HRCI- SPHR Practice Exam 150 Questions with Verified Answers
One of your production managers uses incentives to reward employees for meeting
... [Show More] operational objectives. This is the best example of which of the following leadership styles?
A. Charismatic leadership
B. Transactional leadership
C. Laissez-faire leadership
D. Authoritarian leadership - CORRECT ANSWER B. Transactional leaders are characterized by a "this for that" style. These leaders use both rewards and discipline when necessary to accomplish organizational and departmental objectives.
Consensual romantic relationships at work represent what type of risk?
A. Intimate partner violence
B. Unlawful treatment
C. Sexual harassment
D. None, because it's consensual - CORRECT ANSWER C. Relationships at work, even those that are consensual, have the potential for issues in which HR will have to intervene. This includes the risk of sexual harassment should the relationship become unwanted by either party.
The international gas utility company for which you direct HR does not have an organized health and safety program for its workers. What should be your first step?
A. Focus on becoming compliant with international, federal, state, and local safety standards.
B. Identify the employees who are most at risk and begin safety efforts with them.
C. Obtain approval for a company-wide incentive program based on zero accidents or injuries.
D. Meet with the workers' compensation brokers to assess the costs of lack of a safety program.
See the answer - CORRECT ANSWER B. In this high-risk industry, it would be prudent for human resources to begin building a safety program for those workers who are most at risk. This effort may include data collection, incentives, and compliance efforts as part of the overall intervention strategy.
The food distribution center for which you work has seen an increase in the number of loading-dock workers reporting ankle injuries. What strategy would be most effective to reduce or eliminate the risk?
A. Require employees to wear high-top steel-toed work boots.
B. Review the injury records for patterns of unsafe behaviors.
C. Conduct a root-cause analysis with a committee made up of dock workers.
D. Ask the occupational clinic to come in and provide safety training. - CORRECT ANSWER C. Any time there is an increase in injuries and accidents, HR should take the time to analyze for root causes. From this, hazard abatement strategies may be developed and could include new personal protective equipment requirements or worker training.
The major Internet provider for which you are the VP of human resources has just experienced the largest customer and employee data breach in the history of the United States. In an effort to comply with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), you should first do what?
A. Evaluate the areas where the company's data is still at risk for hackers
B. Research credit monitoring services to offer affected individuals.
C. Wait to notify investors until the executive team can sell their shares of company stock.
D. Assess the depth of the data breach and notify investors as soon as is practicable. - CORRECT ANSWER D. When a data breach of this magnitude occurs, it is important for HR to help the company respond in accordance with governing agencies but also in a manner that protects the interests of both the company and the affected individuals.
Which of the following are examples of the physical assets that must be secured to prevent a cybersecurity attack?
A. The employees
B. The buildings
C. The workstations
D. The power lines - CORRECT ANSWER C. Physical assets such as workstations and servers can be tracked and monitored as part of a company's efforts to prevent cyberattacks on sensitive company and customer data.
Establishing a hierarchy of assets helps companies do what when it comes to data protection?
A. Identify priorities when it comes to building a robust data security program
B. Determine what skills in data security personnel to hire for
C. Write policies that protect critical assets
D. Purchase external layers of protections, making the data harder to breach - CORRECT ANSWER A. Establishing a hierarchy of assets helps a company craft an effective data security program. Building controls for these assets may include policies, practices, and the deployment of internal and external resources, but it will be difficult to know where to deploy the resources without understanding what is most at risk/important.
The hospital for which you work has hired an outside agency to staff the parking lot security posts. The guard works only at night and is unsupervised. Recently there has been a rash of attacks in the area against security guards in general. What steps should you take to protect this contingent worker from becoming a victim of workplace violence?
A. Allow him to carry his personal gun while on duty.
B. Install security cameras that are monitored from the inside.
C. Make a business case to the board of directors that this post should have two workers at all times.
D. Ask the employment agency to cover the costs of additional security recommendations. - CORRECT ANSWER B. In this case, a team approach may work to help minimize an act of workplace violence. Security cameras can act as a deterrent to crime. Having the cameras internally monitored increases the ability for a quick response should an event occur.
A major sandwich restaurant hires 15-year-old workers to operate a meat slicer. This may violate which of the following?
A. The Food and Drug Administration
B. Food Safety Management
C. The Fair Labor Standards Act
D. The Occupational Safety and Health Act - CORRECT ANSWER C. The Fair Labor Standards Act addresses more than just legal compensation; it also limits the type of work that may be done by minors. In this example, a meat slicer is considered a hazardous job and is therefore prohibited for workers between the ages of 14 and 15.
