Question 1

Naomi,a data analyst at a consulting firm,has an abusive manager.To which of the following should Naomi most likely turn for confidential,informal advice?

Accepted Answer

D)Ombudspersons are impartial,neutral counselors who can give employees confidential advice about problems such as abusive managers.Ombudspersons are used so that all workers may seek informal,confidential assistance to work through problems without losing control over how their concerns will be addressed.Mediators,attorneys,and arbitrators would involve more formal involvement.

Question 2

How do employers benefit from providing outplacement services?

Accepted Answer

D)More employers are offering outplacement help to preserve their employer brand and increase good will with just-released employees by offering to help them find alternative work.Outplacement does not necessarily relate to severance pay,and it is not required under the WARN Act.

Question 3

Lisa,an HR manager,has been informed that her employer will be downsizing.Lisa's responsibility is to help the company prepare for downsizing by determining which workers should be laid off.All of the following are important for Lisa to do EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

A)If older workers with higher salaries than their younger counterparts become targets for cost cutting measures,age discrimination claims may occur.It is important to analyze the breakdown of downsized workers to ensure that all protected groups of workers are not disproportionately affected.It is equally imperative that an employer use objective,job-related criteria to decide which positions will be affected.Also,the downsizing organization should be prepared to deal with government requirements such as COBRA and ERISA.

Question 4

Research on downsizing has shown that when organizations ________,they tend to bounce back faster when the upturn hits.

Accepted Answer

A)One big lesson from research on downsizing is that when organizations resist or delay layoffs as long as possible,they tend to bounce back faster when the upturn hits.This is especially true in organizations with skilled workers.

Question 5

Outplacement helps employers preserve their reputation while softening the impact of displacement.

Accepted Answer

Outplacement will also likely have a positive influence on those who remain with the company after downsizing.More employers are offering outplacement help to preserve their employer brand and reputation.Through outplacement,the firm tries to soften the impact of displacement.

Question 6

When a unionized firm is downsizing,what is the most likely basis for layoffs?

Accepted Answer

B)Seniority usually is the basis for layoffs,with the least senior employees laid off first.Potential,salary,and education are less important factors in unionized firms.

Question 7

Kelly,an HR manager,is employed by a firm that is downsizing.Kelly's employer wants the HR department to provide outplacement services to laid-off employees.Which of the following is LEAST likely to be an outplacement activity?

Accepted Answer

B)Some of the services provided by outplacement include a discussion of pension options,Social Security benefits,expenses for interviews,and wage/salary negotiations.Usually,career guidance is provided on how to conduct a self-appraisal,seek employment,and take interviews.Outplacement is less likely to involve paying income taxes.

Question 8

Which of the following is a complaint officer with access to top management who hears employee complaints,investigates,and recommends appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

C)An ombudsperson is a complaint officer who has access to top management and who hears employee complaints,investigates,and recommends appropriate action.Employers use ombudspersons in their organizations to help defuse problems before they become lawsuits or scandals.

Question 9

Louden Manufacturing,a unionized firm,is in the process of downsizing.Mark is employed as a senior-level engineer at the firm,and his position has been eliminated.Mark's manager has indicated that Mark has the right to force a lower-level engineer out of a position.Which term best describes this activity?

Accepted Answer

A)Most labor agreements have a clearly spelled-out bumping procedure.When senior-level positions are eliminated,the people occupying them have the right to bump workers from lower-level positions,assuming that they have the proper qualifications for the lower-level job.Rightsizing and restructuring are synonyms for downsizing.

Question 10

Downsizing and termination are synonymous terms.

Accepted Answer

Downsizing is not the same as termination but the results for workers involved is the same; they no longer have a job.Downsizing is essentially the reverse of a company growing; it suggests a one-time change in the organization and the number of people employed.Termination is the most severe penalty that an organization can impose on an employee.

Question 11

Which of the following would most likely be considered a covered employer under the WARN Act?

Accepted Answer

C)The WARN Act requires covered employers to give 60 days' advance notice before a plant closing or mass layoff that will affect at least 100 full-time employees.

Question 12

According to the WARN Act,covered employers are required to give ________ days advance notice before a mass layoff.

Accepted Answer

B)The WARN Act requires covered employers to give 60 days' advance notice before a plant closing or mass layoff that will affect a substantial number of workers.Covered employers generally include those with at least 100 full-time employees.

Question 13

As a result of downsizing,Heather has lost her job.Heather's employer is helping Heather find a job elsewhere.Which of the following best describes what this employer is providing?

Accepted Answer

A)As a result of downsizing,some organizations are assisting laid-off employees in locating jobs.The use of outplacement began at the executive level,but it has also been used at other organizational levels.In outplacement,laid-off employees are given assistance in finding employment elsewhere.

Question 14

Which term refers to a procedure whereby laid-off employees are given assistance in finding employment elsewhere?

Accepted Answer

B)As a result of downsizing,some organizations are assisting laid-off employees in locating jobs.The use of outplacement began at the executive level,but it has also been used at other organizational levels.In outplacement,laid-off employees are given assistance in finding employment elsewhere.

Question 15

Employers are required by law to provide severance pay to employees who have been involuntarily terminated.

Accepted Answer

Severance pay is compensation designed to assist laid-off employees as they search for new employment.Although no federal law requires U.S.companies to pay severance,a recent study found that although over half of organizations gave severance pay to all departing employees,17.7 percent made payments to selected groups only.

Question 16

Johnson Enterprises is recruiting candidates to fill the new position of ombudsperson.Johnson is most likely adding this position to ________.

Accepted Answer

A)An ombudsperson is a complaint officer who has access to top management and who hears employee complaints,investigates,and recommends appropriate action.Employers use ombudspersons in their organizations to help defuse problems before they become lawsuits or scandals.

Question 17

Miles,a software designer,received a performance review that he feels is incorrect.Miles would like to discuss his concerns with an impartial individual at his firm.What are the best two individuals for Miles to contact in this situation?

Accepted Answer

C)Ombudspersons are impartial,neutral counselors who can give employees confidential advice about problems such as abusive managers.Ombudsperson serve as impartial individuals at a firm in addition to HR representatives.Mediators,arbitrators,and union stewards are used during formal grievances.

Question 18

Jackie is an HR manager at a union-free firm that is in the process of downsizing.As Jackie helps determine which employees will be laid off,what will she most likely give the greatest consideration?

Accepted Answer

A)In union-free firms,productivity and the needs of the organization are typically key considerations.Seniority is the most significant factor in unionized firms.

Question 19

In most cases,terminations at unionized firms are based on performance and merit.

Accepted Answer

When the firm is unionized,the layoff procedures are usually stated clearly in the labor-management agreement.Seniority usually is the basis for layoffs,with the least senior employees laid off first.In non-union firms,terminations are typically based on performance.

Question 20

The term "ghost work" refers to the additional work required of employees who remain after an organization downsizes.

Accepted Answer

Workers who remain after downsizing are also faced with the realization of having to do additional work (some call it "ghost work").In a CareerBuilder survey,47 percent of workers reported they have taken on more responsibility because of a layoff within their organization and 37 percent said they are handling the work of two people.

Quiz 12: Internal Employee Relations