PHR Professional in Human Resources Questions and Answers

From your table:

Group

Passed

Total Applicants

Selection Rate

African Americans

30

80

30 ÷ 80 = 37.5%

Whites

15

30

15 ÷ 30 = 50%

Hispanics

5

25

5 ÷ 25 = 20%

Total

50

135

Highest selection rate: 50% (Whites)

Now apply the 4/5ths Rule:

80% × 50% = 40%

Minimum acceptable selection rate = 40%.

Now compare:

African Americans: 37.5% (below 40%) → Possible adverse impact

Hispanics: 20% ❌ (way below 40%) → Definite adverse impact

Whites: 50% → No issue.

Adverse impact is against Hispanics (not African Americans, not Whites, not Females).

Official Extract:

"Self-service platforms reduce HR’s administrative workload by empowering employees to manage their own personal and employment data."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Total Rewards Section, HR Technology and Efficiency)

Under the WARN Act, employees who work fewer than 20 hours per week are considered part-time and are excluded from the 50-employee threshold required to trigger WARN Act notices. Official Extract:"Part-time employees (those who work fewer than 20 hours per week) are excluded when determining whether an employer meets the 100-employee threshold under the WARN Act."(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, WARN Act Compliance)

Under USERRA, employees' vesting in pension plans, including 401(k), must continue during military service as if they had remained continuously employed. No break in service occurs for vesting purposes.

Official Extract:

"An employee’s military leave must not result in a loss of pension or retirement plan benefits, including vesting, as if continuously employed."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Pension and Retirement Protections under USERRA)

In religious institutions like a Catholic university, requiring certain employees (especially faculty) to adhere to religious standards is generally permissible under the ministerial exception and Title VII protections for religious organizations.

Official Extract:

"Religious organizations are permitted to require employees who perform religious functions to conform to the institution’s religious beliefs and practices."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Employment Law Compliance – Religious Exceptions)

Clearly clarifying work expectations is fundamental for new supervisors to set the tone for performance, accountability, and trust-building with their teams. Employees are more engaged when they understand their roles and how they contribute to organizational goals.

Official Extract:

"Effective performance management begins with clear communication of performance standards and job expectations, creating transparency and strengthening employee-supervisor relationships."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Learning and Development Section, Performance Management Principles)

The first and most critical step in offboarding to protect data is to disable the departing employee's access to all systems immediately, ensuring they cannot access confidential information after separation.

Official Extract:

"Disabling system access immediately upon termination is a crucial data security measure to prevent unauthorized access to company information."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, Offboarding and Data Security)

When an employee with a documented serious health condition is struggling with work attendance, the employer must engage in the interactive process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to explore reasonable accommodations before taking adverse action.

Official Extract:

"Employers are required to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process when an employee’s medical condition impacts work performance. This process identifies possible accommodations under the ADA."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Employment Law Compliance)

The key concern when collecting demographic data is maintaining employee anonymity. Avoiding questions that make employees feel identifiable increases participation rates and ensures honest feedback.

Official Extract:

"Surveys must protect respondent confidentiality to ensure authentic responses and avoid perceived or actual risk of identification."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Employee Surveys and Data Collection)

The first step under the ADA is to engage in the interactive process with the employee. This helps determine whether the accommodation is reasonable and what documentation may be needed.

Official Extract:

"Upon receiving an accommodation request, employers must engage in an interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations without requiring unnecessary medical disclosure."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Reasonable Accommodation Compliance)

The first proactive step in reducing cyber liability is to develop an acceptable use policy. This policy clearly outlines what constitutes acceptable and prohibited behavior regarding company networks, systems, and data, helping to prevent security breaches before they happen.

Official Extract:

"Implementing an acceptable use policy is essential to mitigate cyber risks by informing employees about appropriate use of company systems and safeguarding sensitive information."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, Cybersecurity Risk Management)

Modeling behavior is most effectively accomplished through role-play or simulation activities, which demonstrate proper responses and actions, especially in critical incidents like safety scenarios.

Official Extract:

"Simulation and role-play exercises model appropriate behaviors and reinforce learning by providing experiential practice opportunities."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Learning and Development Section, Instructional Methods)

Employers who participate in the E-Verify program under specific DHS guidelines are permitted to remotely examine documents for Form I-9 verification purposes in certain cases, such as for remote hires, but only with strict adherence to program rules.

Official Extract:

"Employers enrolled in E-Verify may remotely inspect I-9 documentation under authorized guidelines to accommodate remote hires while maintaining compliance."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Employment Eligibility Verification)

An HRIS consolidates HR data and reporting functions, providing managers with accurate, timely information to support better decision-making about talent, performance, compensation, and more.

Official Extract:

"HRIS systems enhance decision-making by providing real-time access to accurate employee data, enabling strategic HR management."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, HR Technology Benefits)

Organizations implement social media policies primarily to limit legal liability by clarifying acceptable online behavior, protecting confidential information, and preventing harassment, defamation, or regulatory violations.

