Wk 5 Apply : Assignment Test

Liping was an employee in the marketing department at Fresh Munchables. As time passed, she became dissatisfied with her own pay after realizing that the sales team made more than she did and that they also received quarterly bonuses based on their sales numbers. Liping felt that her efforts in marketing led to more sales by the sales team and that the division of pay was unfair. Unfortunately, her manager wasn't able to provide satisfactory answers to her questions about why the two departments were paid differently and Liping soon quit. Fresh Munchables does not want such a situation to occur again. While developing a total rewards system, the compensation team should do their best to build a model that is ________. a) Flexible and adaptable, because it will permit the managers at Fresh Munchables to make appropriate wage-related decisions. b) Clear and logical, because it will allow the employer to justify their compensation-related decisions. c) Private and inaccessible, because it will prevent the employees at Fresh Munchables from getting upset by pay disparities. d) Fluid and ever changing, because it will enable Fresh Munchables to change its total compensation system on a monthly basis.

Clear and logical, because it will allow the employer to justify their compensation-related decisions.

After the departure of more than a few employees over the past six months, the management team at Fresh Munchables is concerned about employees' happiness and job satisfaction. The company has raised wages and found the best possible health care plan; yet, it still struggles to keep long-term employees. Which strategy can the management team use to figure out how to retain employees and increase employee satisfaction? a) Reward the managers whose departments have the highest employee retention rates and fire the ones with low employee satisfaction. b) Offer a better retirement plan for employees in order to incentivize older workers to apply for jobs. c) Conduct a survey asking employees what benefits they want in order to gain useful information about preferred compensation plans. d) Create policies that penalize employees for leaving the company before a specified period of time in order to establish expectations.

Conduct a survey asking employees what benefits they want in order to gain useful information about preferred compensation plans.

The executive team at Fresh Munchables has just updated the company's mission statement based on responses to a recent employee survey asking questions about the company's vision, values, and purpose. By aligning the company values with that of its employees, what can the company's executives expect to see? a) Improvement in employee satisfaction and motivation, because aligning employee and company values creates a sense of purpose in an organization. b) A decrease in conflict between management and employees, because a shift in a company's mission entails a shift in working relationships. c) An increase in revenue, because tapping into person-organization fit leads to improved productivity. d) No significant change, because employees would not work for a company unless they had the same values and vision as that company.

Improvement in employee satisfaction and motivation, because aligning employee and company values creates a sense of purpose in an organization.

Fresh Munchables has acquired a new freeze-dried meat company, and employees now qualify for discounts for packaged meat products. Kenna, a supervisor, has been told by the HR team to provide her employees with formal training, supervisor-based training, and accessible online information so that they can be informed about these new benefits. Why would communicating these rewards through multiple different methods be beneficial? a) One reliable communication method should be good enough. b) It provides a high level of accuracy and transparency for all employees. c) Discounts are a top priority for some employees, so they need to know about them immediately. d) Word-of-mouth communication alone creates chaos and disrupts productivity.

It provides a high level of accuracy and transparency for all employees.

7. Sulli is currently an HR manager at Fresh Munchables. The director of HR has tasked Sulli with making the paid leave system more streamlined. The company is currently offering various forms of paid leave, including vacation time, holidays, sick days, and personal days. What is the best way for Sulli to produce her director's desired outcome? a) Lump the various forms of paid leave into a paid time off bank. b) Categorize different forms of paid leave into an organized, point-based system. c) Move the various forms of paid leave to an accountability profile. d) Reduce the number of paid leave days and offer unpaid leave in their place.

Lump the various forms of paid leave into a paid time off bank.

Fresh Munchables has recently hired some teenagers to help with some tasks that are safe, simple, and also require only a limited number of hours of work per week. José, a compensation specialist, and Don, the department manager who oversees the teenage workers, both want to ensure that they are complying with the law. In addition to complying with the law, what else do José and the department manager need to do? a) Obtain permission from the teenagers' schools to employ them. b) Require the teenage workers to sign a form releasing Fresh Munchables from liability. c) Maintain a record containing all the compliance information. d) Check the teenagers' height and weight to be sure both meet the regulations outlined in the Child Labor Act.

Maintain a record containing all the compliance information.

1. A supervisor suggested paying salaried employee Gregory less in April this year, because last year Gregory averaged only 25 hours a week. However, the supervisor wants to pay Gregory more this May because Gregory has worked an average of 55 hours per week this year. The supervisor's suggestion was denied because José, a compensation specialist, knows that if an employee is salaried, the company cannot change compensation irrespective of hours worked. Should the company make changes to Gregory's compensation, and why or why not? a) Yes, because the company can save on insurance costs if Gregory is paid as a part-time employee. b) Yes, because salaried employees may be paid based on their hours worked per week if they work less than expected. c) No, because the company may face legal complications due to corporate fraud. d) No, because the company may face fines and back payment of overtime.

No, because the company may face fines and back payment of overtime.

