Topic 2

Question 1

Define “employment at-will.”

Answer 1

an employer may terminate an employee at any time, allows the employee to leave a job at any time, and for any reason, without facing adverse legal consequences

Question 2

consequences to employees of “employment at-will

Answer 2

may leave employees vulnerable and financially insecure

Question 3

the three exceptions to “employment at-will

Answer 3

Public-policy exception

Implied-contract exception

Implied covenant-of-good-faith exception

Question 4

Public-Policy exception.

Answer 4

an employee who refuses to break the law, exercises a legal right, fulfills a statutory duty, or engages in whistle-blowing activities

Question 5

What is an implied contract?

Answer 5

a legally binding agreement, which is created not through formal contract negotiation and documentation, but by the actions of the employer and the employee

Question 6

What are the various ways implied contracts are created?

Answer 6

if the employer gives oral assurances that the employee will have continued work for satisfactory job performance

Question 7

Define the Covenant-of-Good-Faith exception.

Answer 7

holds that each party to the employment relationship makes an implied promise to treat the other in good faith and fairness

Question 8

benefits of a diverse workforce

Answer 8

will align workplace diversity with the strategic goals of the organization; can bring a variety of viewpoints and perspectives to the organization.

Question 9

diversity management

Answer 9

a strategy to help promote recognition and respect for individual differences found within the organization

Question 10

the result of diversity management

Answer 10

will help each individual within the organization feel included

Question 11

diversity

Answer 11

the similarities and differences between individuals, accounting for numerous aspects of personality and individual identity

Question 12

inclusion

Answer 12

the extent to which each person in the organization feels welcomed, respected, supported, and valued as a team member

Question 13

What is the Civil Rights Act?

Answer 13

intended to prevent the practice of treating people differently based on their race

Question 14

What is Title VII the Civil Rights Act?

Answer 14

makes it unlawful for an employer to refuse to hire any individual because of the individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Question 15

What groups are protected under Title VII?

Answer 15

race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Question 16

How was the EEOC created?

Answer 16

conduct formal enforcement litigation

Question 17

What is the purpose of the EEOC?

Answer 17

enforces federal anti-discrimination statutes and provides oversight for all federal equal opportunity employment regulations.

Question 18

gender discrimination

Answer 18

the unfavorable treatment of someone based on sex or gender

Question 19

sex discrimination

Answer 19

involves treating someone, such as a job applicant or employee, unfavorably because of that person’s sex; treating someone less favorably in any aspect of employment such as hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, and so on.

Question 20

gender identity discrimination

Answer 20

discrimination on the basis of someone’s being transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, agender, nonbinary, or genderfluid;

Question 21

sexual harassment

Answer 21

directed at an employee because of his or her gender

Question 22

What is the purpose of the Age Discrimination in employment Act (ADEA)?

Answer 22

to protect workers from 40 to 65. Applies to public and private employers, and to unions with more than 20 employees

Question 23

religious discrimination

Answer 23

treating a person unfavorably because of his or her religious beliefs

Question 24

List one example of the religious discrimination.

Answer 24

Hassan recently applied for a computer programming position with a large software company in San Jose, California. While Hassan had more experience and programming skills than many of the other applicants, he was not selected for the job. A close friend who worked for the company later informed Hassan that he was not selected because of his Muslim beliefs.

Question 25

How does the EEOC define “race”?

Answer 25

is a local geographic or global human population—a distinct group—that is evident by genetically transmitted characteristics. For example, American Indian and Pacific Islander are racial categories

Question 26

How does the EEOC define “color”?

Answer 26

pigmentation, complexion, or skin shade or tone.

Question 27

national origin employment discrimination.

Answer 27

occurs when an employer makes an adverse employment decision against an individual because the individual or his or her ancestor: 1) is from a certain country or place, 2) belongs to, or identifies with, a national, cultural, or ethnic group, or 3) associates with a person from that group.

Question 28

What was the purpose of affirmative action?

Answer 28

is any action taken by an employer to overcome discriminatory effects of past or current practices or policies that create barriers to equal employment opportunity

Question 29

protected categories covered under affirmative action

Answer 29

historically disadvantaged groups in employment. Such groups include women, African Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, disabled persons, American Indian/Alaska Native, and veterans.

Question 30

Who must have an affirmative action plan?

Answer 30

Federal Contractors

Question 31

What are the three basic elements of an affirmative action plan?

Answer 31

“Reasonable self-analysis;

Reasonable rationale for taking affirmative action; and,

Reasonable affirmative action.”

Question 32

affirmative action

Answer 32

When employers are urged to make up for historical discrimination, they are exercising _______________ .

Question 33

implied contract

Answer 33

A company’s employee handbook with its description of policies and processes can be misconstrued as a(n) ____________.

Question 34

diversity

Answer 34

As businesses become more global in nature, employing people with a variety of thinking styles, personalities, cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds is important. This workforce could be described as having _______________.

Question 35

title vii of the civil rights act

Answer 35

The EEOC acts as the enforcement agency for ____________ that protects people from discrimination based on sex, religion, race, national origin and color.

Question 36

closely held beliefs

Answer 36

Religious discrimination goes beyond considering only employees’ faith but also extends to protecting their __________.

Question 37

employment at will

Answer 37

Employees may leave a company without giving a reason or notice under the ________________ doctrine.

Question 38

public policy exception

Answer 38

When an employee has informed a governmental agency of the company’s wrongdoing, the employer cannot (for this reason only) let the employee go. This exception to a rule is called the _________________.

Question 39

veterans

Answer 39

Women, Asians, African Americans, Pacific Islanders, people with disabilities and ________________ are covered under affirmative action.

Question 40

inclusion

Answer 40

The Acme Widget Company strives to create an environment in which all employees feel they belong. The term for such a goal is __________________.