HRCI- SPHR Employee Relations and Engagement 2024

Which of the following should you recommend as a last step when building an ADR process for your employer? A. Establish formal complaint procedures. B. Engage an ombudsman to help resolve disputes. C. Allow disciplinary appeals to be assigned to a peer review panel. D. Train supervisors to utilize open-door techniques for employee feedback. Correct Answer-C. There are many tools HR may use to build an effective alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process. A peer review panel may be an effective way to fairly hear the grievances of employees, reducing the likelihood of lawsuits. The production manager has filed a complaint with you, the HR director. He is upset that he was recently disciplined for failing to turn in his credit card receipts and that his company credit card was consequently suspended. He thinks the consequences were too extreme. This is the best example of which of the following? A. Distributive justice B. Procedural justice C. Discrimination D. Lack of equity Correct Answer-A. Distributive justice addresses employees' perceptions of fairness in the distribution of outcomes. In this case, the production manager does not believe that the punishment is appropriate for the offense. Employee contractual rights may be which of the following? A. Implied in an employee handbook or policies B. Entered into only by a senior executive C. Terminated by either the employee or employer at any time, and for any reason D. Entered into by a formal, written agreement Correct Answer-A. Contractual rights granted to employees can be entered into formally in writing using tools such as employment contracts, separation agreements, and collective bargaining agreements. However, courts have ruled that employee contractual rights may also be implied in employee handbooks and policies that create an expectation of continued employment or termination only for cause. A separation agreement is a type of which of the following? A. Risk management tool B. Employment contract C. Executive retention tool D. All of the above Correct Answer-D. A separation agreement is a type of employment contract that spells out the terms and conditions related to employee or executive termination or separation. More often than not, it includes some type of severance pay and, by signing the employee, exchanges the right to sue the employer for a grievance. While monitoring employee email is currently a legal practice, which of the following risk management steps should an employer take prior to doing so? A. Monitor work-related emails but not personal emails received on company computers. B. Monitor emails only if there are productivity concerns. C. Write clear policies that are reviewed by a labor attorney prior to implementation. D. Obtain signed releases from employees. Correct Answer-C. Federal and state laws regarding workplace privacy concerns can vary significantly. For this reason, HR should write clear policies that have been reviewed by the company attorney prior to engaging in any workplace monitoring efforts. In the middle of contract negotiations, the union representatives in the room request a time-out to confer together. They are using which negotiation technique? A. Stalling B. Brainstorming C. Caucusing D. Both A and B Correct Answer-C. The practice of caucusing by union representatives can be used for several reasons. This includes when there may be a disagreement between the union members that needs to be resolved outside of the presence of the employer negotiator. It is also an effective tool to control the pace of negotiations or to take a break if emotions begin to run high at the bargaining table. Which of the following can be accomplished with a robust employee attendance strategy? A. Reduced workers' compensation claims B. Increased productivity C. Improved retention D. All of the above Correct Answer-D. Senior HR professionals must build effective attendance strategies that meet the needs of both the employer and the employee. Efforts such as tracking attendance, understanding the cause of absenteeism, and quantifying the costs of absenteeism can help HR build response plans to the underlying reasons for attendance issues in the workplace. Which of the following is most important for a company evaluating employee experiences? A. Consistency B. Averages C. Trends D. Historic comparisons Correct Answer-A. When it comes to the evaluation of employee experiences at work, HR should look for consistency across all employee demographics. Employees should not be having different experiences in an organization with effective performance and behavioral standards.