SPHR Senior Professional in Human Resources 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) most directly affects HR functions by requiring which of the following?
- Mandatory arbitration agreements for all employees
- Whistleblower protections for employees who report financial fraud (Correct answer)
- Annual diversity and inclusion reporting to the SEC
- Random drug testing for all publicly traded company employees
Correct answer: Whistleblower protections for employees who report financial fraud
SOX Section 806 protects employees of publicly traded companies from retaliation when they report suspected securities fraud or financial misconduct.
Question 2: Which HR metric measures the average time from when a job requisition is approved to when the selected candidate accepts the offer?
- Time to fill (Correct answer)
- Time to hire
- Offer acceptance rate
- Source of hire ratio
Correct answer: Time to fill
Time to fill measures elapsed days from requisition approval to accepted offer, reflecting the efficiency of the full recruiting process.
Question 3: A company is conducting a job evaluation to establish internal pay equity. Which method ranks jobs by comparing them against defined compensable factor levels?
- Job ranking method
- Point-factor method (Correct answer)
- Job classification method
- Market pricing method
Correct answer: Point-factor method
The point-factor method assigns point values to compensable factors (skill, effort, responsibility, working conditions) to objectively rank and price jobs.
Question 4: Under the FMLA, an employee who takes intermittent leave for a chronic condition may be required by the employer to do which of the following?
- Use paid leave concurrently with FMLA leave (Correct answer)
- Provide 30-day advance notice for each individual episode
- Schedule intermittent leave only outside of peak business periods
- Recertify their condition no more frequently than every 6 months
Correct answer: Use paid leave concurrently with FMLA leave
Employers may require employees to substitute accrued paid leave (vacation, sick) to run concurrently with FMLA leave.
Question 5: In the context of organizational development, which intervention strategy involves sending intact work groups off-site to improve team functioning and interpersonal relationships?
- Process consultation
- Team building (Correct answer)
- Survey feedback
- Technostructural intervention
Correct answer: Team building
Team building interventions focus on improving how intact work groups collaborate, communicate, and resolve conflict, often conducted away from the workplace.
Question 6: Which concept describes the psychological contract breach that occurs when employees perceive that management has violated implicit promises about career development or job security?
- Role ambiguity
- Distributive injustice
- Perceived organizational betrayal
- Psychological contract violation (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Psychological contract violation
A psychological contract violation occurs when employees believe the organization has broken unwritten expectations or implied promises, leading to reduced trust and engagement.
Question 7: An employer wants to implement a noncompete agreement. Which factor do courts MOST consistently consider when determining enforceability?
- Whether the agreement is signed during onboarding
- Whether the restriction is reasonable in scope, geography, and duration (Correct answer)
- Whether the employee received a signing bonus as consideration
- Whether the agreement covers all employees uniformly
Correct answer: Whether the restriction is reasonable in scope, geography, and duration
Courts apply a reasonableness standard to noncompetes, examining whether the geographic scope, restricted activities, and time period are proportionate to the employer's legitimate business interest.
SPHR Senior Professional in Human Resources 4
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) most directly affects HR functions by requiring which of the following?