Rewarding and Recognizing Employees - chap 8 Flashcards

1
Q

direct compensation

A

includes wages and salaries, bonus payments, and commissions

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2
Q

indirect compensation

A

includes the benefits supplied by employers, such as extended health and dental plans, life insurance coverage, and non-financial compensation

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3
Q

total rewards

A

Everything that the employee receives in terms of both direct and indirect compensation

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4
Q

why should an organization look into reward and compensation

A

Research has shown that companies that make the rewards strategy a part of the overall organizational framework perform better than those that don’t.

can make them competitive
- make or break supply of labour

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5
Q

how does it impact pool of candidates

A

If rewards are high, creating a large applicant pool, organizations may raise their selection standards and hire better-qualified employees. This, in turn, can reduce training costs for the employer.

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6
Q

what are the formal compensation guidelines for managers to consider to achieve desired results

A
  1. rewarding past performance
  2. remaining competitive labour market
  3. maintaining salary equity among employees
  4. controlling the compensation budget
  5. attracting and motivating staff
  6. influencing employee behaviours
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7
Q

what are the forces that reshape total rewards

A
  • Digital transformation of the workplace
  • the changing expectations of multigenerational
  • new legislative and regulatory developments
  • an urgency to improve ROI
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8
Q

what is equity theory in comparison to compensation

A

Equity Theory is a motivation theory that explains how employees assess fairness by comparing their input/output ratio (skills, effort vs. pay, benefits) to others doing similar work.

Equity: Value earned through investment of value.
If employees perceive inequity, they may reduce effort or seek more rewards.

Why it matters:
Affects motivation, commitment, and productivity.
HR ensures fair and equitable pay.

Managers must respond to employee concerns about fairness.

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9
Q

internal equity

A

Pay reflects job’s worth within the organization.

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10
Q

external equity

A

Pay is comparable to similar jobs in other organizations

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11
Q

hourly work

A

Compensation based upon the number of hours worked

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12
Q

piece work

A

Compensation based upon the number of units produced

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13
Q

what internal factors hsould be taken into account when determing compensation

A

compensation strategy, job worth, an employee’s performance, and an employer’s ability to pay.

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14
Q

What are the external factors are taken when looking at compensation

A
  • economy
  • lbour market
  • wage rate in geo
  • cost of living
  • collective bargaining
  • legal requirements
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15
Q

worth of a job

A

is calculated through job analysis in which is a systematic process that aims to determine the relative worth of a job

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16
Q

pay for performance

A

If compensation is to reward an employee’s relative worth or results produced, an effective performance appraisal system that differentiates between those employees who deserve the raises and those who do not must be in place.

Managers should be careful and not reward those simply for being present

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17
Q

pay for performance can be defined as

A

refers to various direct compensation options, including merit-based pay, bonuses, salary commissions, and team or group incentive programs.

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18
Q

some key criticisms and challenges of pay-for-performance systems

A

Total rewards must attract and retain top talent, not just include variable pay.

Economic uncertainty has led some to question the link between pay and performance.

Senior managers may take harmful business risks to boost pay.

CEO compensation is often seen as excessive and unjustified.

Business challenges change daily, making it hard to fairly assess performance.

Performance metrics can be manipulated to meet targets.

Pay-for-performance can be based on individual, team, or organizational results, each with pros and cons.

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19
Q

How is compensation driven in public and private sectors

A

public sector is typically driven by budgets

n the private sector, profits and other financial resources available to employers often limit pay levels

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20
Q

what is critical in the economy

A

*Designing variable pay to fit the organization and its industry

  • Ensuring transparency and focusing on equity and fairness considerations
  • Providing non-cash benefits
  • Improving workplace health and well-being
  • Aligning total rewards with the business strategy to create meaningful relationships with employees.
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21
Q

what influences labour market conditions

A

by the demand for and supply of qualified employees, and impacts the wage rates required to recruit or retain competent employees.

ex. unable to lower wages because of wage reqs and collective agreements settled by unions.

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22
Q

how is cost of living influenced

A

Because of inflation, compensation rates tend to be adjusted upward periodically to help employees maintain their purchasing power

the bench marking tool: CPI (consumer price index)
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures changes in the cost of living in Canada over time. Based on a “shopping basket” of about 600 everyday items (e.g., food, housing, transport, medical services), the CPI reflects people’s spending habits.

