Q&A Hero

Q: The use of alcohol by employees: A) should always be prohibited. B) should never be prohibited. C) is a protected right of all employees. D) can be restricted both on and off the job.

Q: Which of the following is LEAST likely an example of workplace bullying? A) Anita criticizes an employee's personal life. B) Ben targets an employee with harmful rumors. C) Cameron uses profanity when talking to an employee. D) Darrel subjects an employee to unwanted terms of endearment.

Q: For which of the following reasons can employees refuse to obey superiors and be protected from losing their jobs? A) Provoking verbal assaults B) Exhibiting alcohol-related misconduct C) Showing reasonable cause of safety concerns D) Being asked to do something that is legal but unethical

Q: The primary purpose of a probationary employment period is to: A) clarify performance expectations. B) comply with EEOC guidelines. C) identify incompetent employees. D) provide training to new hires.

Q: Poor performance is a common problem for managers. In most cases, ________ can be used to help the employee improve performance before more drastic means are necessary. A) performance appraisals B) employee relations representatives C) progressive discipline D) probation

Q: Which of the following is LEAST likely to improve attendance when job avoidance or family demands are the problem? A) Redesigning jobs B) Suspending employees C) Restructuring the organization D) Offering flexible work schedules

Q: All of the following are common side effects of poor attendance EXCEPT: A) decreased productivity. B) poor employee morale. C) higher compensation. D) ineffective team work.

Q: The most appropriate way to handle an employee with an attendance problem would be to: A) apply company policy uniformly without exception. B) consider special circumstances when appropriate. C) tighten the attendance requirement in the disciplinary process. D) involve the next higher level of management at the company.

Q: Discuss the concept of the "Just Cause Standard of Discipline," identifying the seven questions a manager needs to answer before proceeding with discipline.

Q: Companies can choose between progressive and positive discipline for employees. Explain each and highlight the differences and relative advantages.

Q: The ________ is a model of disciplinary actiondiscipline should be immediate, provide ample warning, and be consistently applied to all.

Q: A discipline procedure that encourages employees to monitor their own behaviors and assume responsibility for their actions is referred to as ________.

Q: ________ is a series of management interventions that gives employees opportunities to correct undesirable behaviors before being discharged.

Q: The use of an employee relations representative or an open door policy are the most useful appeals procedures.

Q: All employee discipline, regardless of cause or process, should be documented in writing by managers.

Q: Positive discipline poses certain advantages over progressive discipline in that positive discipline features a structure and a series of steps a manager must move through, which progressive discipline does not.

Q: There are occasions when a manager may legitimately and legally skip steps of a progressive discipline process when disciplining an employee.

Q: Additional Case 14.2 Gloria, an employee at Hamilton Resources, which is a unionized company, has performance and absenteeism problems. Gloria's manager, Dean, wants to fire her immediately. As the HR manager at Hamilton, you explain to Dean that he needs to try to improve the employee's performance first and save termination as a last resort. Sometime later, the CEO asks you to review and update the firm's employee discipline process. He wants to give employees as much responsibility for their own performance improvement as possible. He is also willing to invest in management training to ensure the best and most fair process. As HR manager, you will be responsible for training managers on the new discipline process. Refer to Additional Case 14.2. If Hamilton had a progressive discipline system in place, which of the following would most likely have been Dean's first response to Gloria? A) Giving Gloria a verbal warning B) Requiring Gloria to attend counseling sessions C) Filing a written warning in Gloria's personnel file D) Giving Gloria a paid day off to consider her actions

Q: Additional Case 14.2 Gloria, an employee at Hamilton Resources, which is a unionized company, has performance and absenteeism problems. Gloria's manager, Dean, wants to fire her immediately. As the HR manager at Hamilton, you explain to Dean that he needs to try to improve the employee's performance first and save termination as a last resort. Sometime later, the CEO asks you to review and update the firm's employee discipline process. He wants to give employees as much responsibility for their own performance improvement as possible. He is also willing to invest in management training to ensure the best and most fair process. As HR manager, you will be responsible for training managers on the new discipline process. Refer to Additional Case 14.2. Hamilton's discipline program must include which of the following to be legally defensible and warranted? A) Two-way communication B) Regular performance appraisals C) Top-level management review D) Reasonable rules and penalties

Q: Additional Case 14.2 Gloria, an employee at Hamilton Resources, which is a unionized company, has performance and absenteeism problems. Gloria's manager, Dean, wants to fire her immediately. As the HR manager at Hamilton, you explain to Dean that he needs to try to improve the employee's performance first and save termination as a last resort. Sometime later, the CEO asks you to review and update the firm's employee discipline process. He wants to give employees as much responsibility for their own performance improvement as possible. He is also willing to invest in management training to ensure the best and most fair process. As HR manager, you will be responsible for training managers on the new discipline process. Refer to Additional Case 14.2. During the process of training managers, you should most likely make which of the following statements to ensure that they discipline fairly? A) Require peer review before taking any disciplinary action. B) Collect enough convincing evidence to justify any disciplinary action. C) Limit communication with the disciplined employee to avoid legal issues. D) Consider mitigating circumstances in all cases of gross misconduct by employees.

