HRLR 820 Final

backup care program

a benefit program whereby an employer provides or subsidizes temporary care for its employee's elders or children when their regular arrangements fall through

contributory plan

a pension plan in which contributions are made jointly by employees and employers

defined benefit plan

apension plan in which the amount an employee is to receive on retirement is specifically set forth

disease management programs

programs that provide patients and their caregivers with information on monitoring and treating medical conditions, while coordinating communication between them, their health care providers, employers, and insurers

elder care

care provided to an elderly relative by an employee who remains actively at work

employee assistance programs (EAPs)

services provided by employers to help workers cope with a wide variety of problems that interfere with the way they perform their jobs.

flexible benefits plans (cafeteria plans)

benefit plans that enable individual employees to choose the benefits that are best suited to their particular needs

health maintenance organizations (HMOs)

organizations of physicians and health care professionals that provide a wide range of services to subscribers and dependents on a prepaid basis

high-deductible health insurance plan (HDHP)

a medical insurance plan characterized by high deductibles but lower premiums for workers and a health spending account to which employers contribute funds employees can keep should they leave the organization

noncontributory plan

a pension plan in which contributions are made solely by the employer

phased retirement

a program that allows its employees to gradually cut their hours before retiring

preferred provider organization (PPO)

a network of physicians who establish an organization that guarantees lower health care costs to employers and their employees

sabbatical

an extended period of time in which an employee leaves an organization to pursue other activities and later returns to his or her job

severance pay

a one-time payment sometimes given to an employee who is being involuntarily terminated.

supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB)

a plan that enables an employee who is laid off to draw weekly benefits from the employer, which draws from a fund created for this purpose, in addition to state unemployment compensation

vesting

a guarantee of accrued pension benefits to participants at retirement age, regardless of their employment status at that time

wellness programs

employer-sponsored programs designed to encourage employees to maintain and improve their health and well-being by getting regular checkups, eating properly, exercising, and managing their stress levels so as to prevent costly and protracted illnesses

workers' compensation insurance

state-mandated insurance provided to workers to defray the loss of income and cost of treatment due to work-related injuries or illness

augmented skills

skills helpful in facilitating the efforts of expatriate managers

balance sheet approach

a compensation system designed to match the purchasing power in a person's home country

cultural environment

the communications, religion, values and ideologies, education, and social structure of a country

culture shock

perpetual stress experienced by people who settle overseas

economic factors

external factors including the strength or weakness of markets, stability of trade cycles, specific industry conditions, customer preferences, and government's economic policies

expatriates, or home-country nationals

employees from the home country who are on international assignment

failure rates

the percentage of expatriates who do not perform satisfactorily

global compensation system

a centralized pay system whereby host-country employees are offered a full range of training programs, benefits, and pay comparable with a firm's domestic employees but adjusted for local differences

global corporation

a firm that has integrated worldwide operations through a centralized home office

global manager

a firm that has integrated worldwide operations through a centralized home office

guest workers

foreign workers invited to perform needed labor

home-based pay

pay based on an expatriate's home country's compensation practices

host country

a country in which an international corporation operates

host-based pay

expatriate pay comparable to that earned by employees in a host countr

host-country nationals

employees who are natives of the host country

localization

adapting pay and other compensation benefits to match that of a particular country

multidomestic corporation (MDC)

a firm with independent business units operating in multiple countries

political factors

reasons for human migration relating to government, their policies, and wars

repatriation

the process of transition for an employee home from an international assignment

sociocultural factors

external factors including method and style of communications, religions, values and ideologies, education standards, and social structure

split pay

a system whereby expatriates are given a portion of their pay in the local currency to cover their dayto-day expenses and a portion of their pay in their home currency to safeguard their earnings from changes in inflation or foreign exchange rates

technological factors

external factors pertaining to the technological infrastructure and investments, information systems, manufacturing equipment, and consumer access to technology

third-country nationals

employees who are natives of a country other than the home country or the host country.

transnational corporation

a firm that attempts to balance local responsiveness and global scale via a network of specialized operating units

transnational teams

teams composed of members of multiple nationalities working on projects that span multiple countries

work permit or visa

a government document granting a foreign individual the right to seek employment

core skills

skills considered critical to an employee's success abroad.

alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

methods of solving a problem by bringing in an impartial outsider but not using the court system

constructive discharge

a termination of employment brought about by making an employee's working conditions so intolerable that the employee reasonably feels compelled to leave.

discipline

training to improve strength or self-control

due process

fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement.

