Business Ethics Chapter 8

As of 2018, the current federal minimum wage is ________. A. $7.25 per hour B. $10 per hour C. $12.50 per hour D. $15 per hour

A. $7.25 per hour

If an ADA accommodation is significantly expensive, ________. A. the courts may rule that it is not reasonable B. the courts may rule that it must be provided anyway C. the EEOC guidelines do not apply D. the federal government must subsidize the expense

A. the courts may rule that it is not reasonable

True or false? There are no similarities between legal protections in the workplace for religion and disability.

False. In both cases, employers must be willing to make a reasonable accommodation for the employee.

True or false? Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation.

False. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act does not address sexual orientation and federal law does not prohibit discrimination based on this characteristic.

Hiring a worker as an independent contractor saves an employer about 30 percent of the cost of an employee in benefits. Identify one or two of these benefits.

Independent contractors are not covered by workers' compensation or unemployment insurance or health insurance coverage.

Religious apparel and/or appearance are protected under Title VII's umbrella of religious nondiscrimination. Give an example.

One example of religious apparel that is protected under Title VII is Muslim women's head scarves, which, in most situations, they may wear.

Studies have been conducted on the financial performance of companies with high levels of diversity. Briefly discuss the results of such studies.

Studies indicate that the financial performance of companies with a diverse workforce is above average for their industries. The McKinsey and Company study noted in the chapter found that companies featuring great diversity in their workforces typically enjoyed earnings between 15 and 35 percent greater than their respective US industry medians.

The primary law prohibiting discrimination against disabled workers is the ADA. What is its main requirement?

The ADA's main requirement is that employers make reasonable accommodations for applicants and workers with disabilities to allow them to perform the essential functions of the job.

Generally, Europe has more restrictions on animal testing than does the United States. How does this affect U.S. companies?

U.S. companies lose sales abroad because they cannot sell products that were tested on animals in the European Union markets.

Do some states have laws mandating a higher wage than the federal minimum?

Yes. A state can set its own minimum wage higher than the federal level. Currently, twenty-nine states do so.

Federal law does not currently protect LGBTQ applicants from discrimination in hiring. Are there any applicable state laws that do so?

Yes. Approximately half of U.S. states have local laws that provide protection even though federal law does not; however, some of those states prohibit sexual orientation discrimination only in public workplaces, not private ones.

Though federal law does not mandate it, do some companies nevertheless allow LGBTQ employees to extend insurance coverage to partners?

Yes. The law does not mandate or prohibit extending benefits to LGBTQ partners; it is up to the company.

Reasonable Accomodation

a change or adjustment to a job or other aspect of the work environment that permits an employee with a disability or other need to perform that job

Undue Hardship

a difficulty or expense to the firm significant enough that reasonable accommodation may not be required

Income Inequality

the unequal distribution of income among the participants of an economy

True or false? There are not yet viable alternatives to animal testing in medical research.

False. Alternatives include the use of patient-drug databases, virtual drug trials, computer models and simulations, noninvasive imaging techniques, and microdosing.

Laws protecting animal rights in cosmetic testing are ________. A. more advanced in the United States than in the European Union B. more advanced in the European Union than in the United States C. more advanced in Asia than in the United States D. more advanced in Asia than in the European Union

B. more advanced in the European Union than in the United States

Diversity and inclusion at all levels of a private-sector company is ________. A. mandated by federal law B. the approach preferred by many companies C. required by state law in thirty states D. contrary to the company's fiduciary duty to stockholders

B. the approach preferred by many companies

The primary law prohibiting religious discrimination in the private sector workplace is ________.A. the First Amendment of the Constitution B. state law C. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act D. the Declaration of Independence

C. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act

Are individual states allowed to have laws protecting LGBTQ applicant or employee rights? A. Yes, but it is not really necessary because federal law already protects them. B. No, because it would violate federal law, which prohibits it. C. Yes, some states extend this protection because there is no law at the federal level. D. No, because the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges now protects these rights

C. Yes, some states extend this protection because there is no law at the federal level

Alternatives to animal testing for cancer drugs ________. A. do not exist B. exist but are prohibitively expensive C. exist and are not any more expensive than animal testing D. exist and are far cheaper than animal testing

C. exist and are not any more expensive than animal testing

Google ________.A. has the most diverse workforce of any major U.S. company B. uses a strict quota system in its hiring practices C. is similar to other technology companies, most of which lag on diversity D. promotes women at higher rates than men

C. is similar to other technology companies, most of which lag on diversity

The middle class in the United States ________. A. has steadily increased every year since World War II B. has steadily declined every year since 1990 C. shows a significant decline since 2000 D. has grown since the recession of 2008

C. shows a significant decline since 2000

Since the passage of federal laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the percentage of women in leadership positions has improved but not reached parity with that of men. Briefly discuss the percentage of women in leadership positions in different industries and what might be some of the benefits of improving the representation of women.

The percentage of women in leadership positions remains much lower than for men, generally less than 20percent of positions. The benefits of greater gender diversity in the workforce include improved internal relationships and employee morale and more effective internal and external communication. Studies have also shown that companies in the top 25 percent for executive and/or board diversity had returns on equity more than 50 percent higher than those companies that ranked in the lowest 25 percent.

True or false? Cosmetics manufacturing is an area where testing with synthetic human skin is an acceptable substitute for animal testing.

True

True or false? Diversity programs may fail due to resistance from employees within a company.

True

True or false? The percentage of income earned by the top 1 percent of households in the United States has more than doubled since the early 1980s.

True

Inclusion

the engagement of all employees in the corporate culture

Animal Rights

the entitlement of nonhuman animals to ethical treatment

Diversity Dividend

the financial benefit of improved performance resulting from a diverse workforce