Chapter 3

Question 1

Explain the strategic importance of fairness and legal compliance

Answer 1

Legal compliance is a first step toward ensuring workplace fairness

Question 2

Explain the roles and responsibilities of the HR Triad in assuring fairness and legal compliance

Answer 2

All members of the HR Triad need to have knowledge about the legal rights and responsibilities of employers and employees. HR professionals ensure the organization’s policies and practices comply with legal requirements and with society’s view of fairness. Managers’ daily interactions with employees set the tone and communication what behaviors are considered to be acceptable. All employees are responsible for complying wth employment laws and showing respect for the rights of others in the workplace

Question 3

Explain three factors that influence perceptions of fairness

Answer 3

Perceptions: distributive, procedural, and interactional justice - Policies and outcomes can be perceived fair or unfair depending on the attitudes they display and the amount of respect they show personally for the concerns of the employees

Question 4

distributive justice

Answer 4

when employees believe that the outcomes they experience are fair in comparison to the outcomes of others

Question 5

procedural justice

Answer 5

refers to perceptions about fairness in the process used to determine outcomes

Question 6

interactional justice

Answer 6

reflect employees’ feelings about whether managers are sensitive to their situations, give them the information they need, and treat them politely and respectfully

Question 7

Describe several employment laws intended to ensure fair treatment

Answer 7

Companies in the United States must act in accordance with different types of laws, which include constitutional laws, statutory laws, administrative regulations, executive orders, and common law rules

Question 8

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Answer 8

prohibits discrimination by employers, employment agencies, and unions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, pregnancy, or sexual orientation

Question 9

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

Answer 9

protects people 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment - including, but not limited to, hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training

Question 10

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

Answer 10

prohibits private employers, state, and local governments, employment agencies, and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms conditions, and privileges of employment

Question 11

Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

Answer 11

requires employers to provide 12 weeks of job-protected leave for family and medical care, but it does not require employers to pay employees while they are on leave

Question 12

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Answer 12

administers Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Pay Act, the ADEA, and the employment-related elements of the ADA

Question 13

class action lawsuit

Answer 13

a group of similar employees (IE: a “class”) asserts that all members of the employee class suffered due to an employer’s unfair policies and practices

Question 14

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Answer 14

administers the Occupational and Safety and Health Act

Question 15

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)

Answer 15

administers the National Labor Relations Act

Question 16

legal precedents

Answer 16

reference back to important decisions that were made in the past and use these as the basis for making a decision on a new case

Question 17

employment-at-will rule

Answer 17

the assumption that employers have the right to terminate employees (for almost) any reason

Question 18

What are the primary procedures for settling disputes between employees and employers?

Answer 18

An organization’s grievance procedures should encourage employees to voice their concerns to the company so they can be resolved quickly. ADR may be used when disputes cannot be resolved through a company’s internal process. Mediation and arbitration are the most common forms of ADR. When none of these approaches succeeds, employees may seek justice by taking their cases to court.

Question 19

grievance procedures (complaint resolution procedures)

Answer 19

encourage employees to voice their concern to the company instead of to the courts, and they encourage employees to seek constructive resolutions without litigation

Question 20

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

Answer 20

involves making an agreement to forgo litigation and instead resolve disputes by either internal or external mediation or arbitration

Question 21

mediation

Answer 21

all concerned parties present their case to a neutral third party: the mediator

Question 22

arbitration

Answer 22

a more formal process for ADR, yet not so formal that the rules of a court must be followed

Question 23

settlement agreement

Answer 23

the defendant does not admit to wrongdoing but nevertheless agrees to pay money to the plaintiff or plaintiffs

Question 24

How can diversity and inclusion help ensure fair treatment

Answer 24

Diversity and inclusion initiatives are a proactive approach to improving perceptions of fairness among members of a diverse workforce. When effective, diversity and inclusion initiatives help to create a culture of inclusion, where all employees in an organization feel they are treated equally

Question 25

diversity and inclusion initiatives

Answer 25

policies and procedures that an organization adopts voluntarily for the purpose of ensuring that all members of a diverse workforce feel they are treated fairly

Question 26

culture of inclusion

Answer 26

using diversity initiatives employers strive to create a company culture in which everyone feels equally integrated into the larger system

Question 27

Explain how employers strive to eliminate harassment

Answer 27

To reduce harassment at work, most large companies have detailed anti harassment policies. Training programs to deter harassment are also useful. Zero tolerance policies aim at reducing the problem of workplace harassment by clearly stating that employees who harass their coworkers will be dismissed.

Question 28

Harassment

Answer 28

a conduct that creates a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment that unreasonably interferes with the individual’s employment opportunities

Question 29

What is the employees’ responsibility for ensuring fair treatment

Answer 29

Fairness is the responsibility of both employers and employees. Many employees engage in unethical behaviors that are unfair to their employers. A code of ethics is one means of informing employees about how they are expected to behave and how to act with integrity

Question 30

code of ethics

Answer 30

informs employees that they are expected to conduct business in a way that upholds standards of integrity

Question 31

Describe the two current issues in ensuring fair treatment and legal compliance

Answer 31

Two current issues in ensuring fair treatment and legal compliance are electronic monitoring of employees and privacy to the global context.

Question 32

Data Protection Directive

Answer 32

a European regulation that sets restrictions on what personal information can be collected and stored; it applies to all areas of everyday activities and to all EU countries