Ethical Practice

Question 1

Define a Safe Working Environment

Answer 1

An environment in which employers take all reasonable steps to protect employees against illness and injury caused by their work and workplace violence and bullying. It can also include proactive measures such as steps taken to increase employee wellness.

Question 2

Define Privacy

Answer 2

Privacy refers to an individual’s right to freedom from intrusion into matters, actions, or information that is personal.

Question 3

What are the steps in a basic framework for ethical decision making?

Answer 3

• Recognize ethical situations as they arise
• Establish the facts about the situation
• Evaluate the ethical dimensions of possible actions
• Apply relevant codes of ethics and behavior to the options
• Consult with others
• Make a decision, own it, and learn from one’s mistakes

Question 4

What are the different approaches used in evaluating ethical situations?

Answer 4

• Utilitarian approach
• Rights Approach
• Justic Approach
• Common-good approach
• Virtue approach

Question 5

What is the utilitarian approach in evaluating an ethical situation?

Answer 5

A utilitarian approach argues for the path that provides teh greatest amount of good for the greatest number.

Question 6

What is the rights approach in evaluating an ethical situation?

Answer 6

A rights approach examines whether a decision violates any basic human right, such as a right to truth, privacy, or physical well-being

Question 7

What is the justice appraoch in evaluation of an ethical situation?

Answer 7

A justice approach examines the degree to which an action might be preferential or discriminatory

Question 8

What is the common-good approach in evaluating an ethical situation?

Answer 8

A common-good approach considers the impact of the decisionon the entire group (or society, in more general terms)

Question 9

What is the virtue approach in evaluating an ethical situation?

Answer 9

A virtue approach asks whether an action will promote or obstruct the decision maker’s character development and the character development of those affected by the person.

Question 10

What is a conflict of interest?

Answer 10

A situation in which a person or organization may benefit from undue influence due to involvement in outside activities, relationships, or investments that conflict with or have an impact on the employment relationship or its outcomes.

Question 11

Define bribery

Answer 11

The exchange of anything of value to gaing reater influence or preference.

Legal opinions vary in different countries about what constitutes bribery. For example, “facilitating” payments (small payments of money or goods) awarded to perform (or speed up) routine governmental actions are permissible in some countries. However, they are not allowed under any circumstances in the United Kingdom. HR professionals should become familiar with local business practices and local laws regarding bribery.

Question 12

What are the typical steps in implementing a sustainable anticorruption program?

Answer 12

• Identifying specific risk areas where payments are made (promotional expenses, traven adn entertainment, facilitating paymetns, charitable donations, lobbying)
• Instituting effective controls concerning th emethod and location of all payments
• Providing culturally appropriate training and communication programs.
• Embedding disciplinary mechanisms within the business model to help mitigate areas of risk.
• Implementing robust monitoring, detection, and audting processes.
• Periodically reassessing all corporate governance and compliance programs.

Question 13

Define authenticity

Answer 13

Authenticity refers to a person’s ability to stay true to their values and maintain their integrity in both their personal and professional lives. From an organizational perspective, it refers to an individual’s approach to forming and maintaining relationships with colleagues and others in the organization.

Question 14

Define Code of Conduct

Answer 14

Principles of conduct within an organization that guide decision making and behavior. A written code of conduct can help an organization promote ethical behavior by communicating to all its members the organization’s commitment to certain values, by defining behavioral expectations for all employees, and by providing direction to all employees when they are faced with ethical decisions.

A code of conduct should reflect the needs, concerns, and values of the organization that creates, adopts, and uses it. There is no definitive set of elements or order of components. Whatever elements a given organization’s code contains should be there because of their usefulness and meaningfulness to the organization. While HR professionals can look to examples of codes from comparable organizations, ultimately an effective code is one that management can support by its example and investment and that employees can understand and apply.

Question 15

What are the two parts of a code of conduct?

Answer 15

• Values Based
• Rules Based

Question 16

What does the values based part of a code of conduct outline?

Answer 16

The values-based part describes the organization’s principles and obligations to its internal and external stakeholders. These values underlie or explain the rationale behind the rules that follow. Beginning the code of conduct with clear and detailed statements of teh organizations vision, values, and principles makes it a unifying document rather than one separating management from employees.

Question 17

What is included in the values-based part of the code of conduct?

Answer 17

• Communication from leadership reflecting commitment to the code and its enforcement.
• The organization’s mission statement and/or vision statement
• A broad statement of organizational values and principles
• A more detailed statemetn of the organization’s ethical obligations to all its various stakeholders.

Question 18

What is included in the rules-based part of the code of conduct?

