an employee and his or her employer?
A) Terms of employment including the salary and benefits associated with an employee's position
B) Employee's perception about how the company should treat him or her as an employee
C) Beliefs, perceptions, expectations, and obligations that comprise an agreement between individuals and their organizations
D) Formal contract between individuals and their employer that details the beliefs and obligations of both parties
E) Contract an employee signs to verify that he or she is of sound mind to serve in the capacity outlined by his or her job title

Accepted Answer

The psychological contract is an agreement between an employee and their employer that includes the beliefs, perceptions, expectations, and obligations that make up the relationship between the two parties. It is a more implicit agreement than a formal, written contract, and includes factors such as how the employer should treat the employee and what the employee should expect in terms of opportunities for advancement, work-life balance, and recognition for their achievements. The psychological contract is important to establish positive relationships between employees and their employer, but it can also be a source of tension or conflict if either party feels that the other is not living up to their obligations.

Question 18

What is an employee who reports individual or corporate wrongdoing to either internal or external sources known as?
A) Tattletale
B) Ethics officer
C) Whistle-blower
D) Retaliator
E) Hostile worker

Accepted Answer

An employee who reports individual or corporate wrongdoing to either internal or external sources is known as a whistle-blower. They are typically motivated by a desire to bring attention to unethical or illegal behavior and hold those responsible accountable.

Question 19

What experiences effectively ended the loyalty and commitment-based contract that employees had developed with employers?
A) Employers took steps to cut costs through workforce reduction as the demands for global competitiveness increased.
B) Employers began to say that employees were not that valuable to the company's success.
C) Employees' desire for job security changed, and they no longer had a psychological need for security.
D) Employers began to offer work-life balance perks to lure talented workers away from their current employers, and loyalty suffered.
E) Employers felt that employees were not living up to the conditions of their psychological contracts.

Accepted Answer

The trend of workforce reduction and cost-cutting measures taken by employers in order to compete globally resulted in the loss of job security and benefits that were previously offered, leading to a decline in employee loyalty and commitment to their employers.

Question 20

Which of the following situations may constitute quid pro quo sexual harassment?
A) Many male employees of a company make repeated remarks about how men are more intelligent than women, which makes the environment difficult for female employees.
B) A male coworker makes unwelcomed sexual advances toward a female coworker, which causes her to feel that her job is threatened.
C) A female employee asks one of her subordinates out to dinner over and over again even though he always tells her no, and he is beginning to feel uncomfortable around her.
D) A male manager suggests to one of his female employees that she will receive a raise if she wears shorter skirts and works "overtime" once a week.
E) A male employee often disseminates e-mails of a sexual nature to his coworkers that creates an awkward atmosphere for a couple of his female coworkers.

Accepted Answer

Quid pro quo sexual harassment occurs when employment or employment opportunities are made contingent on an employee's acceptance of sexual advances. In the given scenario, the manager suggests that the female employee will receive a raise if she wears shorter skirts and works "overtime" once a week, which constitutes quid pro quo sexual harassment.

Quiz 7: Employee Relations

Which of the following is not likely to be an effect of workforce reduction?

Which of the following is least likely to be an example of a work/life program arrangement?

Which of the following terms is not commonly used to describe the elimination of employment positions?

Which of the following types of employees must be paid for overtime work under governmental labor standards and pay provisions?

What did the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 do?

Initiatives in workplace diversity focus on

In which decade was much of the employment law in the United States enacted?

What is the main purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration?

In the ACORN model for handling generational diversity in the workplace, the "N" stands for

What does the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) require of certain employers?

Which of the following is an example of external factors affecting the perception of a firm's decision to downsize?

The design, arrangement, and use of equipment to maximize productivity and minimize fatigue and physical discomfort are known as

By the 1980s, what type of analogy was being used to describe the workplace?

Which of the following categories of employment discrimination is not covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Until the early 1900s, how could the relationship between employer and employee best be characterized?

What concept governed employment up until the early 1900s?

What is the psychological contract between an employee and his or her employer?

What is an employee who reports individual or corporate wrongdoing to either internal or external sources known as?

What experiences effectively ended the loyalty and commitment-based contract that employees had developed with employers?

Which of the following situations may constitute quid pro quo sexual harassment?