HRCI HRCI Certifications PHR Questions & Answers

• Question 11:

  You are a HR Professional for your organization and you're educating your staff on the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Which one of the following statements about the Pregnancy Discrimination Act is not true?

  A. Pregnancy related benefits cannot be limited to married employees.

  B. Employers must provide the same level of health benefits for spouses of male employees as they do for spouses of female employees.

  C. If an employer provides any benefits to workers on leave, the employer must provide the same benefits for those on leave for pregnancy-related conditions.

  D. An employer is allowed to refuse to hire a pregnant woman because of the imminent time frame of the needed leave to deliver and care for the child.

  Correct Answer: D

  An employer cannot refuse to hire a woman based on her pregnancy. Answer options B, A, and C are incorrect. These are true statements and are part of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

• Question 12:

  If an employer ignores stress in employees what symptom are employees likely to develop?

  A. De-motivation

  B. Burnout

  C. Tumors

  D. Turnover

  Correct Answer: B

  Burnout is a symptom that can further eradicate performance because of stress in employees. Employers must recognize stress and address the issues caused by stress. Although burnout is work- related, most responsibility for burnout currently rests on the individual worker in the United States, as well as the individual company, as it is in a company's best interest to ensure burnout doesn't occur. The NIOSH outlines an approach in their booklet "Stress at Work." Answer option A is incorrect. De-motivation may occur, but burnout is the preferred terminology. Answer option D is incorrect. Approximately 40 percent of turnover is due to stress, but turnover is not necessarily a symptom of an employee. Answer option C is incorrect. Stress may cause tumors, though there are more complicated health matters that contribute to this symptom. The best answer is burnout.

• Question 13:

  All organizations need prevoyance, or planning, as a part of a manager's duty. As an HR Professional what is the primary purpose of planning?

  A. Directs the project team and staff to accomplish the project scope

  B. Establishes groundwork for the managers to achieve the goals of the organization

  C. Communicates the direction of the organization

  D. Establishes groundwork for the managers to achieve their goals

  Correct Answer: B

  Planning is the foundation for a manager to establish the goals of the organization. Answer option C is incorrect. The organization's mission statement communicates the direction, intent, and purpose of the organization. Answer option D is incorrect. Planning is to provide groundwork for the managers to achieve their goals, but for the organization to achieve its goals. Answer option A is incorrect. Planning, in project management, does provide direction to the project team to reach their goals, but in this context it's planning for the organization, not a project.

• Question 14:

  If a union wants to organize, it typically moves through five steps to the organizing process. Which one of the following is not one of the five stages of unionization of work force?

  A. The financing

  B. The campaign

  C. Obtaining recognition

  D. The election

  Correct Answer: A

  There is no such stage called "the financing", so this choice is correct. The five phases of union organizing are: Making a connection, Confirming interest, Obtaining Recognition, The Campaign, and The Election.

  Answer option D is incorrect. The election is the final stage of the union organization. It's the actual election to determine if employees will participate in the union. Answer option B is incorrect. The campaign is the period leading up to the

  election to determine if employees will participate in the union.

  Answer option C is incorrect. Obtaining recognition, the third stage of the unionization process, is to gain recognition from the employer. This stage causes the employer to give the NLRB a list of names and addresses of employees who are

  eligible to vote in the union certification election.

• Question 15:

  What term describes a manager who makes himself visible, being present for employees, and getting out of his office to interact with employees?

  A. Open door policy

  B. Progressive discipline

  C. Active management

  D. Management by walking around

  Correct Answer: D

  Management by walking around describes a manager that doesn't hide in his office and manages by being present among employees.

  Answer option A is incorrect. An open door policy allows employees to approach management with problems, suggestions, or other issues.

  Answer option C is incorrect. Active management just describes a manager that's involved with employee decision and activities.

  Answer option B is incorrect. Progressive discipline is a series of steps of discipline where each step is slightly sterner than the previous.

• Question 16:

  COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, requires some organizations to offer continuation of group health care coverage to employees and family members based on certain qualifying events. How many employees must exist within an organization for COBRA requirements to be enforced?

  A. 20

  B. 100

  C. 50

  D. 10

  Correct Answer: A

  Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) requires all organizations with 20 or more employees to participate. Answer options D, C, and B are incorrect. Organizations with less than 20 employees are not required to participate in COBRA. The value for participation is 20 employees or more.

• Question 17:

  Mark is an HR Professional for his organization and he has been given the assignment to create an Affirmative Action Plan for his company. Mark will also be considered to be designated the responsibility for this Affirmative Action Plan. What does the designation of responsibility mean?

  A. It means that Mark will be the person that reports on the plan's implementation to management

  B. It means that Mark will be the person that reports on the plan's implementation to the Department of Labor

  C. It means that Mark will be the person responsible for actually implementing the plan

  D. It means that Mark will be the manager for all Affirmative Action scenarios and issues within his company

  Correct Answer: C

  The person who is designated the responsibility will be the individual responsible for implementing the plan in the organization.

  Answer option A is incorrect. Mark may report on the plan to management, but this isn't the complete and primary definition of the designation of responsibility. Answer option B is incorrect. Mark may be the person to report to the Department

  of Labor about the plan, but this isn't the complete definition.

  Answer option D is incorrect. Mark isn't necessarily the manager of affirmative action scenarios, but the implementation person for the plan.

• Question 18:

  An organization would like to hire a 15-year old for some duties in their business. Which one of the following rules would be breaking the requirements of the child labor provisions of the FLSA?

  A. Non-school hours only

  B. 4 hours per school day

  C. 8 hours in a non-school day

  D. 18 hours per school week

  Correct Answer: B

  Employers are only allowed to employ 15 year olds, a maximum of three hours per school day, not more.

  Answer option A is incorrect. A 15-year old may work only in non-school hours. Answer option C is incorrect. A 15-year old may work no more than eight hours on a non-school day. Answer option D is incorrect. The maximum a 15-year old

  may work is 18 hours per school week.

• Question 19:

  John earns $45,200 per year as a mechanic in your organization. The $42,500 per year does not include earnings John may have through shift differentials, benefits, overtime, incentives, and bonuses. Which one of the following terms best describes the $45,200 per year that John earns?

  A. Base pay

  B. Market-demand pay

  C. Hygiene factor pay

  D. Variable pay

  Correct Answer: A

  John's base pay is the fixed rate of pay he earns for performing his job in your organization. Answer option D is incorrect. Variable pay is the total pay John earns through variable programs, such as commissions or bonuses. Answer option C is incorrect. This isn't a valid term for employee compensation. Answer option B is incorrect. Market-demand describes the market average for pay, for someone in John's role as a mechanic.

• Question 20:

  If an employee wants to participate in a union, they'll often have union dues to pay. The employer is obligated to deduct the payment from the employee's paycheck and give it to the union only if which condition is met?

  A. The person requesting for the union dues deduction must make the request in writing.

  B. The union representative must contact the employer and verify the request on behalf of the employee.

  C. The person requesting for the union dues deduction must be employed for more than 90 days.

  D. The person requesting for the union dues deduction must be employed for more than 120 days.

  Correct Answer: A

  The person requesting that the union dues be deducted from their check and transferred to the union, must make the request in writing.

  Answer options C and D are incorrect. There is no time limit when the employee may join the union and make request for payment of union dues.

  Answer option B is incorrect. The union representative does not verify the request on behalf of an employee.