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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

HRCI aPHR Exam Questions

Page 10 of 25

181.

An individual contributor has been absent from work three times without justifiable reason. According to their company's written progressive discipline policy, their HR rep has issued a verbal warning, then a written warning, and finally, given them a suspension from work. Which of the following BEST describes this disciplinary situation?

  • Standard practices and procedures

  • Escalation

  • Unusual circumstances

  • Peer reviews

Correct answer: Standard practices and procedures

Standard practices and procedures are employed when the cases are normal and the elements are standard or expected. This HR person is following their written procedures for a typical set of circumstances, so standard practices and procedures are being followed.

Escalation is when the decision-making for a disciplinary action requires a higher degree of involvement from people above the typical decision-makers. This may be because of a person's tenure, stature in the company, or if there is a deadlock between the typical decision-makers. Peer reviews may take place in the normal course of employment and performance reviews, but are not typically used in cases of discipline. Unusual circumstances are outside the standard routine and may require alternative responses to the codified treatment.

182.

A group of male employees regularly makes lewd comments and inappropriate jokes about their female colleague's appearance. Despite her discomfort and requests for them to stop, the behavior persists, creating a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere for her. Which type of sexual harassment is this scenario an example of?

  • Hostile work environment

  • Quid pro quo

  • Retaliatory harassment

  • Work assignment conflict

Correct answer: Hostile work environment

Hostile work environment harassment is when a person or group makes another person or group uncomfortable with unwelcome behavior and sexual advances. This behavior can be physical, verbal, or visual.

Quid pro quo is when workplace decisions are made based on the exchange of sexual favors. Retaliatory harassment is when someone is mistreated in response to them exercising their rights. A work assignment conflict is when employees disagree about someone getting a more favorable project, responsibility, or job.

183.

Which of the following is LEAST synonymous with organization-based pay?

  • Group incentives

  • Pay-for-performance (PFP)

  • Profit-sharing

  • Gainsharing

Correct answer: Group incentives

Group incentives are designed to reward team achievements as motivations to work collectively. Group incentives are more specific and tied to individual performance than organization-based pay.

Organization-based pay ties compensation to business objectives and outcomes. Pay-for-performance, profit sharing, and gainsharing plans are all types of organization-based pay.

184.

A sales trainer Xerox copies ten pages of a well-known sales book and distributes it to their new hires. Which of the following laws might this trainer be violating?

  • The Copyright Act of 1976

  • The Trademark Act of 1946

  • The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures of 1978

  • The US Patent Act of 1953

Correct answer: The Copyright Act of 1976

The Copyright Act of 1976 requires people to get express permission from the original author before printing, copying, distributing, or selling their work. 

The Trademark Act of 1946 requires the registration of designs that distinguish a person's or company's products from those of others. The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures of 1978 prevent discriminatory practices in the recruiting process. The US Patent Act of 1953 protects inventions from being copied and distributed for 20 years.

185.

An HR leader is working on a quantitative job evaluation project where they are assessing the value of different roles within their organization. Which of the following factors are they NOT likely to consider?

  • Market demand for the job role

  • Skill

  • Responsibility

  • Effort

Correct answer: Market demand for the job role

When evaluating the value of a role within an organization using quantitative methods, the four judgments considered are skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions.

Market demand for the job role may be a factor in benchmarking practices and other considerations when evaluating roles. In this case, the leader is considering internal roles, so market demands are not likely to be involved.

186.

Which of the following laws, enacted in 2009, was a response to the financial scandals of the early 2000s, and was designed to prohibit corporate fraud?

  • The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

  • The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

  • The Civil Rights Act

Correct answer: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is a federal law enacted in 2002 that requires financial transparency in publicly traded companies to protect investors and consumers and prevent corporate and accounting fraud. This law applies to publicly traded companies with one or more employees.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act resets the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination each time an individual receives a paycheck that is deemed discriminatory, thereby making it easier for employees to litigate against employers with unfair pay practices. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all places that are open to the general public.

187.

A group of recent trainees has completed a learning program and is back at their jobs with their new knowledge. To evaluate the training, the trainer asks key people who have perspectives on these trainees' work to rate and comment on their performance. Which of the following most likely describes this evaluation method?

  • 360-degree feedback 

  • Simulations

  • Performance tests

  • Critical incidents

Correct answer: 360-degree feedback 

In 360-degree feedback, many relevant people with perspectives on a trainee's performance are asked to evaluate the trainee's work after training.

