aPHR Associate Professional in Human Resources MCQ 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions?
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act (Correct answer)
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Equal Pay Act
Correct answer: Pregnancy Discrimination Act
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 amended Title VII to prohibit sex discrimination based on pregnancy for employers with 15+ employees.
Question 2: An employee handbook provision stating 'employment is at-will and may be terminated at any time' primarily serves to:
- Guarantee job security for high performers
- Preserve employer flexibility to terminate without cause (Correct answer)
- Comply with FMLA notice requirements
- Establish a union avoidance policy
Correct answer: Preserve employer flexibility to terminate without cause
At-will language in handbooks reinforces the employer's right to terminate employment at any time for any lawful reason without creating an implied contract.
Question 3: The 'beachhead' strategy in compensation refers to:
- Paying employees at the market median
- Leading the market to attract top talent in critical roles (Correct answer)
- Setting pay based on geographic location
- Using sign-on bonuses instead of base salary increases
Correct answer: Leading the market to attract top talent in critical roles
A 'lead the market' or beachhead strategy positions compensation above the market rate to attract and retain top talent in key positions.
Question 4: Under the ADA, an employer is required to provide a reasonable accommodation unless it would cause:
- Minor inconvenience to coworkers
- Any additional cost to the organization
- Undue hardship to the business operations (Correct answer)
- A change to the job description
Correct answer: Undue hardship to the business operations
The ADA requires reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would cause undue hardship, considering factors like cost and business impact.
Question 5: A structured behavioral interview technique asks candidates to describe past situations using which framework?
- SMART
- STAR (Correct answer)
- PDCA
- SWOT
Correct answer: STAR
The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is used in behavioral interviews to elicit specific examples of past performance as predictors of future behavior.
Question 6: Which type of employee separation occurs when working conditions become so intolerable that the employee feels forced to resign?
- Voluntary resignation
- Constructive discharge (Correct answer)
- Mutual separation
- Involuntary termination
Correct answer: Constructive discharge
Constructive discharge occurs when an employer makes working conditions so intolerable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to resign, treating it legally like an involuntary termination.
Question 7: Which metric measures the percentage of employees who leave an organization voluntarily over a given period?
- Absenteeism rate
- Turnover rate
- Attrition rate (Correct answer)
- Retention rate
Correct answer: Attrition rate
Attrition rate specifically measures voluntary separations, while turnover can include both voluntary and involuntary departures.
aPHR Associate Professional in Human Resources MCQ 2
Which federal law prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions?