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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

HRCI SPHR Exam Questions

Page 1 of 60

1.

What is the time allowance for employees, employers, or a union representative to file ULP charges?

  • 6 months from the date of the incident

  • 30 days from the date of the incident

  • 7 calendar days from the date of the incident

  • 1 year from the date of the incident

Correct answer: 6 months from the date of the incident

The statute of limitations for ULPs requires employees, employers, or a union representative to file ULP charges within 6 months from the date of the incident. The NLRB provides a form that can be used to file ULP charges and it can be filed in person, by fax, or by mail to the NLRB regional office where the incident occurred.

2.

Which type of compensation plan administration action is used to calculate an employee's base pay and compare it to the midpoint of a pay range?

  • Compa-ratio

  • Wage compression

  • Range placement

  • Cost-of-living adjustment

Correct answer: Compa-ratio

A compa-ratio is a simple calculation that compares an employee's base pay to the midpoint of the pay range.

Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are a strategy typically used to reduce the effects of wage compression during periods of high inflation. Range placement is not a compensation plan administration action.

3.

What is completed during the development phase of the ADDIE model?

Select all that apply. There are 2 correct answers.

  • Development of lesson plans and materials

  • Determine instructional methods

  • Deliver instruction

  • Design a strategy for developing the instruction

The ADDIE model, developed in the 1970's, is the most well-known framework for designing instruction to improve human performance. ADDIE is an acronym representing the five stages of the instructional design process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.

  • The Analyze phase is the foundation for all other phases of instructional design. During this phase, you must define the problem, identify the source of the problem, and determine possible solutions.
  • The Design phase involves using the outputs from the Analyze phase to plan a strategy for developing the instruction. During this phase, you must outline how to reach the instructional goals determined during the Analyze phase and expand the instructional foundation.
  • The Development phase builds on both the Analyze and Design phases. The purpose of this phase is to generate the lesson plans and lesson materials. During this phase, you will develop the instruction and any supporting documentation/tools.
  • The Implementation phase refers to the actual delivery of the instruction, whether it's classroom-based, lab-based, or computer-based. The purpose of this phase is the effective and efficient delivery of instruction.
  • The Evaluation phase measures the effectiveness and efficiency of the instruction. Evaluation should actually occur throughout the entire instructional design process - within phases, between phases, and after implementation.

4.

Ergonomics studies workers and the link between their health and what workplace component?

  • Physical environment

  • Emotional support

  • Biological hazard exposure

  • Work-life balance

Correct answer: Physical environment

Ergonomics is the study of the physical workplace environment, how it is designed and used, and what impact it has on the people in the environment. A workplace with poor ergonomic design puts its employees at risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). Poor ergonomic design causes the worker to put unnecessary and/or repeated stress on various parts of the body. Common MSDs resulting from this stress include bursitis, carpal tunnel, and tendonitis. Other names that HR professionals may see MSDs referred to as include repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) and cumulative trauma injuries (CTIs).

5.

In what year was the Immigration Reform and Control Act created?

  • 1986

  • 1990

  • 1996

  • 2001

Correct answer: 1986

The Immigration Reform and Control Act, which was passed in 1986, prohibits employers with four or more employees from knowingly hiring people who are not legally authorized to work in the United States.

6.

OSHA's Diverse Workforce Limited Proficiency Outreach program was launched with the help of an action summit focused on the health and safety of workers belonging to what minority group?

  • Latino(a)s

  • Women

  • African Americans 

  • Foreign nationals

Correct answer: Latino(a)s

In 40 years, the American workplace has seen a lot of change. OSHA recognizes that and works to stay abreast of new developments, shifts, and trends. One area of focus that has been getting some needed attention in the past few years is that of safety communication for workers who speak English as a second language. OSHA's Diverse Workforce Limited Proficiency Outreach program assist a variety of groups, including small businesses, trade associations, union locals, and community and faith-based groups with outreach, education and training to Spanish-speaking and other diverse workers.

7.

UGESP helps employers with what?

  • Federal EEO legislation compliance

  • Recruiting methods

  • Discrimination lawsuits

  • Interviewing skills

Correct answer: Federal EEO legislation compliance

The Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) were issued in 1978 in order to help employers and employment agencies comply with federal EEO legislation on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion or national origin. The guidelines provide aid in selecting candidates without using discriminatory practices.

8.

