Chapter 17 Practice Exam Matching Questions Match the following terms with their definitions: (5) C. FLSA. (1) E. OSHA. (3) F. Whistleblower. 1. A federal statute that ensures safe working conditions. 3. An employee who discloses illegal behavior on the part of his employer. 5. A federal statute that regulates wages and limits child labor. True/False Questions Circle true or false: 1. T F An employee may be fired for a good reason, a bad reason, or no reason at all. 3. T F Promises made by the employer during the hiring process are not enforceable. 5. T F The federal government has the right to inspect workplaces to ensure that they are safe. 7. T F Federal law limits the number of hours an employee can work. 9. T F Only workers, not their spouses or children, are entitled to benefits under the Social Security system. Multiple-Choice Questions 11. Under the FMLA: (a) Both men and women are entitled to leave from their jobs for childbirth, adoption, or medical emergencies. (b) An employee is entitled to 12 weeks of paid leave. (c) An employee is entitled to leave to care for any member of his household, including pets. (d) An employee who takes a leave is entitled to return to the exact job she left. (e) All employees in the country are covered. 13. A whistleblower (a) Is always protected by the law. (b) Is never protected by the law. (c) Is always protected when filing suit under the False Claims Act. (d) Is always protected if she is an employee of the federal government. (e) Is always protected if she works for a private company. 15. CPA QUESTION: An unemployed CPA generally would receive unemployment compensation benefits if the CPA: (a) Was fired as a result of the employer’s business reversals.

© 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. (b) Refused to accept a job as an accountant while receiving extended benefits. (c) Was fired for embezzling from a client. (d) Left work voluntarily without good cause. Short-Answer Questions 17. ETHICS: When Walton Weiner interviewed for a job with McGraw-Hill, Inc., he was assured that the company would not terminate an employee without “just cause.” McGraw- Hill’s handbook said, “[The] company will resort to dismissal for just and sufficient cause only, and only after all practical steps toward rehabilitation or salvage of the employee have been taken and failed. However, if the welfare of the company indicates that dismissal is necessary, then that decision is arrived at and is carried out forthrightly.” After eight years, Weiner was fired suddenly for “lack of application.” Does Weiner have a valid claim against McGraw-Hill? Apart from the legal issue, did McGraw-Hill do the right thing? Was the process fair? Did the company’s behavior violate important values? Answer: The court held that the handbook had created a contract between Weiner and McGraw-Hill and, therefore, Weiner could be fired only for “just cause.” In addition, McGraw-Hill could not fire Weiner until it had tried to rehabilitate him. Weiner v. McGraw-Hill, 443 N.E.2d 441 (N.Y. 1982). 19. Reginald Delaney managed a Taco Time restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Some of his customers told Mr. Ledbetter, the district manager, that they would not be eating there so often because there were too many black employees. Ledbetter told Delaney to fire Ms. White, who was black. Delaney did as he was told. Ledbetter’s report on the incident said: “My notes show that Delaney told me that White asked him to sleep with her and that when he would not that she started causing dissension within the crew. She asked him to come over to her house and that he declined.” Delaney refused to sign the report because it was untrue, so Ledbetter fired him. What claim might Delaney make against his former employer? Answer: Ledbetter committed a wrongful discharge when he fired Delaney for refusing to commit the tort of defamation. Delaney v. Taco Time International, Inc., 297 Or. 10, 681 P.2d 114 (1984). 21. ROLE REVERSAL: Prepare a short-answer question in which an employee alleges that his discharge violated public policy, but you think a court would not agree.