Q: Additional Case 14.2 Gloria, an employee at Hamilton Resources, which is a unionized company, has performance and absenteeism problems. Gloria's manager, Dean, wants to fire her immediately. As the HR manager at Hamilton, you explain to Dean that he needs to try to improve the employee's performance first and save termination as a last resort. Sometime later, the CEO asks you to review and update the firm's employee discipline process. He wants to give employees as much responsibility for their own performance improvement as possible. He is also willing to invest in management training to ensure the best and most fair process. As HR manager, you will be responsible for training managers on the new discipline process. Refer to Additional Case 14.2. Given the CEO's desires, you should most likely recommend an employee discipline program based on: A) progressive discipline. B) due process. C) positive discipline. D) contractual rights.

Q: Which of the following should be avoided when administering discipline? A) Showing too much self-control when talking to the employee B) Addressing the problem directly rather than indirectly C) Letting employees rationalize their problem behavior D) Using two-way communication

Q: The standard for measuring the appropriateness of discharges that involve statutory rights is called: A) the just-cause standard of discipline. B) due process in wrongful discharge. C) employment-at-will. D) progressive discipline.

Q: Which of the following is most likely true about appealing a disciplinary decision? A) Supervisors should prevent employees from appealing discipline in order to protect themselves from wrongful discharge charges. B) Managers should not inform employees of their rights to appeal, but simply allow employees to search them out if the need arises. C) Employees should have to go through a complex appeal process in order to cull out weak appeals. D) Open-door policies and employee relations representatives facilitate quick resolutions.

Q: A court would most likely find a discipline decision as arbitrary or unwarranted in which of the following situations? A) Management provided substantial evidence of guilt. B) An employee's absolute right to privacy was violated. C) Circumstances fit within guidelines of employment-at-will. D) Management failed to notify the employee of a rule violation.

Q: Which of the following is the best example of the hot-stove rule? A) Ella has been leaving work early for the past week and plans on continuing this action since no supervisor has approached her about it. B) Tanya was disciplined for Web-surfing on business time. A couple of weeks later, Ashton received the same discipline for the same reason. C) Aaron does not tell his employees what actions will be disciplined, nor what kind of discipline may be anticipated. D) Charlie received a two-day paid suspension for using sick days to lengthen his vacation. Dave did the same thing and received a verbal warning.

Q: Which of the following is a basic standard of discipline? A) Peer review of the disciplinary action B) Documentation of the facts leading to the disciplinary action C) Complete review of all discipline by the next level of management D) Individual cases being handled on their own merits even if inconsistency occurs

Q: An employee's challenge of a manager's disciplinary action will most likely raise questions about: A) residual rights. B) due process. C) positive discipline. D) arbitration.

Q: One of the drawbacks of positive discipline is that it: A) requires more paperwork than progressive discipline does. B) opens the company to inconsistency in discipline. C) requires more time than progressive discipline. D) offers very little legal protection to companies.

Q: Which of the following statements is NOT true? A) Employees prefer positive discipline because it promotes respect from supervisors. B) Positive discipline has reduced absenteeism and grievances at some firms. C) Supervisors who dislike disciplinary tasks prefer progressive discipline. D) Positive discipline is more time-consuming than progressive discipline.

Q: Positive discipline advocates assert that a paid day off is effective for all of the following reasons EXCEPT: A) reducing worker apathy and anger. B) rewarding the employee's performance. C) showing management's good faith to the worker. D) minimizing the employee's perception as a martyr.

Q: What is the primary reason that managers resist using the positive discipline process? A) The time frame is too short to alter employee behavior. B) Most discipline is for gross misconduct. C) Employees cannot be terminated. D) Employees receive paid time off.

Q: In positive discipline, if the initial solution doesn't work, the second step is: A) giving the employee decision-making time-off. B) providing counseling to the employee. C) putting a new solution in writing. D) creating a new verbal solution.

Q: Which of the following is a serious violation that would most likely lead to a shortening of the discipline process? A) Bonnie is about fifteen minutes late to work every day. B) Mac is enrolled in night classes and regularly falls asleep at his desk during work hours. C) Bryce takes small items, such as calculators and printer cartridges, home for his personal use. D) Rihanna is caught about once a week smoking in the storage closet in a no-smoking building.

Q: The primary difference between progressive discipline and positive discipline is that: A) progressive discipline involves a series of steps and positive discipline does not. B) the employee works alone in positive discipline and with the manager in progressive. C) punishment is replaced with counseling by the manager. D) progressive begins with suspension, whereas positive begins with counseling.