Answer 18

• Ethical and conduct guidelines (policies regarding conflict of interest, bribery/corruption, confidentiality, privacy, harassment).
• Examples of ethical and unethical behavior to help emloyees recognize a potential risk or conflict when it arises adn questions employees can ask themselves to assess the ethical impact of their actions.
• Rules of conduct required to comply with laws and regulations. This may be a funciton-specific document.
• A description of the enforcement process, including how suspected violations should be reported, how and by whom reports will be investigated an dassessed, and how employees will be panlized for violations.

Question 19

What are the five basic steps of creating an effective code of conduct?

Answer 19

1. Gather information
2. Draft and review
3. Adopt the code formally and communicate it to the organization
4. Monitor enforcement
5. Evaluate and revise the code periodically

Question 20

What are three qualities of an effective code of conduct?

Answer 20

1. It is clear about its objectives
2. It is understandable. The language should be breif, and at a level easily udnerstood by all employees. It should not rely on legal terminology. For non-readers, teh code may be rpesented in audio. The code should be translated into the languages of all countries in which the organization has employees and reviewed locally for accuracy.
3. Equips employees to respond to real situations. It should reflect the specific and unique challenges of the particular organization’s industry and its locations.

Question 21

What are the steps for creating codes of conduct for global organizations?

Answer 21

1. Assemble an international task force on which all affected cultures are represented
2. Solicit feedback from a diverse cross section of employees; be sure to involve workers from all locations, levels, and functional areas.
3. Identify a set of shared principles and develop mutually agreeable policies to address each one. Incorporate enough detail to effectively monitor and measure compliance and enough flexibility to accommodate variations in local practices.
4. Ensure that training materials are available in teh local alnguages and that translations are accurate and sensible.
5. Avoid home-country biases. Choose words that are nonjudgmental and that translate well into other languages. Limit references to specific regulatory instruments to those that are international in scope.
6. In addition to a company-wide code of conduct, consider creating ethical guidelines specific to at-risk personnel such as salespeople in countries where bribery is prevalent.

Question 22

An employee complains about a colleague working remotely two days a week when policy allows for only one remote day. The manager reveals that the colelague has an autistic child at home and goes to therapy on those days. What ethical violation has the manager committed in this situation?

a. Retaliation
b. Discirmination
c. Conflict of interest
d. Breach of confidentiality

Answer 22

d. Breach of confidentiality

The manager has violated the employee’s rights by revealing personal information; a breach of confidentiality. Conflict of interest and retaliation are not relevant to this scenario. Discrimation occurs when someone reeives unust or prejudicial treatment. Niether of the mployees nor the manager was treated in this way; therefore, discrimination is not the best answer

Question 23

What constitutes bribery?

a. An employee having an economic or personal interest in a transaction
b. Obtaining the services of an agent or agency for assistance in securing a commercial contract.
c. Giving or receiving something of value to influence a transaction
d. Hiring the former employee of a competitor

Answer 23

c. Giving or receiving something of value to influence a transaction.

Having a personal or economic interest in a transaction is considered a conflict of interest. Simply hiring the former employee of a competitor is not bribery, although it could be if the hiring is exchanged for the competitor’s proprietary information. A transparent and legal payment made to an agent for services in attaining business is not considered bribery.

Question 24

A supervisor shares with an HR professional reports of anotehr employee’s marital prbolems. Which approach should the HR professional take?

1. Refrain from participating in the conversation or correcting the behavior.
2. Approach the employee in question independentaly and offer cousneling
3. Ask if the employee is having performance issues.
4. Advise the supervisor not to engage in gossip and end the conversation.

Answer 24

4. Ethical employers protect the rights of employees. This includes respecting employee privacy. The HR professional shoudl model this respect for workplace privacy. Approaching the employee, even in good faith, violates privcayc. If the supposed problems have created performance issues, the manager should have reported them, not the rumors.

Question 25

HR does everything correctly in regard to an ethics investigation that it takes the lead on, yet it arrives at an incorrect conclusion because the person deemed less credible was actually the one telling the truth and the person deemed more credible was actually lying. Which is a risk in this scenario?
1. An allegation filed by a government body is improperly dismissed.
2. Criminal activity is not reported to the police.
3. HR discussions about the incident lead to differing opinions among the general staff
4. Work relationships become strained or teams become fractured.

Answer 25

4. Work relationships become strained or teams become fractured.

Since the question presupposed that HR did everything correctly in this investigation, it would not take the lead on allegations of criminal activity or in response to allegations filed by a government body. These would be externally investigated. Similarly, HR will maintain confidentiality if it is doing everything correctly and so would not discuss the issue broadly. Therefore, the correct answer is a riskt aht is always possible when a decision needs to be made based on he-said/he-said situations and judgments based on credibility are needed.