The general duty standard, emergency action plans, fire prevention plans, and occupational noise exposure are all standards that were put into effect by:

  • OSHA

  • EEOC

  • MSHA

  • DOL

Correct answer: OSHA

The American workplace saw great improvements due to OSHA's definition of occupational safety and health standards. These standards range from those that are job and industry specific to those applying to businesses in many different industries. Some of the standards that are generally applicable include:

  • The General Duty
  • Emergency Action Plans
  • Fire Prevention Plans
  • Occupational Noise Exposure
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Sanitation
  • Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs and Tags
  • Permit Required Confined Spaces
  • Control of Hazardous Energy
  • Medical Services and First Aid
  • General Requirements for All Machines
  • Selection and Use of Electrical Work Practices
  • Blood-borne Pathogens
  • Hazard Communication Standard

9.

Job evaluators may compare the value of some jobs against the value of other jobs, and these evaluators can be influenced by their own personal ideas about the worth of different positions. These preconceptions ultimately impact how each job is ranked. This type of job evaluation is known as which of the following?

  • The ranking method

  • The classification method

  • Job pricing

  • Benchmarking

Correct answer: The ranking method

Job evaluation is a process for determining the relative worth of job functions. The goal is to remove subjectivity to the extent possible; however, the method is imperfect and not completely objective in all cases. Ranking and Classification are two methods used in job evaluation. The ranking method is one which requires the evaluators to compare the value of jobs to one another. This method is subjective and the evaluators can be influenced by preconceptions. The classification method involves the identification of key benchmark positions that are ranked on a vertical scale and are then compared with the job being evaluated.

10.

Which of the following is not an advantage of hiring external talent?

  • Increased internal morale

  • New ideas brought to the organization

  • More cost-effective than developing internal talent

  • Increased diversity

Correct answer: Increased internal morale

While there are many benefits to hiring external talent as opposed to promoting within the company, one of those benefits is not increasing internal morale. Current employees will most likely not have a boost in morale when they or their coworkers are overlooked for a position and it is given to someone from outside of the company.

11.

Within the professional exemption criteria provided by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), there are specific types of professions identified that may qualify. What professions are included?

Select all that apply. There are 2 correct answers.

  • Creative professional

  • Learned professional

  • Computer professional

  • Sales professional

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) is a federal law that establishes regulations related to compensation and payment to full-time and part-time employees in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. The areas regulated include the minimum wage, max hours and overtime, travel time, salary deductions, child labor, and others. 

Some employees may be exempt from the overtime and the minimum wage provisions of the act. Provided the employee meets the salary basis test (payment of at least $684 per week), there are several exemptions based on the duties performed by the employee. The types of exemptions available include an executive exemption, administrative exemption, professional exemption, highly compensated employee exemption, computer employee exemption, and outside sales exemption.

As it relates to the professional exemption there are two types of professionals that may qualify for this exemption. This includes:

  1. Learned professional - To be eligible for this exemption, the employee must be compensated on a salary or fee basis at a rate not less than $684 per week; the employee’s primary duty must be the performance of work requiring advanced knowledge, defined as work which is predominantly intellectual in character and which includes work requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment; the advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning; and the advanced knowledge must be customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction.
  2. Creative professional - To be eligible for this exemption, the employee must be compensated on a salary or fee basis at a rate not less than $684 per week; and the employee’s primary duty must be the performance of work requiring invention, imagination, originality or talent in a recognized field of artistic or creative endeavor.

While there are exemptions for computer employees and outside sales professional, they are not included within the professional exemption.

12.

What is the statute of limitations for employee back-pay recovery if an employer did not willingly violate the FLSA?

  • 2 years

  • 5 years

  • 3 years

  • 10 years

Correct answer: 2 years

If an employer makes a mistake when paying an employee, the employee has 2 years to recover their back wages. However, if the employer purposely violated the FLSA, then the employee has 3 years to recover those wages.

13.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to keep accurate records of the dates of birth for employees younger than what age?

  • 19 years of age

  • 16 years of age

  • 21 years of age

  • 18 years of age

Correct answer: 19 years of age

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was enacted in 1938 and expanded compensation practice regulations to cover virtually all employers in the United States. The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments.There are strict record-keeping requirements which include information identifying employees. 

This information includes name, address, and Social Security number, along with their birth date if they're younger than 19 years of age, their sex, and their occupation.

14.

Which of the following is the least risky method of drug-screening candidates?