A supervisor suggested paying salaried employee Gregory less in April this year, because last year Gregory averaged only 25 hours a week. However, the supervisor wants to pay Gregory more this May because Gregory has worked an average of 55 hours per week this year. The supervisor's suggestion was denied because José, a compensation specialist, knows that if an employee is salaried, the company cannot change compensation irrespective of hours worked. Should the company make changes to Gregory's compensation, and why or why not? a) No, because the company may face legal complications due to corporate fraud. b) Yes, because salaried employees may be paid based on their hours worked per week if they work less than expected. c) Yes, because the company can save on insurance costs if Gregory is paid as a part-time employee. d) No, because the company may face fines and back payment of overtime.

No, because the company may face fines and back payment of overtime.

A new supervisor position has opened up at Fresh Munchables, and two of the top candidates are current employees who work in the same department. Rita has a positive, uplifting relationship with her coworkers, and Bob, although not well-liked by his coworkers, has been working at the company longer and is more familiar with company procedures. Considering the satisfaction of the employees who will work under the supervisor, who should you pick? a) Bob, because employee satisfaction increases by knowing that if you wait your turn, you will eventually be rewarded with higher positions. b) Rita, because employee satisfaction increases with changes that are surprising and exciting. c) Bob, because employee satisfaction increases when their immediate supervisor has worked at the company for a long time. d) Rita, because employee satisfaction increases when employees have a good relationship with their immediate supervisor.

Rita, because employee satisfaction increases when employees have a good relationship with their immediate supervisor.

Fresh Munchables' new HR manager wants to increase the compensation rate so that each employee in one department is paid the same. Specifically, all employees would be paid as much as the highest-paid employee. This recommended proposal was denied. The HR manager explained that if a job requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and is performed under similar working conditions, employees should be paid the same irrespective of their gender or other personal considerations. However, what other factors could appropriately influence employee compensation? a) Amount of time until retirement, because older workers require less direct compensation. b) Medical needs and associated debt, because they increase health insurance costs for the employer. c) Number of children at home, because larger families require more financial resources. d) Seniority and merit, because they are nondiscriminatory classifications for higher pay.

Seniority and merit, because they are nondiscriminatory classifications for higher pay.

Shara, a new employee at Fresh Munchables, is asking for paid time off to take care of her aging father, who has a life expectancy of six months. Shara has been with the company two months and has worked a total of 120 hours. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has been designed to meet employees' needs in times such as this, and you, as an HR professional, want to follow its requirements. In accordance with the requirements of the FMLA, your company has a large staff surpassing 50 employees, but what is another requirement for Shara? a) She needs to give two weeks' notice before taking her paid time off. b) She must find a replacement to perform her job function while she takes leave. c) She must be prepared to use all of 12 weeks of time off at one time. d) She must have worked 1,250 hours for the organization in the preceding year.

She must have worked 1,250 hours for the organization in the preceding year.

The executive team at Fresh Munchables wants the company to stand out from its competitors. The company doesn't have enough money to offer new employees higher rates or additional health benefits compared to other companies in the area, so the executive team has asked you for advice on attracting highly qualified employees. What advice can you give them? a) The company should reduce its number of employees in order to pay new employees more. b) The company should offer better job titles to new employees. c) The company should offer unique perks that will improve perception of the company's culture. d) The company should advertise its quality company culture in creative ways.

The company should offer unique perks that will improve perception of the company's culture.

Margaret, a new HR employee for Fresh Munchables, assumed there would be a very strict total rewards system with little deviation from employee to employee. She was comfortable with that assumption, because it would make her job easier. Now that she is on the compensation team, she is realizing that there needs to be more flexibility in implementing and executing a total rewards system because the environment is always changing. What argument is there to support her newfound realization about the total rewards system? a) Every employee has a different expectation, and the rewards system should match his or her expectations. b) Total rewards almost always requires a degree of judgment in an environment of uncertainty. c) Total rewards need to be flexible to match the age, gender, and education level of each employee. d) Each employee's family situation is different, so compensation should adjust to handle those factors accordingly.

Total rewards almost always requires a degree of judgment in an environment of uncertainty.

Angelina is a self-proclaimed "health nut" and animal activist. She recently was hired at Fresh Munchables, a food and beverage company offering vegan on-the-go snacks, as their marketing manager. Angelina could not be happier about her new position because it aligns with her values. What does the HR manager who hired Angelina know about the purpose principle? 1) Purposeful employees are typically the hardest-working employees in any industry. 2) Animal activists have a higher moral purpose than those who disregard animal rights. 3) When the employee's values align with the business's core purpose, the employee will need fewer rewards. 4) When the employee's values align with the business's core purpose, the employee will value their relationship with the business more.

When the employee's values align with the business's core purpose, the employee will value their relationship with the business more.

The CEO of Fresh Munchables has asked you to review the company's health care plan, specifically its premium-sharing policies. In the past, the company paid a huge portion of its employees' medical insurance while employees paid very little. Now that the company has grown and many more employees have been hired, this model is becoming unsustainable. The company has also conducted an internal review and found that many employees may be overutilizing their benefits. How can Fresh Munchables still offer quality health insurance to their employees while also encouraging employees not to overuse their benefits? a) Offer insurance to fewer employees in order to encourage competition for rewards. b) Discontinue dental and vision insurance because they are less desirable for many employees. c) Decrease the number of benefits because neither the company nor the employees can afford them. d) Increase the deductible employees pay for each service in order to maintain the same level of coverage at a lower employer cost.

d) Increase the deductible employees pay for each service in order to maintain the same level of coverage at a lower employer cost.