· Generational Differences and the Public Sector Workplace" Please respond to the following:

· Analyze the descriptions of generations from traditionalists to Generation. Assess your own category and discuss the ways you agree and differ from the description, indicating which generation best describes you. Provide three reasons and examples for your position.

· Assume you have performed an analysis of your agency's workforce and have concluded that over 30% of employees will retire within the next 24 months and another 35% in five years. Currently, the workforce of 650 employees has 40% baby boomers and 60% Generation X-ers and Generation Y-ers.

Your observations indicate that the baby boomers distrust the Generation X-ers and Y-ers, appear to disrespect the baby boomers. Recommend two strategies you could implement to address and change this situation for the better. Provide a rationale for your views

· "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Employees in the Public Sector Workforce" Please respond to the following:

· From the e-Activity, analyze the two news events published within the past 12 months related to sexual harassment laws for or against lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals.

· Propose at least two ways your agency plans to address these events, highlighting two challenges to identifying and prosecuting offenders within your agency.

· Debate It: Take a position for or against this statement: A public sector agency should provide medical benefits to employees who choose to have surgery to change their sex. Provide at least two reasons and examples to support your position.

· Chronic Health Issues and the Public Workplace" Please respond to the following:

· Analyze the issues involved in controlling costs for disabled and chronically ill employees. Discuss two major challenges and recommend two strategies your agency will implement.

· From the e-Activity and the information found in the textbook about health challenges and managers' responsibilities, recommend a resolution to the following scenario: Over the past 12 months, 10 employees in your agency of 200 employees have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses and this has caused the agency over $200,000 in costs related to insurance coverage, short- and long-term disability, sick leave, FMLA, and unpaid leave.

Implementation of a comprehensive workplace health program would be ideal. However, to implement the program, the agency would have downsize (or lay off) at least 10% of the workforce and increase insurance costs for the remaining employees. Discuss at least one way to implement a health coverage program without downsizing or recommend a strategy the agency can implement to address a win-win for everyone.

· Public Employees' Liability for Constitutional Torts" Please respond to the following:

· Debate It: Take a position for or against this statement: Public sector employees charged with offenses outside of the workplace should be held accountable and liable for their actions - written reprimand, administrative leave, or dismissal from public service. Provide two reasons and examples to support your position.

· Hypothesize a situation in which a public administrator or employee should have the constitutional right to disobey a directive ordered by a superior. Provide at two reasons and examples to support your position.

· Public Employee Unions in a New Era" Please respond to the following:

· Refer to Chapter 8, which points out that the New Era of public employee unions has nothing to do with who controls federal policy making in Washington, D.C. The chapter focuses on the issues that public employees face daily as a result of agency mandates, policies, and procedures that can, at any time, have an adverse impact on job performance as well as fiscal constraints and budgetary resources.

Assume your agency wants to discourage union involvement. Recommend at least two strategies your agency could implement to encourage and discourage its employees from seeking union representation.

· From the first eActivity, select one of the news events regarding NTEU and provide a brief critique of the issues.

· Privatized Prisons and Unions" Please respond to the following:

· Debate It. Take a position for or against privatization of prisons.

· From the second e-Activity, as Human Resource Director for the Department of Corrections in your state, you have been selected to participate on the Advisory Council. There has been increased attention to several employees regarding prison rape and increased drug use. Recommend two strategies your agency and the Advisory Board should implement to address these issues from an HR perspective.

· Public Sector Pensions and Benefits" Please respond to the following:

· Review the author's statement in Chapter 13: "New-generation human resource managers must add to their work portfolios how to help employees make appropriate decisions about participation, contribution, and even investment in their benefit packages so that they better enable themselves when they retire to maintain the standard of living they had when they were working." Analyze your own retirement pension and benefits package, (or absence of a company-provided package) and offer three pieces of advice to Generation X-ers and Generation Y-ers regarding their retirement.

· Discuss at least two pros and two cons of allowing public employees to bargain collectively with their agencies about their retirement benefits (OPEB). (Refer to Table 13.4 Benefits Reform Dimensions in Chapter 13.)

· Managing Human Resources to Improve Organizational Productivity" Please respond to the following:

· Debate It: According to the Office of Personnel Management, federal regulations provide for four forms of awards that can be given to federal employees: lump-sum cash awards, honorary awards, informal recognition awards, and time-off awards. Take a position on which award is favorable to current (a) Baby Boomers already employed in public service, (b) Baby Boomers returning to public service after retirement, (c) Generation X-ers, and (d) Generation Y-ers. Provide a rationale for your views.

· Debate It: Take a position for or against this statement: A performance appraisal with no monetary component can be effective. Provide a rationale for your views.