An employee has shared with her manager that she has been prescribed medicine for her bipolar disorder. Which labor laws may need to be considered on her behalf?
A. The Americans with Disabilities Act
B. The Occupational Safety and Health Act
C. The Drug-Free Workplace Act
D. Both A and B - CORRECT ANSWER A. Mental illnesses are generally covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act and apply to employers with 15 or more employees. This employee may need to be reasonably accommodated as a result of her disability.
A winery employs hundreds of seasonal, temporary workers that are processed through a staffing agency. Many of them will be working with hazardous chemicals. Which of the following should you do first to comply with OSHA's hazard communication standard?
A. Ask the temporary agency to provide general hazardous material-handling training.
B. Ensure that the same protections offered to regular workers are offered to temporary workers.
C. Ask the agency to come inspect the facility to ensure it is a safe work environment.
D. Communicate with the agency regarding what types of protection will be needed. - CORRECT ANSWER D. Both the host company and the staffing agency have responsibilities to ensure the safety of individuals who will be working with hazardous materials. Communicating with the agency allows for a coordination of effort, including the need for protection, training, and verifying that the workers are going to a safe workplace.
A software developer in the Midwest has decided to offer voluntary microchipping of their employees. The chips will be medically inserted into the individual's right hand and will allow employees to open doors, clock in, and even make purchases in the company cafeteria. What type of data is being collected?
A. Biometric
B. Personal
C. Identity
D. Medical - CORRECT ANSWER C. There are several different ways information can be collected, stored, and eventually utilized in a 21st-century workplace. In this example, the company is using microchips to identify employees.
Using the information from the previous question, what type of risk is the microchipping employer exposed to?
A. Identity theft
B. Privacy concerns
C. Health risks
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER D. With implantable technology, there are several types of risk that an employer may need to take steps to minimize. The capabilities and design of the microchip must be reviewed to ensure it does not send information about an employee, unlawfully track employee movements, or cause infection or other health issues.
Which of the following mitigation efforts will improve data security?
A. Purchasing EPL insurance
B. A computer monitoring system of employee keystrokes
C. Writing a policy that prohibits the sharing of passwords
D. Not collecting the data at all - CORRECT ANSWER C. In risk management, employers may seek to eliminate, mitigate, or transfer the risk. An example of a mitigation effort is one that reduces—but does not eliminate—the likelihood of a data breach. For that reason, an employer policy that prohibits the sharing of employee passwords is the best answer.
In the wake of recent workplace violence episodes in the news, your executive team has requested that you put together a written plan that addresses what steps to take should an incident occur at one of your locations. You will most likely need what type of plan?
A. Disaster recovery plan
B. Incident response plan
C. Business continuity plan
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER B. A written incident response plan can be a critical part of a company's response system should an incident of workplace violence occur. An effective plan should identify manager and employee responsibilities, first responder resources, evacuation and head count procedures, and how to coordinate any media response.
Your company has a written plan that details the manual workarounds for the company's accounting and payment systems should there be an emergency. This is an example that would be included in what type of plan?
A. Business continuity
B. Critical incident
C. Disaster recovery
D. Injury and illness - CORRECT ANSWER A. A business continuity plan will most likely detail an information technology (IT) response to the enterprise system of a company. This is needed to get critical business processes that are based on technology back up and running as soon as possible after an incident.
To comply with SEC rules at your place of business, you should do which of the following?
A. Link executive pay to monthly performance measures.
B. Disclose executive pay rates to all employees.
C. Publish the ratio of executive to employee pay to shareholders.
D. All of the above. - CORRECT ANSWER C. The SEC adopted new executive pay ratio rules that went into effect in 2017. The rules require a public company to disclose the ratio of the median of the annual total compensation of all employees to the annual total compensation of the CEO.
Which of the following statements is true about OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program (SPP)?
A. It is a coalition of employee groups and unions.
B. It is mandatory.
C. It requires top management support.
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER A. OSHA's voluntary Strategic Partnership Program (SPP) brings together unions and employers to adopt a cohesive set of safety standards that address safety hazards in the workplace.
Of the following, which is most important when it comes to building an effective safety management program?
