aPHR Employee Relations 4 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: An employee is accused of workplace violence. What should HR do before making a termination decision?
- Terminate immediately without investigation to protect other employees
- Conduct a thorough, impartial investigation and place the employee on administrative leave pending findings (Correct answer)
- Ask coworkers to vote on whether the accused should be fired
- Wait for law enforcement to make the decision
Correct answer: Conduct a thorough, impartial investigation and place the employee on administrative leave pending findings
Even serious allegations require a fair investigation; placing the employee on administrative leave protects the workplace while preserving due process.
Question 2: What is 'constructive discharge' in employment law?
- A termination initiated by the employer for cause
- A voluntary resignation where conditions were made so intolerable the employee had no reasonable choice but to quit (Correct answer)
- An employee dismissed after a performance improvement plan
- A layoff due to reduction in force
Correct answer: A voluntary resignation where conditions were made so intolerable the employee had no reasonable choice but to quit
Constructive discharge occurs when an employer makes working conditions so unbearable that a reasonable person would feel compelled to resign.
Question 3: Under FMLA, how many weeks of unpaid leave are eligible employees entitled to in a 12-month period for a qualifying reason?
- 6 weeks
- 8 weeks
- 12 weeks (Correct answer)
- 26 weeks
Correct answer: 12 weeks
Eligible employees at covered employers are entitled to up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for qualifying family and medical reasons under FMLA.
Question 4: Which communication approach is most effective for reducing rumors during organizational change?
- Providing information only after all decisions are finalized
- Sharing frequent, transparent updates even when details are incomplete (Correct answer)
- Directing all questions to senior leadership and avoiding HR involvement
- Limiting communication to written memos distributed monthly
Correct answer: Sharing frequent, transparent updates even when details are incomplete
Frequent, honest communicationâeven acknowledging uncertaintyâreduces the information vacuum that fuels rumors during change.
Question 5: What term describes a situation where an employee's personal interests could influence their professional decisions in ways that benefit them at the company's expense?
- Negligent hiring
- Conflict of interest (Correct answer)
- Disparate treatment
- Quid pro quo
Correct answer: Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest arises when an employee's personal interests could improperly influence their professional judgment or decisions.
Question 6: What is the 'hot stove rule' in employee discipline?
- Discipline should be applied only after multiple offenses
- Discipline should be immediate, consistent, impersonal, and advance warning should existâlike touching a hot stove (Correct answer)
- Employees must cool down before receiving discipline
- Only senior managers may administer discipline
Correct answer: Discipline should be immediate, consistent, impersonal, and advance warning should existâlike touching a hot stove
The hot stove rule, coined by Douglas McGregor, states that effective discipline should be immediate, consistent, impersonal, and forewarnedâmirroring what happens when you touch a hot stove.
Question 7: Which type of employee complaint resolution system allows employees to present grievances to a neutral internal panel of peers and managers?
- Open-door policy
- Peer review board (Correct answer)
- Ombudsman program
- Union grievance procedure
Correct answer: Peer review board
A peer review board is an internal dispute resolution mechanism where a panel of employee peers and managers hear and decide on grievances.
aPHR Employee Relations 4
An employee is accused of workplace violence.
What should HR do before making a termination decision?