  • Urine test

  • Saliva test

  • Blood test

  • Hair test

Correct answer: Urine test

A urine test if the safest method of drug testing possible employees and obtaining just enough information to test for the nine most common drugs. Saliva tests, blood tests, and hair tests are riskier because they can give too much personal information about a candidate and are much more intrusive.

15.

Which of the following pieces of legislation enacted the requirement for employers to provide a pension plan?

  • There is no federal legislation requiring employers to provide pension plans

  • ERISA

  • ADEA

  • OWBPA

Correct answer: There is no federal legislation requiring employers to provide pension plans

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) set standards for private pensions and some group welfare programs, including health and life insurance.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was enacted with the goal of preventing the arbitrary promotion of people based on their age versus their abilities. The Act prohibits discrimination against persons age 40 and older in all employment activities.

The Older Worker Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) is an amendment to the ADEA that extends ADEA protections to all employee benefits and provides requirements for severance agreements. Under the Act, any waiver of rights must be written in an understandable manner and refer specifically to the waiver requirements contained in the ADEA.

16.

What information is commonly found within an applicant tracking system?

Select all that apply. There are 3 correct answers.

  • Applicant contact information

  • Job posting information

  • EEO information

  • Skills gaps identified in human capital projections

  • Offer letters

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is used to help manage and streamline the recruiting processes. An ATS has many capabilities that benefit applicants, recruiters, and hiring managers. Common items found within an ATS include:

  • Applicant information (contact information, resume, application)
  • List of open positions
  • Job descriptions
  • EEO information
  • The ability to search candidate information
  • The ability to report on key recruiting metrics (time to fill, vacancy, etc.)

17.

During times of high inflation, public-sector jobs may use what to reduce the effects of wage compression?

  • Cost-of-living adjustments

  • Compa-ratios 

  • Merit increases

  • Salary grade promotions

Correct answer: Cost-of-living adjustments

Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are a strategy typically used to reduce the effects of wage compression during periods of high inflation. Cost-of-living adjustments can be used in the private sector but are more common in the public sector.

An increase to base pay can also occur during an annual review period in the form of either seniority or merit-based increase. A merit increase is based on demonstrated performance, while seniority is based simply on longevity.

A compa-ratio is a simple calculation that compares an employee's base pay to the midpoint of the pay range.

Employees are promoted when they are moved into new positions with increased responsibilities and different duties or when they develop a level of experience or KSAs enabling them to assume new responsibilities in their current positions. Promotions may also mean an increase in the employee's base pay.

18.

Analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation (ADDIE) is a(n) ______________ model.

  • Instructional design

  • Training composition

  • Learning

  • Testing

Correct answer: Instructional design

Instructional design is a method for creating training programs from the ground up by addressing the needs of the training participants, the needs of organization and the needs of the training program. The ADDIE model is a type instructional design.

19.

Of the following employers, which is not required to submit an EEO-1 Report?

  • A public college with more than 100 employees.

  • A private manufacturing company with 200 employees, subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

  • A bank with 60 employees that issues U.S. Savings Bonds.

  • An organization with 85 employees that acts as a depository of government funds.

Correct answer: A public college with more than 100 employees.

The EEO-1 Survey must be completed annually by:

  • All private employers with 100 or more employees, if the private employer is subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
  • All federal contractors who are private employers and are not exempted by law. 
  • All federal contractors who are private employers with 50 or more employees and:
    • are prime federal contractors and first-tier federal subcontractors that are contracted or subcontracted to do at least $50,000 worth of work or
    • serve as a depositor of government funds or
    • are a financial institution that issues and acts as a paying agent for U.S. savings bonds.

State and local governments, primary and secondary school systems, higher education institutions, Indian tribes, and tax-exempt private membership clubs that are not labor unions are not required to submit the EEO-1 report.

20.

Why is a return on investment (ROI) so critical for human resources to prove?

  • It highlights the positive aspect of investing in people and HR initiatives

  • It gives human resources a seat at the decision-making table

  • It demonstrates that HR is a valuable aspect of the organization

  • It reduces the risk of launching a new HR program

Correct answer: It highlights the positive aspect of investing in people and HR initiatives

The best answer is that proving ROI communicates, in hard figures, that an investment in a new HR program or initiative, or an investment into the human capital aspects of the business, will produce a positive return. ROI is used in many financial evaluations; therefore, HR should always be able to share data that supports the positive impact that human resource programs have on the organization's bottom line. As with any investment, knowing the cost versus the return helps to communicate the value.

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