Ch 12 Study Plan
A compressed workweek means employees complete their work ________. A. within fewer than 5 days in a 5-day workweek B. within fewer than 4 days in a 5-day workweek C. within fewer than 3 days in a 5-day workweek D. by completing 90 percent of their work via telecommuting E. by logging 15-hour days without a break
a
Each of the following is a reason why labor unions have been reluctant to allow their members to participate in telecommuting EXCEPT ________. A. the use of employer-provided equipment as a working condition fringe benefit B. employee isolation C. the perception of inequitable treatment D. the monitoring of an employee's home E. the potential for unfair performance appraisals
a
Employers base sick leave and vacation time on ________. A. the number of hours worked in a month B. recommendations from the supervisors C. the length of employment D. the number of days the employee was absent in a given month E. severity of illness and FMLA
a
How does the Internal Revenue Service view equipment that companies purchase for employees who telecommute? A. It is nontaxable. B. It is taxable or nontaxable depending upon how ownership is transferred. C. It is taxable or nontaxable depending upon how far the employee lives from the company. D. It is a taxable form of compensation. E. It is a taxable benefit.
a
Sometimes temporary workers work less diligently than they should. The chief reason for this poor performance is that ________. A. pay differences in equity exist between core employees and temporary workers B. temporary workers are not perceived as good workers by employers and therefore perform at the expected level C. temporary workers do not receive any guidance from temporary employment agencies D. temporary workers are treated harshly by supervisors and coworkers E. most temporary workers are not highly skilled or educated and therefore do not perform well
a
The main reasons unions oppose flexible work schedules and contingent workers center on which two issues? A. Job security and inequitable treatment issues B. Lack of union membership of contingent workers and isolation issues C. Contempt for contingent workers and security issues D. Health issues and quality of life issues E. Isolation issues and truthfulness issues
a
When members of an organization agree on mistaken solutions because they desire to conform, it is called ________. A. groupthink B. unionization C. deindividuation D. job sharing E. an agency problem
a
Which of the following is LEAST likely a compensation issue arising from part-time employment? A. Should the company contribute to workers' compensation insurance for part-time employees? B. Should part-time employees be eligible for incentive programs? C. Should part-time employees be eligible for paid time off? D. Should companies pay part-time employees a salary? E. Do equity problems arise between core employees and part-time employees?
a
Which of the following is a NOT a reason that labor unions are generally opposed to a company's use of contingent workers? A. The level of performance of a telecommuting employee is lower than that of a core employee. B. Part-time employment tends to erode labor standards. C. Employers tend to exploit contingent workers by paying them lower wages and benefits than core employees. D. Employers' efforts to get cheap labor will lead to a poorly trained and less skilled workforce. E. The longer work hours of compressed workweeks and flextime could endanger workers' safety and health.
a
Which of the following is true of flexible work schedules? A. Flextime and the compressed work week are the most common types of flexible work schedules. B. Telecommuting as a type of flexible work schedule is decreasing in popularity. C. Companies are getting away from offering flexible work schedules for their employees for legal reasons. D. Flextime schedules practiced in most organizations today are still very rigid and limited. E. Research shows that employees prefer structured work weeks more than flexible schedules.
a
Which statement about flexible work schedules and overtime pay is FALSE? A. The FLSA overtime provisions allow companies to pay less than one and one-half times the normal pay to employees on flexible schedules. B. The FLSA overtime provisions are based on work occurring during set hours in a fixed work period. C. Flexible employees may not work exactly 40 hours every week. D. Unpredictable flexible schedules make overtime pay calculations difficult. E. State governments use a variety of time bases to determine overtime pay eligibility.
a
How do flexible work schedules help companies pursue the lowest-cost strategy? A. Companies can pay lower wages to workers who want flexible work schedules. B. Flexible work schedules boost productivity and lower absenteeism, which helps companies cut costs. C. Companies generally do not offer benefits for workers who want flexible work schedules. D. Those workers who want flexible work schedules are not usually union members, and therefore employers can demand more work for the same pay. E. Flexible work schedules mean that workers are not entitled to vacation or sick days.
b
The safe harbor rule applies to leased employee ________ benefits. A. health care B. retirement C. time-off D. overtime E. unemployment
b
When companies adopt flexible working arrangements to help balance work and family roles, which of the following compensation issues is the most difficult to manage? A. Overtime pay B. Paid time-off benefits C. Working condition fringe benefits D. Retirement benefits E. Discretionary benefits
b
Which of the following work arrangements is based on working around a common set of employee work hours? A. Telecommuting B. Flextime C. Banking hours D. Compressed workweek schedule E. Part-time
b
Which statement about flexible work schedules is FALSE? A. Flexible hours can reduce distractions and worry for employees. B. Flexible work schedules benefit morning employees but not evening employees. C. Flexible work schedules enable employees to work when they are at their best. D. Flexible work schedules allow workers to attend to personal matters. E. Flexible work schedules create a better work environment for employees, which gives the company a strategic advantage.
b
Would a hospital be required to pay overtime to a hospital nurse who normally works a 10-hour shift on a 4-day schedule and who is required to work an extra 8-hour shift on the fifth day because of a flu outbreak that has stressed the capacity of existing health care personnel? A. No, the hospital would not have to pay overtime, because events leading to the extra hours were beyond the hospital's control. B. Yes, the hospital would be required to pay time-and-one-half for the 8-hour shift. C. Yes, the hospital would be required to pay time-and-one-half for a full 10-hour shift. D. It depends on the total hours the nurse works during the month. E. No, employees on compressed work schedules are not subject to overtime regulations.
