CTFP
Chapter Ten
Social Responsibility:
Legal Issues, Managing Diversity, & Career Challenges
Objectives
Discuss the role of training partnerships in developing skills and contributing to local communities
Discuss the potential legal issues that relate to training
Develop a program for effectively managing diversity
Design a program for preparing for cross-cultural assignments
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Objectives
Discuss the importance of career paths and dual career paths for employees and companies
Develop policies to help employees achieve work-life balance
Describe how companies are helping veterans develop skills and get employment
Explain the value of phase retirement programs for older employees
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Importance of Social Responsibility
Many organizations are concerned with addressing broader social issues
protecting the environment
supporting cultural activities
helping reduce poverty and unemployment
complying with laws
helping employees grow and develop
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Sector Partnerships
Government agencies and industry trade groups help identify skills that employers require
Work with community colleges, universities, and other institutions to provide qualified employees
Typically focus on jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree
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School-to-Work Opportunities Act
Designed to assist states with building school-to-work systems to prepare students for high-skill jobs and future education
Encourages partnerships between educational institutions, employers, and labor unions
Requires that school-to-work systems include work-based learning, school-based learning, and connecting mechanisms
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Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act
Helps job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services; matches employers with skilled workers
Streamlines training, education, employment programs into a single system in each community
Helps those with disabilities, out-of-school youth, and high school dropouts
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Joint Union-Management Programs
Designed historically to help displaced employees find jobs
Help employees learn skills relevant for their jobs and valuable to other employers
Both employers and unions finance these programs and oversee their operation
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Legal Traps to Avoid
Failing to provide required training and providing inadequate training
Incurring injuries to employees during training
Incurring injuries to employees or others outside of training
Incurring breach of confidentiality or defamation
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Legal Traps to Avoid
Reproducing and using copyrighted material without permission
Excluding women, minorities, and older employees
Not ensuring equal treatment during training
Requiring attendance at potentially offensive training
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Legal Traps to Avoid
Revealing discriminatory information during training
Failing to accommodate those with disabilities
Incorrectly reporting training as an expense, failing to report training reimbursement as income, and failing to pay employees for training
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Managing Diversity
Learning efforts to change attitudes and develop skills to work with a diverse workforce
Two primary goals:
eliminate values, stereotypes, and practices that inhibit development
allow employees to contribute to organizational goals regardless of their background
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Enhancing Diversity Training
Greater benefits found when:
the program is of sufficient length for trainees to learn (four hours or more)
managers are used as trainers
trainees interact face-to-face with the instructor, content, and other learners using cases and exercises
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The Glass Ceiling
A major issue facing companies is placing women and minorities in upper-level management positions
The glass ceiling refers to a barrier to advancement that adversely affects women and minorities
HR practices such as flexible scheduling, diversity training, coaching, and mentoring are needed
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Cross-Cultural Preparation
To succeed, expatriates need to be:
competent in their area of expertise
able to communicate verbally and nonverbally
flexible, tolerant of ambiguity, and sensitive to cultural differences
motivated to succeed and learn
able to enjoy the challenges of a different culture
supported by their families
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Pre-Departure Phase
Expatriates and their families should receive training
Methods may include lectures, e-learning, experiential exercises, and immersion experiences
The rigor needed depends on:
cultural novelty
interaction
job novelty
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On-Site Phase
There should be continued orientation through formal training and mentoring
Expatriates may be paired with an employee from the host country
Expatriates should be encouraged to develop social relationships both inside and outside of work
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Repatriation Phase
Expatriates should be encouraged to self-manage the repatriation process
Expatriates should be brought up to date on national issues, politics, and news stories
Expatriates should keep up-to-date on current events at their parent company while abroad
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Four Career Stages
Careers typically involve four stages:
Exploration
Establishment
Maintenance
Decline
Although individuals can progress through the stages linearly, many do not because of boundaryless careers
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Generational Differences
Gen Xers place a high emphasis on work-life balance, opportunities for growth, and relationships