A. Creating a safety culture
B. Relevant policies, procedures, and rules
C. Top management support
D. Approval for personal protective equipment - CORRECT ANSWER C. A safety program without the support of top management has an increased chance of failing to address the unique needs of the organization. For example, if the director of HR does not wear her safety glasses in the warehouse, it is unlikely that others will follow the rules either.
A large employer with multiple facilities all across the United States has decided to raffle off a car at the end of the year. Employees will automatically get one entry for each week that they work without injury. Which of the following is the employer at risk for?
A. Tax code violation
B. Discrimination
C. Retaliation
D. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER C. Safety incentive programs that reward employees who do not get injured may inadvertently retaliate against those who do get hurt. Additionally, incentive programs that are too generous may discourage reporting of injuries.
To be removed from OSHA's routine inspection list, which program should you recommend your employer join?
A. Voluntary Protection Program
B. Strategic Partnership Program
C. Alliance Program
D. Consultation Program - CORRECT ANSWER A. OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is open to employers that have an effective, well-established safety program. If the employer is accepted into the program, the employer may be removed from routine, scheduled inspection lists.
Employers have which of the following obligations with regard to international assignee protection?
A. They must carry kidnap and ransom insurance for high hazard areas.
B. They have a duty of care to take all reasonable steps to protect their expatriates.
C. They must have a written crisis management plan in place.
D. Employers have the same obligation for international assignees as they do for home country nationals. - CORRECT ANSWER B. Employers have a global duty of care to keep international assignees safe. This obligation may take on many forms, but it generally must account for the unique needs of employees that travel or live abroad as part of their work responsibilities.
Why might it be a good idea to work with an insurance broker if a company decides to place employees on international assignments?
A. The broker can help build crisis response plans.
B. The broker may have connections to negotiate in a crisis situation.
C. The broker may have access to international resources should a medical emergency arise.
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER D. An employer may decide to purchase additional types of insurance to accommodate the unique needs of international employees. Brokers who provide these types of policies often have resources far beyond the administrative, including navigating the need to negotiate should an event occur and medical or emergency travel services for the employee and family members should the need arise.
Which of the following strategies would best be served by implementing an RTW program at your place of work?
A. The ability to coordinate different types of leave
B. Compliance with OSHA standards
C. The need to reduce injuries and accidents in the workplace
D. The desire to reduce the overall costs of workplace injuries - CORRECT ANSWER D. A return-to-work program is one that returns an injured worker back to the job in a modified capacity. Once the injured employee is working modified duty, his pay comes from payroll as opposed to his wages being part of the overall compensation claim.
Under what conditions may an injured worker's pay be reduced when accepting a modified duty assignment?
A. Only if the injured worker is temporarily stationed at a job that normally pays a lower rate
B. It depends on the laws of the state in which the injury occurred
C. Only if they are doing so for a nonretaliatory reason
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER D. There are some cases where it is entirely reasonable for an employer to pay a temporarily injured worker a lower wage while on a modified duty assignment. Employers that adopt this strategy must take care that no retaliation is occurring and that they are not violating the laws of the states in which the employee was injured.
An injured worker has been told by his workers' compensation doctor that he is able to go back to work at full duty. The employee disagrees. What should you recommend?
A. Sending him back to a doctor of his choice for a final recommendation
B. Discussing an IME with the workers' compensation insurance
C. A referral to the company's labor attorney
D. Termination of employment if he does not return - CORRECT ANSWER B. An independent medical exam (IME) is a useful tool when there is a dispute about an injured worker's abilities. Often binding, it is conducted by a neutral, third-party physician.
Collective bargaining is best understood as which of the following?
A. Implied contract
B. Union responsibility
C. Employer responsibility
D. Statutory right - CORRECT ANSWER D. The process of collective bargaining and the resulting agreement is a right granted to employees by way of specific law. In this example, the National Labor Relations Act granted individuals the right to organize and bargain collectively through a union.
Freedom of speech, due process, and workplace safety are all examples of which of the following?
A. Employee responsibilities
B. Employee rights
C. Employment contract clauses
D. Constitutional rights - CORRECT ANSWER B. Employee rights can be granted by both federal and state laws. These rights are considered to be absolute and cannot be compromised by employers without penalty or bargained away in an employment contract including a collective bargaining agreement.
Which of the following agreements may employers have the most legal trouble enforcing?
A. Nonsolicitation of current employees
B. Arbitration agreements
C. Employment contracts
D. Noncompete agreements - CORRECT ANSWER D. Noncompete agreements are clauses or documents that prohibit a separating employee from competing with the employer in the same line of business for a specified period of time. If these agreements are overly restrictive or in a state that does not allow an employer to prevent an employee from making a living, they may prove difficult to enforce.
