Submit back to me in a Word document, double spaced.
1. If you were the governor of Mississippi, would you expand Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act? Why or why not? What is the impact of your decision on the Mississippi economy?
2. Assume you are the HR director for a medium sized, regional retailer that employs 4,000 employees in five (5) different Southern states. There are a total of 16 brick and mortar stores, as well as an e-commerce division. Due to economic conditions, changes in consumer shopping habits (i.e., consumers buying online instead of in person shopping), rising costs of goods due to inflation, and increased competition, the firm will have to close four (4) of its stores, resulting in significant layoffs. How would you go about “rightsizing” the firm? What are the ethical and legal considerations?
3. Assume you are the HR director for a school district in a large, American city (you can choose which city). You have been tasked with deciding on whether to implement a merit pay plan for teachers. Some in your district contend merit pay will motivate teachers to do a better job, while others contend that it is simply too hard to measure teacher success because too many factors are beyond the teacher’s control. What would you propose? What are the pros and cons to consider? What are the ethical considerations?
4. The chair of the political science department at mid-sized public university supervises eight (8) faculty members, two (2) academic advisors, two (2) administrative assistants, and two (2) student workers. During advisement week everyone, including the student workers, works well beyond the regular 40-hour work week, including work over the weekend. What are the chair’s obligations, if any, under the Fair Labor Standards to each of the employees in terms of compensation for overtime worked? The faculty members make approximately $75,000 annually, the academic advisors make approximately $45,000 annually, the administrative assistants make approximately $25,0000 annually, and the two student workers make $7.25 per hour.
5. Compare and contrast the two major types of retirement plans. What are the pros and cons to each? As a young professional, what type of retirement plan would you like to belong to, if given the option? In addition to a formal retirement plan through your employer, what can you do at an individual level to save for retirement?
6. Identify and summarize the five categories of basic needs included in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. How do these needs relate to the workplace? How is Maslow’s theory different from Aldefer’s ERG theory?
7. What are the differences between safety hazards and health hazards? If you were the HR manager for a chain of restaurants and bars based in Texas, what are some things you would do ensure safety as well as overall mental wellbeing for your employees?
8. Assume you are the HR director of a tech company located in Jackson, MS. Based on the kind of service it provides, it has seen a sharp increase in business. Business and revenues only grew during the pandemic. Additionally, revenue is growing based on its AI consulting services division. Your CEO has tasked you with hiring a significant number of new employees, both professional and non-professional. Professional employees include computer scientists, engineers, designers, accountants, and marketing/salespeople. The non-professional employees include clerical staff, maintenance staff, and custodial staff. How would you go about successfully recruiting each group? How would you ensure the best possible and most diverse applicant pool?