Official Extract:

"Establishing employee policies regarding communication technologies, including social media, protects the organization against liabilities related to defamation, discrimination, data breaches, and intellectual property theft."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, Risk Mitigation and Compliance)

Under the WARN Act, covered employers (those with 100 or more full-time employees) must provide 60 days’ advance notice of plant closings and mass layoffs. Official Extract:"The WARN Act requires employers with 100 or more employees to provide 60 calendar days’ notice of plant closings or mass layoffs."(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, WARN Act Compliance)

Using an on-call employee provides flexibility and cost efficiency to cover intermittent absences without the commitment of hiring a full-time replacement or seasonal worker. It ensures minimal disruption with lower costs.

Official Extract:

"On-call staffing provides flexible coverage for short-term or intermittent workforce needs, minimizing costs associated with traditional hiring methods."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Flexible Staffing Strategies)

Effective goal setting in performance management ensures that individual objectives are directly aligned with the organization’s overall mission and strategic priorities. This ensures employees are contributing toward business success.

Official Extract:

"Performance management systems must link individual goals with broader organizational objectives to ensure alignment and engagement."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Learning and Development Section, Goal Setting Techniques)

The "lead the market" compensation strategy involves offering higher-than-average wages to attract top talent and hard-to-fill roles. This approach positions the organization as highly competitive for skilled candidates.

Official Extract:

"Leading the market on pay enables organizations to attract and retain highly qualified candidates, particularly for critical or hard-to-fill positions."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Total Rewards Section, Compensation Strategy Models)

An HRIS system stores and analyzes HR data. One critical use is analyzing labor turnover — discovering patterns, root causes, and developing retention strategies.

Official Extract:

"HRIS tools enable organizations to identify turnover trends, predict future separations, and link turnover to strategic workforce planning."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, HR Metrics and Analytics)

Under USERRA, employers must continue offering health coverage at the same cost as active employees for up to 24 months during military service.

Official Extract:

"Employers must maintain health coverage for employees on military leave at the same contribution rates as if the employee had remained actively employed."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, USERRA Compliance)

If an HR audit reveals noncompliance or gaps but management fails to act, it increases liability because it demonstrates knowledge of the issue without corrective action — a legal risk under employment laws like Title VII, FLSA, etc.

Official Extract:

"An HR audit identifies risks. Failure to remedy findings may lead to claims of negligent employment practices, compounding liability."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, Risk and Compliance Management)

Since the policy allows substitution of vacation days but restricts sick days to personal illness, only the 12 vacation days must be used concurrently with FMLA leave.

Official Extract:

"Employers may require the substitution of accrued paid leave (such as vacation days) for unpaid FMLA leave, provided it aligns with their leave policies."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, FMLA Leave Substitution Policies)

Vesting means that an employee has earned the non-forfeitable right to employer-provided benefits (such as retirement contributions) after fulfilling certain conditions like years of service.

Official Extract:

"Vesting is the process by which employees earn rights to employer-contributed benefits over time, according to a defined schedule, as governed by ERISA requirements."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Total Rewards Section, Retirement Plan Fundamentals)

FMLA applies only to employers with 50 or more employees (full-time or part-time) within a 75-mile radius. Here, the organization has fewer than 50 total employees, so it is not covered by FMLA.

Official Extract:

"FMLA eligibility requires that the employer has 50 or more employees within a 75-mile radius."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, FMLA Employer Coverage)

The most critical factor for successful employee engagement surveys is to take visible action based on the results. If employees see no follow-up after providing feedback, trust and participation decline sharply in future surveys.

Official Extract:

"Actioning survey results is critical to maintaining credibility, demonstrating responsiveness, and driving continuous improvement based on employee feedback."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Survey Feedback and Action Planning)

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that foster diversity and inclusion within an organization. They help support DEI strategies by building internal communities, offering peer support, hosting cultural events, and influencing inclusive business practices. HRCI’s guidelines on Business Management state the importance of cultivating diverse workplaces through internal engagement initiatives.

Official Extract:

"Promoting internal diversity efforts through voluntary groups, mentoring programs, and resource networks supports the organization's DEI strategy and enhances employee engagement."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, Diversity and Inclusion Programs)

A hostile work environment exists when employees are subjected to unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic (like gender or sex) that is severe or pervasive enough to create an abusive workplace. Hearing sexually explicit conversations qualifies.

Official Extract:

"A hostile work environment arises when inappropriate behavior based on protected characteristics interferes with an employee’s ability to perform work duties and creates an intimidating or offensive environment."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Employee and Labor Relations Section, Harassment and Workplace Conduct)

Auditory learners retain information best by hearing it. Storytelling engages listening skills, emotional memory, and allows auditory learners to better absorb and remember information.

Official Extract:

"Auditory learners benefit most from hearing information, making lectures, storytelling, discussions, and audio recordings effective instructional methods."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Learning and Development Section, Learning Styles and Training Delivery)

Yield ratio = (Number hired ÷ Number interviewed) × 100Given a 75% yield ratio:0.75 × 16 = 12 hiresOfficial Extract:"Yield ratios evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment efforts by calculating the percentage of candidates moving to the next stage, helping HR improve sourcing strategies."(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Talent Planning and Acquisition Section, Recruitment Metrics)

Time-to-fill is a key quantitative metric — it measures the number of days taken to fill an open position and indicates recruitment efficiency and effectiveness.

Official Extract:

"Key HR metrics include time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and turnover rates, all of which are quantitative indicators of HR performance and operational effectiveness."

(Source: HRCI PHR Content Outline 2024–2025, Business Management Section, HR Metrics and Reporting)