Statistics Canada updates it monthly for the country and major cities.

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23
Q

what influences collective bargaining

A

A key function of labour unions is collective bargaining, especially over compensation. Unions aim to secure real wage increases—wage gains that exceed CPI growth—to improve members’ standard of living.

Real wages: Wage increases above CPI, reflecting true purchasing power.

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24
Q

what are some job evaluation systems

A

job systems
classification system
point system
factor comparison system

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25
what about job systems
Job ranking does not review each job in detail, but instead compares the overall value of one job relative to another. It is typically considered to be a simplistic or relatively weak method of job evaluation.
26
what about job classification system
Job classification groups similar jobs under a common title and pay based on duties and responsibilities. Jobs with greater responsibility or skill fall into higher classes with different titles and pay. For example, the federal government’s “social science services group” uses 9 factors, including challenging conditions like threats to personal safety. Managers compare job descriptions to classification scales to assign wage grades. This method is simple but not very precise, as it evaluates the job as a whole rather than specific tasks. (needed for fair and consistent pay)
27
what about point system
he point system is a numerical job evaluation method that assigns points to compensable factors like skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. These points reflect a job’s value to the organization. Though complex to set up, the system is easy to use once in place. ADV. It offers a more detailed and objective way to compare jobs than ranking or classification, making it more valid and harder to manipulate.
28
what about factor comparision system
This method compares compensable factors (skill, mental/physical effort, responsibility, working conditions) of jobs against those of key jobs used as benchmarks. It’s often used for pay equity legislation. hough methods aim for objectivity, managerial judgment is still needed to define job content and responsibilities. To reduce bias, evaluation committees are often used. Important guidelines for job evaluations: Evaluate the job, not the person. Assume competent performance. Use the current job description. Ignore current pay when evaluating. DIFFERS from point system because point system has a scale with number this is more judgement based and between internal jobs of the org.
29
what do JOB evaluations NOT DO
they do not in themselves determine the wage rate. Information about the evaluated worth of each job needs to be expressed as hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly wages. In order to do this, salary surveys are used.
30
what is salary survey
A salary survey provides information about what relevant competitors (determined by industry and/or geographic location) are paying employees who perform similar work allowing managers to keep up with the pay of competitors
31
when collecting survey data
Important: Don’t rely on job titles alone—similar titles may mean very different roles across organizations. Always compare based on job content, not titles.
32
the wage curve
A visual tool showing current pay rates for jobs within a pay grade, based on company ranking. It helps ensure fair pay for skill and education levels. Wage curves can also compare a company’s pay to industry competitors, helping employers stay competitive in compensation.
33
pay grades
Steps in a compensation system where similar or equal jobs (based on job evaluation) are grouped and given the same pay rate or range. Pay grades: Groups of jobs within a class that share the same compensation level.
34
pay range
Most jobs have a range of pay, not just one set amount. As employees gain experience or stay longer at the company, they can move up within that range and earn more.
35
broadbanding
means combining many pay grades into a few wide pay bands. It gives employees more flexibility to move across roles, build new skills, and grow their careers—without focusing only on getting higher pay. It supports career development and makes it easier to pay for jobs with different skill levels.
36
The most common way to determine an employee’s compensation is to evaluate the worth of a job. BUT!
However, this approach does not acknowledge or reward employees for their unique skills and knowledge. this approach does not encourage employees to learn new skills or to contribute to the work and accomplishments of others.
37
competency-based pay
referred to as knowledge-based pay, skill-based pay, pay for knowledge, or multi-skill-based pay—compensates employees for their knowledge and/ or skills and for the work they perform regardless of their formal job description.
38
considering the introduction of competency-based pay you need to think of...
Link competencies to business objectives * Identify which jobs or types of work could benefit * Identify competencies that demonstrably affect performance * Devise methods to measure the achievement of each competency * Determine the appropriate amount of pay for an acquired skill * Provide mechanisms to review overall effectiveness
39
Types of incentive plans
variable pay programs Individual bonus Team- or group-based incentive Merit raises Profit sharing Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
40
Individual bonus
