(1) Composition and Benefits,  Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas:

• Discuss the purpose of compensation and benefits from the organization’s viewpoint.
• Provide examples of strategic and tactical recommendations that an HR specialist might make to senior leaders with regard to direct and indirect compensation.

(2) Composition and Benefits, 5–7 slides with speaker notes of 200–250 words per slide (excluding title and reference slides) The human resources specialties of compensation and benefits guide the organization’s leaders in attracting and retaining the best employees through a combination of strategic decisions. Employment laws regulate organizations in their application of compensation and benefits to provide the foundation for an equitable pay system.

Prepare a presentation for senior leaders that educates them on the laws and regulations that addresses the following:

• Explain the various laws and regulations that regulate compensation and benefits, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and others.
• What challenges does an organization face in implementing these laws?
• Discuss the role of management, employees, and unions in compliance with these laws and regulations.
• What recommendations would you make to an organization to monitor and ensure compliance with these laws and regulations?

(3) Composition and Benefits,  Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas:

• Discuss how the process moves from job analysis, to developing the job description, and finally to setting compensation for the work.
• Who is involved and responsible for each step in the process?

(1)  HMR Legal Environment,  Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

You are a Human Resources Manager for Green Branch Coffee, a national chain of urban-style coffee shops. Employees need to work with the human resources (HR) department to ensure a fair, safe, and legal workplace. In this discussion, you will explore the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA provides time off for employees so they can deal with a serious medical condition of their own or one of a family member. Employees in companies such as Green Branch Coffee that have at least 50 employees are generally eligible for FMLA. Please review the Employee’s Guide to FMLA from the U.S. Department of Labor, and discuss the following:

• What is the process of requesting FMLA leave?
• What are some examples of how the FMLA provides employees with job protection during their FMLA leave?
• What are some of the responsibilities that employees have during their FMLA leave?

(2) HMR Legal Environment,  5-7 slides with speaker notes  Recently, Green Branch Coffee mangers have approached you with questions regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Equal Pay Act (EPA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). To address these questions, you have decided to prepare a presentation for the managers that clarifies how each of the Acts applies in their coffee shops. 

For this assignment, you will create a PowerPoint presentation of 5–7 slides with at least 200 words of speaker notes per slide. Begin your presentation by briefly describing the role of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Then, for each of the Acts listed below, provide a summary of the Act, an example from a real company of how the Act was violated, and what a Green Branch Coffee manager can do to ensure compliance with the Act.

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• Equal Pay Act (EPA)
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

(3) HMR Legal Environment, Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Federal and state taxes are not the only items withheld from Green Branch Coffee employees’ paychecks. There are other items, such as benefits, the Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and Social Security. Watch the videos A Primer on Social Security and A Primer on the FICA Tax located in this week’s M.U.S.E. to get a better understanding of both FICA and Social Security.

Please respond to the following questions:

• What role does Social Security play in employee retirement?
• What is the relationship between FICA, ERISA, and Social Security? Include an example of fiduciary responsibility under ERISA.
• Describe an example of a retirement planning program that could be implemented for Green Branch Coffee’s employees.