Critical incidents record negative and positive events, both of which are scored to measure how well the trainee is applying their knowledge. Performance tests are assessments given to all program participants that can be scored to reveal how well the trainee learned and can apply the knowledge or skills they were taught. During simulations, training participants perform the skills they learned in a test setting, where they can apply their knowledge and skills in a controlled environment.

188.

A few days after a company party, an employee is asked to meet with their HR director. During the meeting, the employee is asked about an interaction between two coworkers. Their colleague has said there was an incident of sexual harassment and this employee may have witnessed it. Which of the following stages of harassment and discrimination investigation is this employee MOST likely being asked to participate in?

  • Interview

  • Written complaint

  • Determination

  • Feedback

Correct answer: Interview

The interview phase of an investigation is when the employee and witnesses (if applicable) are interviewed to understand more about the incident and get a range of perspectives.

A written complaint is an important document in a harassment or discrimination investigation because it includes information about the incident and a description of how the person was treated differently from others because of their protected identifying feature. During the determination stage of an investigation, the investigator decides if the complaint is valid or not. If the complaint is found to be valid, then a decision is made based on legal and reasonable requirements. The person who filed the complaint is informed of the determination during the feedback stage.

189.

Which of the following is NOT a listed component of an absentee policy?

  • Performance evaluation criteria

  • Identifying standards

  • Violation of standards

  • Improvement programs

Correct answer: Performance evaluation criteria

Performance evaluation is not a part of an absentee policy and is more related to each employee's abilities and contributions to their job.

The three components of an absentee policy are identifying standards, violation of standards, and improvement programs.

190.

An individual contributor at a twenty-person company reports directly to the CEO. Their colleagues do not have middle managers, but are all directly supported by the executives on the team. Which of the following organizational structures does this company MOST likely follow?

  • Flat organizations

  • Functional

  • Divisional

  • Matrix

Correct answer: Flat organizations

Flat organizations have few levels, meaning there are not many or any steps between individual contributors and executives.

Organizations that are structured functionally group employees based on their purpose and their type of work. Divisional organizations are often seen in large companies that have many brands or product lines, and group employees based on the brand they support. A matrix structure is a combination of divisional and functional, where an employee may have a manager related to their function as well as the branch of the company they support.

191.

A person has been in the same role for a long time and is interested in exploring other options. They are at the stage of their individual career development where they are researching industry trends and career options outside their organization. Which of the following stages is this person most likely in?

  • Explore and research

  • Self-assess

  • Create and commit to a plan

  • Take action

Correct answer: Explore and research

The exploration and research stage of individual career development includes a study of occupational research, industry trends, and career options.

The self-assessment stage includes a study of one's values, interests, strengths, skills, and ambitions. Creating and committing to a plan includes action planning, goal setting, and decision-making. The stage of taking action includes gaining experience, job searching, and networking. 

192.

An HR person is tasked with lowering the amount of money their organization spends on staff, including all people who receive money in exchange for work done, without reducing the amount of work done overall. Which of the following options is MOST likely to give this HR person these results?

  • Outsourcing

  • A Professional Employer Organization

  • Contractor payrolling

  • Temp-to-lease

Correct answer: Outsourcing

Outsourcing is most often used when work is moved to another region or country where the labor is less expensive.

A PEO is a Professional Employer Organization that allows companies to outsource their HR functions. Contractor payrolling is when companies engage with partners they can outsource specific functions or projects from. Temp-to-lease programs are when companies need to hire seasonal employees and partner with a vendor who maintains the employment relationship with the worker. 

193.

Laws are often grouped considering the number of employees a company must have to be regulated by its rules. Which of the following is a law that applies to companies with more than one employee?

  • The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act

  • The Civil Rights Act

  • The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

Correct answer: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) is a federal law enacted in 2002 that requires financial transparency in publicly traded companies to protect investors and consumers, and to prevent corporate and accounting fraud. This law applies to publicly traded companies with one or more employees.

The Americans with Disabilities Act, The Civil Rights Act, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act all apply to companies with fifteen or more employees. The Lilly Ledbetter Act resets the statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit regarding pay discrimination each time an individual receives a paycheck that is deemed discriminatory, thereby making it easier for employees to litigate against employers with unfair pay practices. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all places that are open to the general public.

194.

Which category of learner-centered approaches to training do maps most likely belong to?

  • Graphic organizers

  • Collaborative learning

  • Roleplay

  • Storytelling

Correct answer: Graphic organizers

Graphic organizers are visual representations of data or concepts, such as diagrams or maps.