Q: Discipline that involves employees monitoring their own behavior after collaborative problem solving with the manager is called: A) due process discipline. B) positive discipline. C) employment-at-will. D) progressive discipline.

Q: Abraham is an employee for Monumental International, a company that uses a four-step progressive discipline procedure. He has been disciplined three times for the same offense. What is likely to happen the next time Abraham commits the same offense? A) He will receive a written warning. B) He will be discharged. C) He will receive a verbal warning. D) He will be suspended.

Q: The progressive discipline process begins with a: A) written warning. B) verbal warning. C) meeting with HR staff. D) short-term suspension.

Q: The manager-centered discipline process that involves a series of management interventions to give employees the opportunity to change their behavior is called: A) just cause discipline. B) positive discipline. C) employment-at-will. D) progressive discipline.

Q: Ed, the operations manager at Ballston Flooring, has scheduled a meeting with an employee who is habitually late for work. During the meeting, which of the following would be most effective for Ed to do? A) Ensuring that all communication is downward B) Establishing a flexible date for behavior changes C) Starting the meeting with open-ended questions D) Ending the meeting with positive comments

Q: In most cases involving employee discipline: A) managers have difficulty confronting employees. B) managers lack sufficient evidence about employee conduct. C) only a few companies provide managers training on the process. D) the majority of organizations adhere to a positive discipline process.

Q: In most cases, what role in employee discipline is typically played by HR staff? A) Establishing conduct committees B) Terminating problematic employees C) Settling manager-employee disputes D) Making punishment recommendations

Q: Employee discipline is most frequently handled by: A) HR staff. B) supervisors. C) third parties. D) team members.

Q: Odette is talking with one of her employees about his inappropriate behavior on the job. She explains the negative consequences the employee faces unless he changes his behavior. Odette is most likely involved in: A) an implied contract. B) employee discipline. C) due process. D) whistleblowing.

Q: Holding a second job outside normal working hours is known as ________.

Q: Employee disclosure of an employer's illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices to persons or organizations that may be able to take corrective action is called ________.

Q: An effective company whistleblowing policy includes initial anonymity for the whistleblower.

Q: Generally speaking, whistleblowers suffer some form of punishment for their actions even when they are in the right.

Q: Recent surveys of employer practices showed that more than 21% of employers engage in searches of employees' electronic communication.

Q: Theft from employers costs U.S. business approximately $120 million dollars a year.

Q: The performance test is an alternative to drug testing that does not invade employee privacy but still determines employees' fitness for work.

Q: The legal battle over drug testing is primarily at the U.S. Supreme Court level.

Q: Additional Case 14.1 You are the HR director at Catalina Manufacturing. The firm is considering random drug testing for employees at its California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas facilities. Management believes that the assembly of high explosive devices and a recent rash of drug-related accidents make drug testing imperative. Refer to Additional Case 14.1. Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to implementing a random drug-testing policy at Catalina? A) How can managers make comparisons of drug test results? B) How should employees with positive drug test results be treated? C) How will managers maintain security over urine samples? D) How can employees legally using prescription drugs be protected?

Q: Additional Case 14.1 You are the HR director at Catalina Manufacturing. The firm is considering random drug testing for employees at its California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas facilities. Management believes that the assembly of high explosive devices and a recent rash of drug-related accidents make drug testing imperative. Refer to Additional Case 14.1. Which of the following is the most appropriate alternative to random drug testing at Catalina? A) Initiating an EAP B) Conducting additional safety training C) Using computer-based performance tests D) Requiring honesty tests during recruiting and screening

Q: Additional Case 14.1 You are the HR director at Catalina Manufacturing. The firm is considering random drug testing for employees at its California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas facilities. Management believes that the assembly of high explosive devices and a recent rash of drug-related accidents make drug testing imperative. Refer to Additional Case 14.1. To receive maximum support from employees, Catalina's HR department should most likely communicate the need for drug testing as a: A) management right. B) way to improve productivity. C) safety measure for all employees. D) tool for lowering health insurance costs.

Q: Additional Case 14.1 You are the HR director at Catalina Manufacturing. The firm is considering random drug testing for employees at its California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas facilities. Management believes that the assembly of high explosive devices and a recent rash of drug-related accidents make drug testing imperative. Refer to Additional Case 14.1. Generally speaking, random drug testing in Catalina's various facilities will most likely be: A) permitted by Supreme Court rulings. B) guided by the court rulings of each state. C) meeting EEOC guidelines of disparate treatment. D) challenged in court due to employee privacy rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Q: Additional Case 14.1 You are the HR director at Catalina Manufacturing. The firm is considering random drug testing for employees at its California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas facilities. Management believes that the assembly of high explosive devices and a recent rash of drug-related accidents make drug testing imperative. Refer to Additional Case 14.1. You should most likely advise management that initiating random drug testing in California is: A) strongly supported by the court system. B) not permitted under any circumstances. C) only allowed if the employer is a government contractor. D) not permitted unless the employer has a compelling interest.

