Exam 3: Understanding Equal Opportunity and the Legal Environment

The majority of Americans with Disabilities Act claims have been filed by:

Additional Case 3.1 You have been hired as HR Director of a company with about 100 employees. As you begin to learn about the company, you discover that female managers are paid about 20% less than their male counterparts. When you ask why, the CEO explains that men have families to support and women are earning extra income. As you review personnel files, it becomes apparent that protected-class employees are promoted less often and have longer terms between promotions and raises than white employees. A test is used as part of the promotion process, and protected-class candidates always do about 25% worse on it than white candidates. Another test is used to screen job applicants. It screens out about 25% of white male applicants and about 50% of protected-class applicants. The firm has a hazardous products division. Traditionally, women are not hired or promoted into that division because the CEO is concerned that the toxic nature of the production process will adversely affect the female employees' reproductive processes. -Refer to Additional Case 3.1.For your company's recruiting test to pass the four-fifths rule,about ________ of employees would need to pass it.

Employment discrimination is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Explain the development of affirmative action plans.

Additional Case 3.2 You have recently been hired as the HR Director of a mid-sized architectural service company that designs buildings for both private firms and federal agencies. Your predecessor lost her job when she did not anticipate and handle an HR-based lawsuit to the CEO's satisfaction. The CEO believes that HRM should help the company avoid problems. As HR Director, you have three primary tasks: to anticipate future problems, advise management, and be an advocate for employees. Your boss doesn't see a conflict in these roles. The upper-management team consists of all males who are over the age of 50. Most of the upper-level managers have been with the company for at least 25 years. Middle managers, who are mostly in their 30s, are 40% female, and 3% minority. Hourly employees are 60% minority and 35% female. The communities from which the firm hires hourly employees is approximately 75% minority and consists primarily of Haitians and Hispanics. You discover many incomplete employee recruitment records that lack I-9 forms. You immediately begin to work on an affirmative action plan because of what you see happening in the company. -Refer to Additional Case 3.2.Based on your utilization study of the company,which of the following EEO-related problems does the firm most likely have?

The Griggs vs.Duke Power case set a legal precedent for responding to disparate treatment in the workplace.

Additional Case 3.1 You have been hired as HR Director of a company with about 100 employees. As you begin to learn about the company, you discover that female managers are paid about 20% less than their male counterparts. When you ask why, the CEO explains that men have families to support and women are earning extra income. As you review personnel files, it becomes apparent that protected-class employees are promoted less often and have longer terms between promotions and raises than white employees. A test is used as part of the promotion process, and protected-class candidates always do about 25% worse on it than white candidates. Another test is used to screen job applicants. It screens out about 25% of white male applicants and about 50% of protected-class applicants. The firm has a hazardous products division. Traditionally, women are not hired or promoted into that division because the CEO is concerned that the toxic nature of the production process will adversely affect the female employees' reproductive processes. -Refer to Additional Case 3.1.As HR Director,you would most likely inform the CEO that the firm's current promotion test is:

Which term refers to fines awarded to a plaintiff for psychological harm the plaintiff suffers?

Since passage of the Equal Pay Act,the earnings gap between females and males has widened,contrary to the intent of the law.

The primary purpose of the ADA was to implement a national workers' compensation law.

Which of the following is required to have an affirmative action plan?

A fully functioning and competent Human Resource Department can replace the need for any legal advice on employment discrimination issues.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963:

All of the following are HR responsibilities EXCEPT:

Hostile work environment sexual harassment occurs when sexual activity is required in return for keeping a job.

The law forbidding employment discrimination against people with disabilities who are able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation is the ________.

Your text refers to two major regulatory agencies that are responsible for the enforcement of EEO law.Name them and discuss their individual responsibilities and differences.

Discrimination on the basis of pregnancy was explicitly prohibited by the:

HR legal environments are constantly changing.The court case that set the standard to place the burden of proof in employment discrimination on the company was:

Tyrone is an African-American freelance music composer.He has not held a regular job due to mental stress since his involvement,as a reservist,in the Persian Gulf War.He is seeking a jingle-writing position with an advertising firm.While Tyrone does read and write,he composes by ear.He cannot read music,he records his songs on a tape,and his wife transcribes the recorded music into sheet music.The central requirement of this job is that the composer be able to read music because the employee must work with client ideas and music ideas from other staff.Tyrone is not hired because he cannot read music.Has management made a decision that makes the firm legally liable for discrimination under the ADA?