Under what conditions would you recommend to your employer that they adopt a nonpiracy agreement?
A. For a high-tech organization to prevent employee poaching
B. For a work environment with legally protected trade secrets
C. For companies doing business in international waters
D. Never—nonpiracy agreements are unlawful. - CORRECT ANSWER A. Nonpiracy agreements, in which separating employees agree to not to recruit a company's talent, can be beneficial under the right conditions. As with any of these types of agreements, however, it is best to have them reviewed by legal counsel prior to implementation.
When an employer terminates the rights of an employee for a discriminatory reason, which of the following is said to have occurred?
A. Constructive discharge
B. Wrongful discharge
C. Reduction in force
D. Discharge without cause - CORRECT ANSWER B. Wrongful discharge—also called wrongful termination—occurs when an employer terminates an employee for an unlawful reason such as discrimination, failing to break the law on behalf of an employer, or exercising their rights granted by law (right to vote, whistleblowing, etc.).
In the absence of an employment contract or collective bargaining agreement, when may an employee expect to only be terminated for cause?
A. If they are a protected class individual
B. If there is a progressive discipline policy in the handbook
C. If their behavior was first investigated by management
D. None of the above - CORRECT ANSWER D. The concept of "just cause" is that employees may expect that employment at will does not apply to them. This condition may be met only when there is an employment contract (written or implied) or when the employee is covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
An employee has been terminated for "just cause." Which of the following reasons is most likely?
A. The employee refused to forge his boss's signature on a document.
B. The employee violated the employer's anti-harassment rules.
C. The employee was late because he went to vote in the presidential election.
D. The employee was a whistleblower who filed a report of corruption that turned out to be inaccurate. - CORRECT ANSWER B. "Just cause" is a concept that describes an employer's justification for taking employment action. It cannot be used as a reason for termination if the employee refused to break the law or exercised a statutory right.
Augustine filed a grievance with HR because he believed that a supervisor gave Amy—Augustine's co-worker—a higher raise than Augustine received because the supervisor is trying to date Amy. This is an example of which of the following?
A. Sexual harassment
B. Distributive justice
C. Discriminatory treatment
D. Both A and B - CORRECT ANSWER B. An employee's perception of fair treatment is influenced by many factors. In this scenario, Augustine believes that the outcome (pay increases) was unfair.
In compulsory arbitration, which of the following conditions is nearly always included?
A. The employee exchanges the right to sue the employer.
B. An arbitrator is selected from the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
C. There is a written arbitration agreement reviewed by legal counsel.
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER D. Employers may choose to adopt arbitration practices for many reasons. One is the rising cost of legal fees associated with fighting employment-related disputes. Another is to ensure employees receive due process. Regardless of the reasons, arbitration best practices include a waiver of employee right to sue after an agreement has been settled; the use of a professional, neutral arbitrator; and a signed, written agreement that has been approved by counsel.
Which of the following should not be included in an employee's regular personnel file because of privacy concerns?
A. Application for employment
B. Historical records older than three years
C. Medical benefits claims data
D. Performance reviews - CORRECT ANSWER C. Companies must take steps to address employee privacy concerns in all HR practices. This includes properly storing records that have information related to an employee's medical condition or history.
Of the following recognition programs, which is not entitlement-oriented?
A. Service awards
B. Employee of the month
C. Sales awards
D. Longevity bonus - CORRECT ANSWER C. Employee recognition practices are similar to pay practices in that they can be entitlement-oriented or performance-based. Recognition for sales efforts (quotas, new customers, account retention) is based on employee performance.
Multicultural work teams, training, and mentoring systems may all be part of what type of human resource program?
A. Diversity program
B. Climate program
C. Anti-harassment program
D. Equal Employment Opportunity program - CORRECT ANSWER A. Diversity programs have many components that, when combined, make them an effective tool used to promote a positive organizational culture. These components can include committees, work teams, training, mentoring, and the evaluation of results for reporting and refinement.
Discourteous behavior can quickly escalate to which of the following problems?
A. Unlawful harassment
B. Violation of a company's code of conduct
C. Workplace violence
D. All of the above - CORRECT ANSWER D. What starts out as mere lack of etiquette or discourteous behavior can quickly escalate if left unchecked. For this reason, it is imperative that HR address expected standards of behavior in an employee handbook as well as in practice. [Show Less]