HR Lesson 3
According to a 1986 amendment to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), _____.
most employees cannot be forced to retire at a specific age
The last stage in a successful management mentoring relationship is _____.
redefinition
Which of the following is the most accurate metric of organizational performance in variable pay plans?
revenue growth
In the context of individual career challenges, one concern that women who sequence have is that _____.
the job market will be unwelcoming to them when they return
Which of the following uses of performance appraisals looks within the organization to provide consistency between individual and organization performance?
A strategic use
The act that does not require employers to pay overtime for salaried exempt jobs is the _____.
Fair Labor Standards Act
Compared with the past, today employees are less mobile and organizations are more stable as long-term employers.
False
During the late career phase, an employee is typically concerned with external rewards and acquiring capabilities.
False
Job sequencing allows women to step off the career track for family considerations without having a negative impact on their careers.
False
The advantage of a salary-plus-commission system is that it requires the sales representative to sell to receive any form of payment.
False
The compa-ratio is calculated by dividing the individual's pay rate by the lowest point in the pay range.
False
The straight commission system combines the stability of a salary with the performance aspect of a commission.
False
Raul, an HR Manager at Rexi LLC, is responsible for implementing a guided self-appraisal system using management by objectives (MBO) in his organization. He starts by establishing objectives that are realistically attainable. Which of the following is most likely to be Raul's next step?
Frequent performance discussions
Which of the following is typically the last stage in implementing a guided self-appraisal system using management by objectives (MBO)?
Frequent performance discussions
A court order that directs an employer to set aside a portion of an employee's wages to pay a debt owed to a creditor is known as _____.
Garnishment
Special benefits—usually noncash items—for executives are termed _____.
Perquisites
In the context of worker motivation, which of the following is classified as an outcome in equity theory?
Praise
Which of the following statements is true of the salary-only approach?
The salary-only approach is useful when an organization emphasizes serving and retaining existing accounts.
Divorced spouses and dependent children of former or current employees are offered extended health care coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).
True
Employees' satisfaction with benefits is most definitely linked to benefit communications.
True
Nonfinancial rewards cannot be used as incentives in pay-for-performance plans.
True
One concern of multisource rating is that peers who rate poor-performing coworkers tend to inflate the ratings so that the peers themselves can get higher overall evaluation results in return.
True
Only employees who have worked at least 12 months and 1,250 hours in the previous year are eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
True
Salary inversion occurs when the pay given to new hires is higher than the compensation provided to more senior employees.
True
Spousal exclusion provisions limit access to a company's health plan when an employee's spouse works for another company that offers health insurance.
True
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires companies with 50 or more employees (who work 30 hours a week or more) to provide health care coverage or pay a penalty.
True
The ability of a waiter at a restaurant to persuade his or her customer to order an expensive item from the menu is an example of behavior-based information.
True
The developmental function of performance appraisals can identify areas in which the employee might wish to grow.
True
The performance management process starts by identifying the strategic goals an organization needs to accomplish to remain competitive and profitable.
True
Every company is required to pay an unemployment tax that is based on the _____.
number of claims filed by workers who leave employment.
A career plateau is most likely to occur when:
opportunities to move up in an organization decrease.
A program that combines sick leave, vacations, and holidays into a total number of hours or days that employees can take off with pay is called a(n) _____ plan.
paid time off
Which of the following is typical of the entitlement philosophy of compensation?
pay raises based on length of service
_____ is a series of activities designed to align and improve individual performance to drive organizational results.
performance management
In the context of graphic rating scales, which of the following is a behavioral dimension?
communication effectiveness
Allison is assessing and creating a list of her interests, personality characteristics, skills, and values to determine the type of occupation that is likely to bring her success and satisfaction. Allison is most likely _____.
compiling her career profile
In the _____ method, the manager keeps a written record of both favorable and unfavorable actions performed by an employee during the entire rating period.
critical incident
The first step in the process of succession planning is to _____.
define key positions critical to an organization's strategy
When conducting performance appraisals, Steve, an Operations Manager at Pucoy Inc., provides his team members with feedback about their work and discusses areas of improvement for their future growth in the company. In this scenario, Steve demonstrates a(n) _____ use of performance appraisal.
developmental
The Nine-Box Talent Grid is impractical for jobs that tend to be complex.
False
are the most widely used means of rating employees.
Supervisory ratings of subordinates
The FLSA established overtime pay requirements for nonexempt employees at 1.5 times the regular pay rate for all hours worked over _____.
40 in a week
Which of the following best describes workers' compensation?
Benefits provided to persons injured on the job
Which of the following statements is true of career plateaus?
Career plateaus are a sign that valuable resources are not being used appropriately.
A percentage of the revenue generated by sales that is given to an agent or salesperson is called _____.
Commission
A _____ is a retirement program in which employees are promised a pension amount based on age and years of service.
Defined benefit plan
Which of the following statements is true of the development of human resources?
Development involves efforts to cultivate employees' capabilities beyond those required by their current job.
Josh is an HR Manager at RoxCom LLC. He is responsible for conducting performance appraisals for all entry-level employees in his organization. He implements a guided self-appraisal system using management by objectives (MBO). As part of the process, he reviews the job description and the key activities that constitute each employee's job. Which of the following is most likely to be Josh's next step?
Development of performance standards
Executive compensation in public corporations is subject to shareholder approval via a "say-on-pay" provision in the
Dodd-Frank Act
Executive compensation in public corporations is subject to shareholder approval via a "say-on-pay" provision in the _____.
Dodd-Frank Act
In the context of legally required benefits, which of the following is true of unemployment compensation?
Each U.S. state operates its own unemployment compensation system.
Which of the following is true of employee benefits?