In collaborative learning, a small group is given a task to complete or a problem to solve by working together. Roleplay involves acting out different scenarios to practice conversations and solve problems. Storytelling involves the use of multimedia to create interactive experiential learning.

195.

There is an affinity group at an organization for people who share a common ethnic background. The company's recruiter attends one of this group's meetings. They describe the job openings the company is actively hiring for and asks this group if they can help recruit for the role. Which of the following best describes this recruitment strategy?

  • Diversity groups

  • College and university recruiting

  • Employee referral program

  • Trade associations

Correct answer: Diversity groups

Diversity groups or employee affinity groups are interest groups with membership based on peoples' identifying characteristics, such as their veteran status, race, gender, or interests. Including diversity groups in recruiting strategies may help organizations increase candidates or referrals who also share these characteristics. It is true that these people may provide referrals to the company, but they are being asked to help specifically because of their membership in this affinity group, so the best answer is diversity groups.

College and university recruiting is targeting students, recent graduates, and alumni groups as a source of candidates. Employee referral programs encourage employees to suggest people from their own networks for employment. These programs often have rewards for successful hires, such as monetary rewards or additional recognition. Using trade associations is networking and recruiting within groups for specific industries or professions.

196.

An employer hires their fiftieth employee. Which of the following laws now apply to this employer with this milestone?

  • The Family and Medical Leave Act, The Mental Health Parity Act, and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

  • The Clayton Act, The Consumer Protection Act, and The Employee Polygraph Protection Act

  • The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, The Civil Service Reform Act, and The Congressional Accountability Act

  • The Drug-Free Workplace Act, The Equal Employment Opportunity Act, and The Pregnancy Discrimination Act

Correct answer: The Family and Medical Leave Act, The Mental Health Parity Act, and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

The Family and Medical Leave Act, The Mental Health Parity Act, and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act apply to companies with fifty or more employees.

The Clayton Act, The Consumer Protection Act, and The Employee Polygraph Protection Act all go into effect for employers with one or more employees. The Drug-Free Workplace Act, The Equal Employment Opportunity Act, and The Pregnancy Discrimination Act apply to companies with fifteen or more employees. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, The Civil Service Reform Act, and The Congressional Accountability Act all apply to employers with 100 or more employees.

197.

Which of the following types of information are NOT typically contained in payroll master files?

  • Performance reviews

  • Employee gender

  • Hours worked per day and per week

  • Marital status

Correct answer: Performance reviews

Performance reviews are not considered a payroll document to be included in the master file.

Master files include personal data, employment data, tax and payroll data, and organizational payroll data.

198.

Which of the following BEST describes merit-based pay?

  • A compensation approach where employees' pay increases are based on their performance and contributions.

  • A pay structure where all employees receive the same salary, regardless of their performance.

  • A pay system where employees' salaries are determined solely by their length of service with the company.

  • A compensation approach where employees are paid according to their output and measures of productivity.

Merit-based pay is a compensation approach where employees' pay increases are based on their performance and contributions. Organizations most often set up rubrics to measure performance and scorecards to evaluate how well a team member has performed in a given period.

A pay structure where all employees receive the same salary, regardless of their performance is a flat-rate system. A pay system where employees' salaries are determined solely by their length of service with the company is a time-based step rate system. A compensation approach where employees are paid according to their output and measures of productivity is a productivity-based system. This is different from merit-based pay which takes factors such as values and other contributions into account, rather than focusing only on work output.

199.

An HR leader goes through each role in their company and assigns numeric values to compensable factors to measure job worth relative to other positions in the company. Which of the following evaluation methods is this HR leader MOST likely using?

  • The point factor method

  • Job Classification Method

  • Benchmarking

  • The Hay plan

Correct answer: The point factor method

The point factor method is a quantitative evaluation practice that involves giving a numeric value to the skills and factors of each role to determine the pay scale.

Job Classification Method is when roles are grouped together and given categories to help determine pay scales. Benchmarking is a practice of considering the market value of a role when determining pay. The Hay plan uses three criteria including accountability, know-how, and problem-solving.

200.

What is the federal minimum wage as set by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)?

  • $7.25 per hour

  • $8.50 per hour

  • $15.00 per hour

  • $9.75 per hour

Correct answer: $7.25 per hour

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

Some states have set higher minimum wages, such as $15.00 per hour, but these are not required by federal law.

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