Remember the Fine Print

We recently talked about the steps involved in making a decision about purchasing an anti-virus program (Finding the Right Security) Throughout that post, you were discouraged from making the price of the program the primary driver of reaching a conclusion. That practice is true in nearly all situations whether it be in relation to hiring, entertainment, or any other endeavor. The main driver is what is offered and the value it has for the end user. Also involved is actually receiving what is put forth as the entire end product.

What's Included

Sometimes you see a really bargain price for what seems to be the entire package. (Whoa! We can't pass on this.) It's nabbed and taken "home." Then the unpackaging happens. What's discovered is the purchase was actually the barest elements. It's on the order of buying a car. There's the shell of the car but those little things such as seats, steering wheel, radio, heater, windows, and so on are the "extras". So the $100 car has a few extra items that are needed in order for it to serve its purpose. Likewise, those few extras have an additional cost. (Remember the ditty about Cheap Flights?)

If the product or service is only described as the bare bones, be certain to look into what it takes to get the entire suite of services that are needed. Of course, maybe those extras aren't immediately needed and are "nice to have"s today. Find out how much it's going to cost to add them at a later time. It may be there's another package, or even aother product elsewhere, that will be better suited to your needs.

What About the Extras

When you're bargaining for the product, are both of you speaking the same language? You use one term and have certain things in mind. Whereas, the other party has a totally different concept of what that term means. For example, one website was seeking copy editors who were to check the editor's (who was really the author of the article) content before it was published. What was meant by the term "copy editor" - one who corrects the content - was actually the duties of a proofreader - a person who merely marks spelling errors (using standard American grammar), typos, and missing punctuation. Correcting those issues was another matter that was the responsibility of the author/editor. Make certain there's a clear understanding of what you want and need compared with what is being offered.

Asking questions about what's to be expected on delivery is reasonable. Find out whether there are affiliated services that may be required. Learn what the cost of those affiliated services is or whether those expenses can be included in the single quote.

Then There's Renewal

Perhaps what is today's service is not a one-time deal but needs to be renewed in order to maintain it. The contract needs to be renewed on a regular basis. The price paid today may be the introductory price that is actually the bargain. The regular price may be 30 percent higher (or more). Ascertain what the regular price is before commiting to the purchase.

Some businesses offer a notification of when it's time to renew the service agreement. Some do not; they simply put the account on automatic renewal and collect their fee at the then prevailing rate (which may have undergone price index adjustment). Determine what the renewal terms are and whether you're comfortable with them.

The Research Is Worth Your Time

These may seem like niggling details. They are not. What you want is a valid bargained-for exchange. These are important aspects in regard to knowing what to expect when the box is opened and the product is put into use.

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Selection Quandaries Terminology

Yvonne brought my attention to the fact that as students, professionals, speakers, and/or writers, we have a tendency to use terms that we think everyone understands.  Since we would prefer to read a blog without having to open twenty tabs to understand what is being said, and causing our browsers to catastrophically fail, we thought that defining some of the terminology from the previous post would be helpful.  This also provides me with the opportunity to practice applying these terms before completing course projects and final exams.  Having said this, I have provided links to these definitions for those of you who wish to make your own interpretations.

“Business necessity” can be defined as a discriminatory job requirement or employment practice that is necessary to ensure that an essential task or duty for a specific job can be performed safely and successfully.  For example, a candidate who was recently convicted of child molestation can be legally disqualified for a cashiering position at a toy store since the individual’s essential duty of assisting customers requires her/him to come into contact with children.  On the other hand, if the same candidate applies for a position as an office cleaner for an accounting firm, s/he cannot be legally disqualified as a result of the conviction because her/his essential duties do not require contact with children.

"Essential duties" are duties/tasks that are critical to an individual's success in performing her/his job.  Using the candidate who was recently convicted of child molestation as an example, the candidate will need to serve customers who bring their children to the toy store. Contact with children in this situation is unavoidable because serving customers with children is an essential part of a toy store cashier's job. 

“Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)” is an employment qualification that employers may consider when making employment decisions.  The employer must demonstrate that excluded individuals could not perform the job duties required and that those job duties are essential to the employer’s business; however, it is important to note that race and color are excluded from this defense.  For instance, a gym can disqualify male candidates for a female locker room attendant position if the attendant's presence is in the locker room is required at all times.

“Legally problematic” means that a practice is not illegal; however, the practice could lead to illegal practices, or the practice could be perceived as illegal.  For instance, asking questions that could identify an applicant’s gender is legally problematic because Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that it is illegal to consider a person’s gender in the employment decision, unless it is a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). In this situation, this practice could lead to intentional or unintentional bias in the employment decision, or the organization could be perceived as showing bias in the employment decision.

“Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)” is a U.S. law that prohibits workplace discrimination and harassment based on national origin, race, gender, color, genetic information, and religion.  Title VII also created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce the laws in the Act.  The law has been expanded to include discrimination or harassment based upon pregnancy, sexual harassment of employees, and stereotyping based on national origin, race, gender, color, and religion.  However, some employers are exempt from Title VII laws as indicated under the “Definitions” section.

“Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC )” is a regulatory committee charged with enforcing U.S. laws that prohibit workplace discrimination and harassment based on genetic information, national origin, race, gender, color, age, disability, and religion; furthermore, the EEOC provides guidance to federal agencies and ensures that U.S. federal agencies are in compliance with EEO regulations.  The EEOC has been instrumental in interpreting employment law, and its interpretations and decisions have significantly contributed to past and present U.S. Supreme Court rulings pertaining to employment law.  The EEOC has the authority to investigate charges of discrimination and harassment, assist in resolving the charges, and file lawsuits against employers if the employers refuse to cooperate.  Since many states have their own anti-discrimination laws, the EEOC works with local and state agencies called Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPAs) so that employees who wish to file discrimination charges can do so on a state and/or federal level.

Thank you for reading!  If you have any suggestions or comments regarding how these terms are defined, or if I left something out, please feel free to comment about it.