Employee benefits are used to create and maintain a competitive advantage for organizations.
How do insurance plans offered by employers benefit employees even when the employers do not pay any of the costs?
Employees are offered insurance plans at lower rates through group programs.
Paul recently graduated from college and joined an information technology firm. When he starts work, Paul is taken aback by the differences between college life and professional life. He is dissatisfied with his unsupportive supervisor and is concerned about the lack of frequent feedback and the uncertainty of the logistical aspects of solving work problems. This scenario best exemplifies _____.
Entry shock
Karen, a diabetic, has quit her job as an Internal Auditor with a bank and has joined another company as the Assistant Chief Financial Officer. Which of the following acts will enable Karen to switch her health insurance plan from her former employer to her new employer?
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
The _____ ensures the privacy of employee medical records.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
The high turnover rate of nursing staff is a major concern at Briar Mountain Regional Medical Center. Many experienced nurses resist moving into management despite having adequate managerial skills and being offered managerial opportunities, but exit interviews indicate that many of the best nurses leave Briar Mountain because they feel they cannot advance in the organization. Which of the following steps would be the most efficient in reducing the turnover of the nursing staff?
Implementing a dual-career ladder for the nursing staff
Which of the following is true of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?
It extends dependent coverage up to age 26.
Which of the following is true of pay compression?
It is frequently a result of labor market pay levels increasing faster than current employees' pay adjustments.
Which of the following is a criticism of a pay-for-performance approach?
It prevents teamwork in the workplace.
Identify a true statement about succession planning.
It provides career opportunities and plans for individuals, which helps retention and performance.
Which of the following statements is true of the Family and Medical Leave Act?
It requires that employers allow employees to take a maximum of 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for foster care placement of a child.
In the context of worker motivation, which of the following is classified as an input in equity theory?
Loyalty
The term _____ refers to a relationship in which experienced managers in a company aid individuals in the earlier stages of their careers.
Management mentoring
The relationship between job value as determined by job evaluation points and job value as determined by pay survey rates is shown by a _____.
Market line
Which of the following statements is true of objective and subjective measures of performance appraisals?
Objective measures can be observed and subjective measures require judgment on the part of the evaluator
A panel of division managers evaluating a supervisor's potential for advancement in the organization is an example of _____.
Outsider ratings
A collection of data on compensation rates for workers performing similar jobs in other organizations is known as a _____.
Pay survey
Which of the following is true of organizations that practice a performance-driven approach?
Performance evaluations link results to employee compensation and development.
In the context of the common mistakes made during succession planning, the provisions of the _____ require boards to increase the priority of CEO succession.
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) defines a _____ as an illness or injury that requires inpatient care or continuing treatment by a health care provider for medical problems that exist beyond three days.
Serious health condition
Zara, an HR Manager at Fluxin LLC, is responsible for implementing a guided self-appraisal system using management by objectives (MBO) in her organization. She starts by developing specific standards for employee performance. Which of the following is most likely to be Zara's next step?
Setting of objectives
In the context of talent development approaches, which of the following statements is true of a sabbatical offered by an organization?
The nature of the learning experience of an employee during a sabbatical generally falls outside the organization's control.
A company that has been providing generous defined benefit pension plans to all its retirees for the past 50 years is now facing bankruptcy and is unable to pay the pension amount. Which of the following statements is true in the given scenario?
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation will pay the company's retiree benefits from its solvency fund.
Which of the following is included in the narrative method of performance appraisals?
The critical incident method
Which of the following is true of an employer who uses the second-quartile strategy of compensation?
The employer pays the employees on par with the market levels.
Which of the following is a comparative method of performance appraisals?
The forced distribution method
In general, women's career advancement is negatively affected by _____.
The glass ceiling
Which of the following is an impact of development on an individual's career?
The individual's abilities to handle a variety of assignments are likely to improve.
Which of the following is a disadvantage of providing flexible benefits plans?
There is a risk that employees will choose an inappropriate benefits package.
In the context of development needs analyses, which of the following statements is true of assessment centers?
They offer the advantage of helping identify employees with potential in large organizations.
A disadvantage of the outsider rating approach is that outsiders may not know the important demands within the work group or organization.
True
A pay adjustment matrix considers two factors—the employee's level of performance as rated in an appraisal and the employee's position in the pay range, which is often related to experience and tenure.
True
Both short-term and long-term disability insurance provide continuing income protection for employees who become disabled and are unable to work.
True
Clarity, conflicts, confidence, and conviction are the four elements of feedback that can inspire employees to improve their performance.
True
Payments calculated directly on the basis of the time worked by employees are called _____.
Wages
In the context of the types of benefits offered by employers, which of the following is a voluntary benefit?
Wellness programs
A flexible benefits plan typically _____.
allows employees to select the benefits they prefer from options established by the employer
An effective performance management system should:
be effective in documenting employee performance
The _____ occurs when a rater scores an employee high on all job criteria because of performance in one area of the assigned work responsibilities.
halo effect
In defined contribution plans, _____.
investment risks are borne by employees
Senior managers and executives are often hired from outside a firm because _____.
it takes time to develop leaders internally
Davidson was recently promoted to the position of Manager of the IT Department of his company. Because of Davidson's lack of prior experience in a management role, the management of the company appointed a consultant to help Davidson improve his interpersonal skills and to provide effective decision-making strategies that Davidson could use to resolve conflicts within his team. In this scenario, Davidson's consultant can be best described as a(n) _____.
leadership coach
The _____ occurs when ratings of all employees fall at the high end of the scale.
leniency error
In the context of job evaluation, external pay data are used to identify the relative value of jobs based on what other employers pay for similar jobs in the _____.
market pricing method