an incentive payment that supplements the basic pay has the advantage of providing employees with more pay for exerting greater effort, while at the same time giving employees the security of a basic wage. Bonuses are common among managerial employees but, as indicated earlier, organizations are increasingly providing bonuses to front-line staff.
41
Team- or group-based incentive
a plan that rewards team members with an incentive bonus when agreed-upon performance standards are exceeded.
42
Merit raises
an incentive, used most commonly for salaried employees, based on achievement of performance standards. One problem with merit raises is that they may be perpetuated year after year even when performance declines.
43
Profit sharing
any plan by which an employer pays special sums based on the profits of the organization.
44
Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs)
tock plans in which an organization contributes shares of its stock to an established trust for the purpose of stock purchases by its employees. With the recent economic turmoil, stock and stock options have not been as popular. There is also always the issue of what happens to stock ownership when there is a change in ownership.
45
how expensive are employee benefits
he cost of benefits can be as high as 40% when you include premiums for health and welfare, government-mandated coverage such as workers’ compensation, vacation, and paid sick leave Once viewed as a gift from the employer, benefits are now considered rights to which all employees are entitled.
46
what are the main objectives of benefit programs
improve employee work satisfaction; * meet employee health, security, and environment concerns and requirements; * attract and motivate employees; * retain top-performing employees; * maintain a favourable competitive position. ex. sasktell is in top 10 for providing yoga classes
47
what are some cost concerns
Benefit Costs: Organizations spend 35–45% of payroll on benefits (health plans, pensions, etc.). Cost Management: Employees may join committees to help manage costs (e.g., redesigning pension plans). Example: Saint John Energy redesigned its pension plan to reduce costs while maintaining benefits. Healthcare Costs: Employers balance quality and cost; data analysis and wellness programs help reduce costs. Value-Based Healthcare: Promotes healthier lifestyles for better productivity and lower costs.
48
what are some benefits that are required by law
These include employer contributions to the Canada or Québec Pension Plan, Employment Insurance, workers’ compensation and, in some provinces, provincial medicare and unpaid leave.
49
CPP/QPP
50
EI
51
provincial hospital and medical services
52
leave without pay
53
other required benefits
54
Health Plan
55
Extended health car coverage
56
life insurance
57
retirement pension plans
58
vacations with pay
59
paid holidays
60
sick leave
Sick Days: Employees, especially in white-collar jobs, often receive a set number of sick days annually to cover illness or injury. Income Protection: Group insurance is increasingly common, providing partial income protection during long-term disability. Workers’ Compensation: Job-related illness or injury may be partially reimbursed through workers’ compensation insurance. Absence Statistics: In 2020, employees missed an average of 10 workdays (2% of the work year) due to illness or family responsibilities. Women missed 12 days on average, and men missed 9 days.
61
wellness programs
These focus on preventive health and overall well-being. They aim to promote physical, mental, and emotional health through activities like fitness programs, stress management workshops, health screenings, and lifestyle advice. ROI: While the exact return is uncertain, companies like Bruce Telecom demonstrated savings. By analyzing health claims, drug claims, and sick days, Bruce Telecom saved over $136,000 in one year.
62
Employee assistance programs
Purpose: EFAPs help employees manage personal issues (e.g., substance abuse, emotional struggles, financial/family difficulties) that could impact work productivity. Focus: Provide diagnosis, counseling, and treatment for personal problems to prevent crises. Benefits: Support mental well-being, improve employment branding, and enhance company productivity. Pre-COVID-19 Impact: WHO estimated depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion annually.
63
education assistance programs
help employees keep up to date with advances in their fields and to help them get ahead in the organization. Usually, the employer covers, in part or in full, the costs of tuition, books, and related fees, whereas the employee is required to pay for meals, transportation, and other expenses.
64
child elder care
Statistics: 17% of Canadians are 65 or older. One-third of employees are caregivers. $1.3 billion lost annually due to caregiving. Senior population needing care will double in 15 years. Childcare: Benefits may include financial assistance, flexible schedules, and on-site childcare centers. Eldercare: More employees provide care to elderly relatives, leading to potential time off or flexible work options. COVID-19 Impact: Increased caregiving responsibilities and legislative changes for unpaid, job-protected leave. Solutions: Companies offer eldercare counseling, support groups, and flexible schedules. Programs like BMO’s caregiver support help retain talent and reduce absenteeism.
65
employee recognition programs
These range from long-service awards to employee of the month initiatives to peer recognition systems. These programs can enhance the overall workplace culture, enhance employee motivation, and increase employee retention.