employee rights

free consent, privacy, freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, due process

employment-at-will relationship

the right of an employer to fire an employee without giving a reason and the right of an employee to quit when he or she chooses

ethics

a set of standards of conduct and moral judgments that help to determine right and wrong behavior

impairment testing

also called fitness-for-duty or performance-based testing, it measures whether an employee is alert enough to work

mediation

negotiation to resolve differences conducted by some impartial party

mediator

a neutral third party who facilitates a negotiated solution by using reasoning, persuasion, and suggestions for alternatives

negligence

the failure to provide reasonable care when such failure results in injury to consumers or other employees

ombudsman

a designated individual from whom employees may seek counsel for resolution of their complaints

open-door policy

a policy of settling grievances that identifies various levels of management above the immediate supervisor for employee contact

peer-review system

a system for reviewing employee complaints that utilizes a group composed of equal numbers of employee representatives and management appointees. The group weighs evidence, considers arguments, and, after deliberation, votes to render a final decision

nonpunitive (postive) discipline

discipline without punishment, usually involving a system of oral warnings and paid "decision-making leaves" in lieu of more traditional punishment

progressive discipline

the application of corrective measures by increasing degrees

psychological contract

an unwritten agreement that sets out what management expects from an employee and vice versa

step-review system

a system for reviewing employee complaints and disputes by successively higher levels of management

whistle-blowing

informing the press or government officials about unethical practices within one's organization

wrongful discharge

a legal doctrine that requires employers to have a job-related reason to terminate employees

adverse impact

unintentional discrimination that occurs when members of a particular race, sex, or ethnic group are unintentionally harmed or disadvantaged because they are hired, promoted, or trained (or any other employment decision) at substantially lower rates than others

affirmative action

a policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities

bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)

a necessary (not merely preferred) qualification for performing a job

business necessity

a defense to allegations of employment discrimination in which the employer demonstrates that an employment practice that discriminates against members of a protected class is related to job performance.

charge form

a discrimination complaint filed with the EEOC by employees or job applicants

chief diversity officer (CDO)

a top executives responsible for implementing a firm's diversity efforts

disabled individual

person who has, or is regarded as having, a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, and has a record of such an impairment

disparate treatment

intentional discrimination that occurs when people are purposely not given the same hiring, promotion, or membership opportunities because of their race, color, sex, age, ethnic group, national origin, or religious beliefs

equal employment opportunity

the condition in which all individuals have an equal chance for employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

a federal agency designed to regulate and enforce the provisions of Title VII

fair employment practices (FEPs)

state and local laws governing equal employment opportunity that are often more comprehensive than federal laws and apply to small employers

four-fifths rule

a rule of thumb followed by the EEOC in determining adverse impact for use in enforcement proceedings

protected classes

groups that employment law protects

reasonable accommodation

an employer's obligation to do something to enable an otherwise qualified person to perform a job

reverse discrimination

using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people

sexual harassment

comments, gestures, or physical contacts of a sexual nature that are deliberate, repeated, and unwelcome

workforce utilization analysis

the process of comparing the composition by race and sex for jobs within an organization against composition of the employer's relevant labor market.

Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures

broadbanding

combining several salary grades or job classifications with narrow pay ranges into one band with a wider salary spread.

compensation scorecard

displays the results for all the measures that a company uses to monitor and compare compensation among internal departments or units

competence-based pay

pay based on skills and increased job knowledge. (also called skilled based or knowledge based pay)

consumer price index (CPI)

a measure of the overall cost of the goods and services bought by a typical consumer

escalator clauses

clauses in labor agreements that provide for quarterly cost-of-living adjustments in wages, basing the adjustments on changes in the consumer price index

exempt employees

managers, outside salespeople, and any other employees not covered by the FLSA requirement for overtime pay

hay profile method

a job evaluation technique using three factors - knowledge, mental activity, and accountability - to evaluate executive and managerial positions

hourly work

work paid on an hourly basis

job classification system

a system of job evaluation in which jobs are classified and grouped according to a series of predetermined wage grades

job evaluation

a process that determines the worth of each job in a company by evaluating the market value of the knowledge, skills, and requirements needed to perform it

job ranking system

the simplest and oldest system of job evaluation by which jobs are arrayed on the basis of their relative worth

nonexempt employees

employees covered by the FLSA requirements for overtime pay

pay equity

equal pay for work of equal value

pay grades

sets of jobs having similar worth or content, grouped together to establish rates of pay

pay rate compression

compression of pay between new and experienced employees caused by the higher starting salaries of new employees; also the differential between hourly workers and their managers

pay-for-performance standard

standard by which managers tie direct compensation to employee or organizational effort and performance

piecework

a compensation system in which employees are paid a set rate for each item they produce