b
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a part-time employee works fewer than ________ hours per week. A. 25 B. 40 C. 35 D. 10 E. 15
c
Generally, companies expect more from part-time salaried employees. One of the ways to reduce the number of hours of work for a part-time employee is to ________. A. expect less from the part-time employees B. have extra incentives available for only part-time employees by which they can add to their compensation package C. have explicit work-related goals and work-hour limits D. pay part-time employees more per hour than full-time salaried employees E. give part-time employees extra perks like flex workweeks
c
Which alternative work arrangement causes some employees to feel isolated? A. Compressed workweeks B. Flexible work arrangements C. Telecommuting D. Independent consulting E. Banking hours
c
Which of the following is true of seasonal employment? A. Seasonal employees are always eligible for qualified pension benefits. B. Seasonal employees are not protected against discriminatory hiring practices. C. Some seasonal employees are exempt from the FLSA's minimum wage and overtime pay provisions. D. Seasonal employees are hired at any time during the year to fill a need. E. The FLSA extends coverage to seasonal employees.
c
Which of the following is true of the pay of independent contractors and the companies that employ them? A. Contractors are eligible for COBRA benefits. B. Contractors can claim protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act. C. It is possible that the status of contractors could change and they could be considered employees. D. Independent contractors are subject to minimum wage requirements. E. Companies take out federal income tax from their pay.
c
Which statement about hiring contingent workers is true? A. Employers must provide discretionary benefits to contingent workers. B. Contingent workers tend to be highly productive but frequently absent from work. C. Employers with contingent workers save money in the areas of legally required benefits. D. Contingent workers tend to increase problems associated with groupthink. E. Contingent workers limit staffing flexibility for most employers.
c
________ are contingent workers who form independent, working relationships with businesses to complete short-term projects requiring specialized skills that are often in short supply in the labor market. A. Leased employee arrangements B. Temporary employees C. Consultants and freelancers D. Commissioned sales personnel E. Part-time employees
c
________ unions have recently begun to accept the use of flexible work schedules. A. Retail sector B. Manufacturing sector C. Public sector D. Transportation sector E. Service sector
c
Each of the following is an example of a structural change in the U.S. economy that has contributed to the rise of contingent employment EXCEPT ________. A. runaway costs of employer-sponsored health insurance B. economic recession C. a shift from manufacturing to services D. employees' unwillingness to work full-time E. international competition
d
If Company A uses software programmers it hires from another company on a long-term basis to continually modify and maintain important aspects of its website, this would be an example of which of the following? A. Job sharing B. On-call arrangement C. Consultant D. Lease company arrangement E. Direct hire arrangement
d
One of the key advantages for employers in hiring more contingent workers is that contingent workers ________. A. generally are trained very well by temporary employment agencies B. have no issues with absenteeism C. get along better with core employees than do new hires in a company D. bring new ideas, which leads to creativity and innovation for a company E. are much better employees than core workers
d
Which of the following work arrangements allows employees to work fewer days as long as they meet the number of required work hours? A. Telecommuting B. Flextime C. Part-time D. Compressed workweek schedule E. Banking hours
d
Which statement about unions and the use of contingent workers is true? A. Experts believe that most unions will support the use of contingent workers in the near future. B. The use of contingent workers by companies is advocated by most unions. C. In general, unions strongly support the use of contingent workers by companies. D. In general, unions oppose companies using contingent workers. E. Most unions hold a neutral position towards the use of contingent workers.
d
Which type of work arrangement allows an employee to partner with another worker to perform a single full-time job and in return continue to receive benefits, including retirement? A. Temporary employment B. Involuntary part-time employment C. Working as a consultant D. Job sharing E. Leased employment
d
In addition to cost control, how do contingent workers and flexible work schedules promote competitive advantage? A. Improving quality B. Reducing production C. Improving morale D. Increasing collaboration E. Supporting product innovation
e
In general, labor unions do not support organizations' use of contingent workers. Which of the following is a common concern of labor unions? A. That contingent workers exhibit a strong loyalty towards their temporary employers B. That contingent workers are too vocal about wanting benefits from their temporary employers C. That contingent workers are overly interested in collective bargaining activities D. That contingent workers receive the same fringe benefits as core employees E. That contingent workers receive lower wages and benefits than core employees
e
The U.S. federal government uses which time frame basis for overtime pay? A. Number of excess hours above a 50-hour workweek B. Number of hours worked in excess of 80 hours every two weeks C. Number of hours worked in excess on a semi-annual basis D. Number of hours over the usual time in a month E. Number of hours worked in a week
e
Which of the following is a likely result of flexible work arrangements? A. Inefficient customer service B. Increased employee tardiness and absenteeism C. Improved relationships between managers and employees D. Imbalance between work and family roles E. Decreased time and expense associated with commuting
e
Which statement regarding contingent workers is FALSE? A. Contingent workers do not have an explicit or implicit contract for continuing employment. B. Contingent workers are also referred to as "on demand" workers. C. Contingent workers are different than those classified as core employees. D. Contingent workers cannot expect an indefinite relationship with their employer. E. Persons who do not continue their jobs for personal reasons like attending school are still classified as contingent workers.
e