Q: Which of the following is a true statement about office romances? A) Most workers disapprove of office dating. B) Only a small percentage of firms have no-dating policies. C) Over half of all employees report having had an office romance. D) The majority of companies have a formal written policy about office dating.

Q: Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to determining how to handle a moonlighting employee? A) Has moonlighting affected the employee's job performance? B) Is the employee using company assets for the second job? C) How much compensation does the second employer pay? D) Is the second employer a competitor of the firm?

Q: Moonlighting is best defined as: A) holding a second job outside normal working hours. B) disclosing an employer's illegal practices. C) applying for a job with a competitor. D) working to acquire overtime pay.

Q: When whistleblowing occurs in a company, management should most likely: A) use an informal investigation process. B) discharge the employee to prevent further problems. C) take immediate action if the allegations are verified. D) guarantee whistleblowing employees lifetime employment.

Q: A company's whistleblowing policy should most likely: A) be flexible for different situations. B) require the whistleblower to be named. C) be primarily developed and explained by HR. D) involve an appeals process for dissatisfied employees.

Q: Which of the following is a provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? A) Whistleblower names must be revealed to the public. B) Whistleblowers are protected from employer retaliation. C) Whistleblowers must receive full compensation for lost pay. D) Whistleblowers have the right to request a formal investigation.

Q: What is a key element for an effective whistleblowing policy? A) Immediate and maximum public exposure of the information B) Carefully planned management retribution C) Initial anonymity for the whistleblower D) Compensation for the whistleblower

Q: An employee who holds his employer accountable for improper conduct by informing the proper authorities is involved in: A) whistleblowing. B) a breach of contract. C) a psychological contract. D) due process of the law.

Q: Wallace Consulting is a small firm with 60 employees. In the past, Wallace Consulting has experienced a high level of employee theft. Which of the following would be the LEAST effective method of preventing employee theft at Wallace Consulting? A) Performing regular financial audits B) Developing open lines of communication C) Appraising performance with 360-feedback D) Protecting assets with internal control systems

Q: Which of the following is the best way to control employee theft without invading the privacy of honest employees? A) Secretly monitoring behavior to avoid upsetting employees B) Screening job candidates with pencil-and-paper honesty tests C) Avoiding the regular implementation of performance feedback D) Limiting electronic monitoring to written and verbal communications

Q: Employees are most likely to accept electronic monitoring as legitimate when employers use it to: A) improve productivity. B) control employee theft. C) identify regular drug users. D) review employee e-mails.

Q: Studies indicate that the electronic monitoring of employees: A) lowers absenteeism. B) increases productivity. C) improves customer service. D) increases employee stress levels.

Q: Which of the following countries has the most significant shoplifting and employee theft problems? A) Germany B) Taiwan C) India D) U.S.

Q: Which of the following is NOT an example of employee theft? A) Accumulating overtime B) Taking extra-long lunches C) Misusing sick leave for extra vacation time D) Working for another employer on company time

Q: Which of the following would LEAST likely receive a probable cause drug test? A) A delivery driver involved in a traffic accident B) A college recruit applying for a programming job C) A flight attendant showing impaired judgment D) A hotel clerk who exhibits slurred speech patterns

Q: All of the following are advantages of performance testing EXCEPT: A) low costs. B) reliable results. C) government sponsored. D) less invasive on employee privacy.

Q: A 1991 Federal Railroad Administration report showed that approximately________ of workers involved in railroad accidents tested positive for drugs. A) 3% B) 9% C) 12% D) 21%

Q: Surveys of workers on the issue of random drug testing show that: A) drug testing significantly reduces worksite crime. B) tests have no impact on reducing workplace violence. C) most employees accept random drug testing when it's related to safety. D) more nonunion workers accept random drug testing than union workers.

Q: In 1990, a California Supreme Court ruling: A) set the groundwork for universal random drug testing in safety-sensitive jobs. B) struck down all random drug testing even for safety-sensitive jobs. C) accepted the argument that drug testing was not a violation of the right of privacy. D) required employers to show a compelling interest to use random drug testing.

Q: Random drug testing: A) has been ruled unconstitutional. B) has largely been stopped by employee groups. C) is required by law for professions where safety is critical. D) is required by federal law for all employers with more than 15 employees.

Q: Employment-at-will is a pervasive law, originally designed to equalize employer/employee power. Explain the concept and the limitations of its use.

Q: Management's rights to run the business and retain any profits that result are called ________.

Q: Employees may be discharged for refusing to violate a professional code of ethics.