Exam 8: Managing Human Resources and Labour Relations

If it can be shown that an employee did not exercise proper care to ensure his or her own safety on the job, compensation need not be paid if an injury occurs on the job.

Crescendo Inc. distributes musical and band instruments nationwide. Reductions in high school musical programs and the economic recession have led to a sharp downturn in sales. Because of this, a salary freeze has been in effect for three years and increases in supplementary health care premiums have cut into workers' take-home pay. Nevertheless, the firm has avoided layoffs, the workforce has experienced minimal turnover, and the firm has lost only a handful of employees, mostly for health reasons. The CEO considers this continuity of the workforce a healthy sign, but the human resources director is less sanguine. She feels that the workplace culture is becoming inbred and too focused on maintaining job security rather than looking for ways to be truly engaged in the company's goals. Which of the following, if true, would MOST support the CEO's position that the firm is basically healthy? Sales have declined proportionally less than those of Crescendo's competitors. Supervisors report few complaints coming from their subordinates. With the economy improving, the firm is beginning to turn a profit. It has been easy to replace the positions that have come open. The company has always rewarded its top performers in each division.

What is the purpose of a performance appraisal?

Forecasting demand may result in plans to hire additional employees or plans to reduce the size of the workforce.

The federal Pooled Registered Pension Plan Act allows individuals to contribute to a defined contribution pension plan even if their employer does not offer a pension plan.

Describe the concept of bona fide occupational requirements and provide two examples.

John Roarke, a manager, makes the following statement: "To measure the effects of our educational programs designed to stop sexual harassment at our workplace, we recently conducted a survey asking employees about their attitudes and the behavior of the people around them. The survey, conducted after the programs, showed no improvement in either attitudes or behavior. Obviously, then, the survey was conducted improperly." Which of the following most closely resembles the flawed reasoning employed by Roarke? This lawn chair must have been improperly designed. A large number of customers have complained that it rusts quickly and then falls apart. The plan for the new office building must not have been well-reasoned, as it provides no backup plan in case of poor weather or other unforeseen events. The inspection must have not have been competently done. After all, it failed to uncover any mold. Every project that follows the ACME quality procedure is run efficiently, effectively, or both. Since the Prensabi project followed the procedure and was not effective, it must have been run efficiently. The review of our ethical standards reveals serious breaches of professional standards. But this review must be wrong, because all of our employees are paid, and therefore each must be a professional.

Joe manages 15 workers on a production line. He has asked each of them to create a checklist of all the duties they perform. Joe is working on a job analysis. job specification. job description. person-job matching. job relatedness.

What is the main argument that opponents of comparable worth make? Women are not as strong as men. The average woman spends a lower proportion of her potential years of work actually working. Comparable worth ignores the supply and demand aspects of labour. Comparable worth costs too much money. Women live longer than men.

What is the purpose of a performance appraisal system? Explain how a good system works and how management uses the information obtained through this system.

How has union membership (as a percentage of the total workforce) changed over the past 40 years?

How have union-management relationships changed over the past 30 years?

What is the difference between mediation and arbitration?

When Sara, the human resource manager, attempts to determine the predictive value of a selection technique, she is doing validation. certification. training. internal recruitment. external recruitment.

Florabunda, a national wholesale plant supply company that caters to home gardeners, maintains greenhouses in several locations. These provide flower and vegetable seedlings for nurseries and garden centers nationwide and also pots of flowering plants, such as tulips and poinsettias, for other holidays. Relations with employees seemed smooth for some years, but over time the firm has come to rely on short-term contingent labor, especially in the spring when Florabunda fulfills large standing orders for bedding plants. At one of its largest greenhouse locations, employees invite the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) to represent them as a union. The Florabunda greenhouse engages in collective bargaining with the UFCW. A key issue involves workplace safety, as the greenhouses are often fumigated with pesticides to kill insects. Management claims that it takes customary and effective precautions to protect the health of its workers, whereas the union expresses concerns that the pesticides might cause long-term health problems. It quickly becomes apparent that there is no medical consensus over whether a disputed pesticide causes long-term medical effects, when used according to directions. Management therefore does not want to discontinue use of the pesticide, as replacing it would be costly. However, it proposes to provide more detailed instructions to avoid misuse of the compound, and to train all workers thoroughly. If the union reps are not satisfied, which of the following would be their most productive next step? Threaten a strike if the compound is not removed from use at the greenhouse. Concede the point to management and move on to more difficult issues. Form a joint subcommittee made up of management and union members, to study the issue more thoroughly. Organize a boycott among nurseries and garden centers that deal with the greenhouse. Refuse to meet with management negotiators until the union demand is met.

What does the organization hope to accomplish in a recruiting effort? Identify ways that this recruiting may be accomplished.

________ distribute bonuses to all employees in a company based upon reduced costs from working more efficiently. Profit-sharing plans Gainsharing plans Merit salary systems Bona fide occupational requirement plans Assessment centre plans

Jim is an accounts-receivable manager who has received many applications for an accounts-receivable clerk position. What would he most likely do next? Interviews with his manager Reference checks Screening interviews Polygraph tests Give ability/aptitude tests

Crescendo Inc. distributes musical and band instruments nationwide. Reductions in high school musical programs and the economic recession have led to a sharp downturn in sales. Because of this, a salary freeze has been in effect for three years and increases in supplementary health care premiums have cut into workers' take-home pay. Nevertheless, the firm has avoided layoffs, the workforce has experienced minimal turnover, and the firm has lost only a handful of employees, mostly for health reasons. The CEO considers this continuity of the workforce a healthy sign, but the human resources director is less sanguine. She feels that the workplace culture is becoming inbred and too focused on maintaining job security rather than looking for ways to be truly engaged in the company's goals. Which of the following, if true, would support the HR Director's position that the firm's workforce is at risk of becoming disengaged? National polls show that less than a third of all employees are fully engaged in their work. The firm's stated vision holds that each and every employee must be committed to the company's goals. There are few job openings in Crescendo for which Crescendo employees can apply. Crescendo offers only voluntary training programs to prepare workers for job advancement. Appraisal reviews of employees are held only once a year.

The term "bona fide occupational requirement" means that an employer can choose one worker over another based on overriding characteristics of the job.