Millennials and Gen Xers are more used to change and job insecurity, more likely to leave their jobs, and less likely to learn new skills
Baby Boomers are loyal to their organizations
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Enhancing Work-Life Balance
Telecommuting refers to a work arrangement that gives employees flexibility in work location and hours
Compressed workweek refers to a schedule that allows employees to work fewer days with longer hours
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Enhancing Work-Life Balance
Flextime refers to giving employees the option of choosing when to work during the workday, workweek, or work year
Job sharing refers to having two employees divide the hours, responsibilities, and benefits of a full-time job
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Dual Career Paths
Management (the traditional path)
Many companies structure career paths so individuals advance through the company by moving into management
Individual Contributor
Designed for individuals who wish to remain in a technical, sales, or support function (and not move into management)
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Effective Dual Career Paths
Salary, status, and incentives for individual contributors compare favorably to managers
While individual contributor salaries may be lower, they are given opportunities to increase total compensation
Individual contributor path is not used to satisfy poor performers
Individual contributors choose their path
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Career Recycling
Involves changing one’s major work activity after being established in a specific field
Accompanied by a re-exploration of values, skills, interests, and potential employment opportunities
Not limited to older employees nearing retirement
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Job Hopping
Presents a challenge for employers
loss of talent and productivity
higher costs related to turnover, recruitment, and retraining
difficulty fostering long-term relationships
However, job hoppers bring new information and may not require job security
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Job Hopping
Companies can reduce job hopping by:
creating conditions for employee engagement
providing employees with growth opportunities
offering rewards for good performance
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Military Personnel
Military personnel often face challenges when returning to the civilian workforce
Challenges stem from:
lack of experiences in the workplace
incomplete skill sets and credentials
difficultly working in less structured situations
psychological and physical challenges
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Military Personnel
Benefits of veterans:
attention to detail. self-discipline, problem solving, decision making in stressful situations, and teamwork
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act addresses deployed employees’ rights, such as guaranteeing jobs when they return after a leave
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Job Loss
Layoffs do not result in improved profitability, have mixed effects on productivity, and have adverse effects on survivors
Alternative to layoffs:
working fewer hours
early retirement plans
delaying wage increases
not filling vacancies due to turnover retirements
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Helping with Job Loss
Advance warning and an explanation
Psychological, financial, and career counseling
Assessment of skills and interests
Resume writing and interviewing skills training
Job banks with job leads
Electronic delivery of job openings, self-directed career management guides, etc.
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Older Workers
What is “old”?
The ADEA provides protection for those 40 and over
Mandatory retirement ages exist in certain occupations (e.g., air traffic controllers = 56, pilots = 65)
Retirees today can receive full social security benefits at 65 (or reduced benefits at 62)
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Fact & Fiction
Older employees do not have higher absenteeism rates, nor are they likely to put in less effort
Older employees are as productive as younger employees, and they have valuable experience
However, they do require more training in technology and prefer hands-on learning
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Meeting the Needs of Older Workers
Provide flexibility in scheduling
Provide continued training and career guidance
Provide health care resources
Recognize that as older employees’ abilities decline, they can rely on experience and motivation
Ensure younger employees do not hold inappropriate stereotypes
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Pre-Retirement Socialization
These efforts typically include:
psychological aspects of retirement
housing issues
maintaining a healthy lifestyle
healthcare plans
financial and estate planning
collection of benefits
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Retirement
Retirement involves leaving a job and making the transition to life without work
Employees tend to be retiring later today
Changes in social security have led to no mandatory retirement ages for most jobs, and financial need had led to individuals working longer
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Implications of the Aging Workforce
Companies should meet the needs of older employees
Companies should take steps to prepare employees for retirement
Companies should be careful that early retirement programs do not unfairly discriminate against older employees
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Early Retirement Programs
Early retirement programs offer employees financial benefits to leave the company
To avoid litigation, ensure:
the program is part of the employee benefit plan
the company can justify age-related distinctions for eligibility for early retirement
employees are allowed to choose voluntarily
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