HR Questions

Question 1

One observer argues that external equity should always be the primary concern in compensation, noting that it attracts the best employees and prevents the top performers from leaving. Do you agree?

Question 2

The United States mandates only four benefits, yet U.S. employers provide many other benefits – such as health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid vacations – voluntarily. Why do so many employers provide these benefits even though they are not legally required to do so?

Question 3

Many U.S. companies outsource activities, such as manufacturing, to factories in Asia and Latin America. For example, Nike manufactures shoes in Indonesia and Hewlett-Packard uses electrical parts made in Chinese factories for its computers. Should the workers in these overseas factories that are part of the global supply chain for an American company have the same rights as U.S. employees? For example, should workers in overseas factories that make shoes for Nike have the right to the same working conditions as Nike employees working in the United States? What are the advantages of maintaining a policy that offers consistent employee rights on a global basis? What are the disadvantages of such a policy?

Question 4

Do you think a company should keep pay secret and request that all employees not disclose their pay to coworkers? Why, or why not?

Question 5

From a company’s perspective, what are the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting employees?

Question 6

The administration of discipline usually occurs between a manager and a subordinate employee. How can HR staff contribute to the fairness of the administration of discipline? How can HR staff contribute to the reduction of the need to administer discipline to employees within a company?

Question 7

Some benefits experts claim that unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation benefits create a disincentive to work. Why do you think they say this? Do you agree or disagree with this position?

Question 8

A customer survey for Landmark Company reports that people do not trust what sales representatives say about their firm’s products. How might you use the compensation system to help change this negative image?

Question 9

Chapter 11 identifies three assumptions underlying pay-for-performance plans. Do you believe these assumptions are valid?

(the three assumptions are:

1. Individual employees and work teams differ in how much they contribute to the firm – not only in what they do, but also in how well they do it.

2. The firm’s overall performance depends to a large degree on the performance of individuals and groups within the firm.

3. To attract, retain, and motivate high performers and to be fair to all employees, a company needs to reward employees on the basis of their relative performance.)

Question 10

Several companies are moving in the direction of paying employees with non-monetary rewards in lieu of higher wages. Why do you think this is happening? Do you think this is a good thing for companies and employees? Explain your answer.