HRCI Risk Management and Compliance 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal agency is responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health regulations?
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) (Correct answer)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
Correct answer: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA, established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, sets and enforces standards to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for US workers.
Question 2: What is the 'general duty clause' of the OSH Act?
- Employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm (Correct answer)
- Employers must conduct annual safety audits
- All employees must receive 10 hours of OSHA safety training
- Employers must post OSHA penalties in the break room
Correct answer: Employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm
Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act — the General Duty Clause — requires employers to address serious, recognized hazards even when no specific OSHA standard applies.
Question 3: Under the ADA, what does 'reasonable accommodation' require employers to provide?
- Modifications enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform essential job functions, absent undue hardship (Correct answer)
- A separate workstation for every disabled employee
- Unlimited leave for all medical conditions
- Free medical equipment and prescriptions
Correct answer: Modifications enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform essential job functions, absent undue hardship
The ADA requires employers to provide accommodations that remove barriers for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would impose undue hardship on the business.
Question 4: What is 'FMLA intermittent leave'?
- Taking FMLA leave in separate blocks of time or by reducing the normal weekly or daily work schedule (Correct answer)
- A continuous 12-week leave taken all at once
- Leave approved for a family member's military deployment only
- An employer-discretionary leave policy
Correct answer: Taking FMLA leave in separate blocks of time or by reducing the normal weekly or daily work schedule
FMLA intermittent leave allows eligible employees to take leave in separate episodes (hours, days, weeks) when a serious health condition requires it, rather than in one continuous block.
Question 5: What is an 'EEO-1 report'?
- A mandatory federal demographic workforce report filed with the EEOC by covered employers (Correct answer)
- An internal diversity audit for senior leadership review
- A compensation survey submitted to the Department of Labor
- A job applicant tracking log for OFCCP compliance
Correct answer: A mandatory federal demographic workforce report filed with the EEOC by covered employers
The EEO-1 Component 1 report requires private employers with 100+ employees to annually report workforce data categorized by job category, sex, race, and ethnicity.
Question 6: What does 'disparate treatment' mean under employment discrimination law?
- Intentionally treating an employee differently because of a protected characteristic (Correct answer)
- A facially neutral policy that disproportionately harms a protected group
- Unequal access to training programs across departments
- Inconsistent enforcement of the employee handbook
Correct answer: Intentionally treating an employee differently because of a protected characteristic
Disparate treatment is intentional discrimination — the employer treats similarly situated employees differently because of race, sex, religion, national origin, or another protected characteristic.
HRCI Risk Management and Compliance 1
Which federal agency is responsible for enforcing workplace safety and health regulations?