Question 26

What document is a formal statement describing a company’s principles and the business practices?

1. Mission statement
2. Strategic plan
3. Code of Conduct
4. Employee handbook

Answer 26

3. Code of conduct

A corporate code of conduct is a formal statement that describes a company’s principles and the business practices.

Question 27

A supplier offers to provide an employee with tickets to a professional athletic event. How should the code of ethics support the employee?

1. By guiding decision making and behavior
2. By reflecting the legal traditions of the home company
3. By accommodating the norms of the countries in which the organizatoin operates
4. By managing risks to the organizatoin’s public image.

Answer 27

1. By guiding decision making and behavior

Effective codes of ethics help employees to recognize ethical issues and to respond in a way that reflects the organization’s values.

Question 28

A global company benchmarks against similar companies that have recently faced costly and embarrassing cybersecurity breaches resulting in the loss of customer confidence. In response, the CEO directs the IT department with enhancing data accuracy, security, and privacy. Additionally, Risk management is tasked with implementing improved governance, compliance monitoring, and enforcement parameters. Finally, HR is charged with strengthening procedures around acquisition of staff, policy creation, the code of ethics, and communication.

The three departments all agree that employees must possess a work ethic, motivation, and integrity.

How can HR best incorporate protective measures for the organization based on the CEO’s mandate?

1. Implement a robust pre-employment screening process that combines background checks, non-disclosure agreement, and employment verification for any position with access to sensitive information.
2. Change the recruiting strategy to target only military veterans, college graduates with an IT-related degree, or candidates referred by a trusted source.
3. Recommend IT create a separate security profile for non-employees such as independent contractors and vendors that would limit their access to sensitive data.
4. Create a skills assessment to be administered to all job applicants applying into positions with access to secure systems.

Answer 28

1. Implement a robust pre-employment screening process that combines background checks, non-disclosure agreement, and employment verification for any position with access to sensitive information.

Situational judgment tests (SJTs) require the examinee to think about what is occurring in the scenario and decide which response option identifies the most effective course of action. Other response options may be something you could do to respond in the situation, but SJTs require thinking and acting based on the best of the available options. Do not base your answer on your organization’s approach to handling the situation, but rather, answer based on what you know should be done according to best practice. Panels of SHRM-certified subject matter experts rate the effectiveness of each response option, and the “best” answer is derived by statistical analysis of those expert opinions.

Question 29

global company benchmarks against similar companies that have recently faced costly and embarrassing cybersecurity breaches resulting in the loss of customer confidence. In response, the CEO directs the IT department with enhancing data accuracy, security, and privacy. Additionally, Risk management is tasked with implementing improved governance, compliance monitoring, and enforcement parameters. Finally, HR is charged with strengthening procedures around acquisition of staff, policy creation, the code of ethics, and communication.

The three departments all agree that employees must possess a work ethic, motivation, and integrity.

In order to determine the full scope of enterprise risk that exists, which areas should HR review in an IT audit?

1. Compensation Structure
2. Links between business and information strategy and business continuity.
3. Ways to reduce the amount of sensitive data that must be protected.
4. Reasons for the lack of outsourcing to third parties with deeper IT experience.

Answer 29

Links between business and information strategy and business continuity

Question 30

A global company benchmarks against similar companies that have recently faced costly and embarrassing cybersecurity breaches resulting in the loss of customer confidence. In response, the CEO directs the IT department with enhancing data accuracy, security, and privacy. Additionally, Risk management is tasked with implementing improved governance, compliance monitoring, and enforcement parameters. Finally, HR is charged with strengthening procedures around acquisition of staff, policy creation, the code of ethics, and communication.

The three departments all agree that employees must possess a work ethic, motivation, and integrity.

Which technology policies should the HR manager recommend that the company implement?

1. The company must approve all personal devices teh employee uses at home.
2. The company can review all charges and information on a company-provided device.
3. All employees must use thier own electronic devices for work.
4. Employees may use devices at any time.

Answer 30

The company can review all charges and information on a company-provided device.

Question 31

A global company benchmarks against similar companies that have recently faced costly and embarrassing cybersecurity breaches resulting in the loss of customer confidence. In response, the CEO directs the IT department with enhancing data accuracy, security, and privacy. Additionally, Risk management is tasked with implementing improved governance, compliance monitoring, and enforcement parameters. Finally, HR is charged with strengthening procedures around acquisition of staff, policy creation, the code of ethics, and communication.

The three departments all agree that employees must possess a work ethic, motivation, and integrity.

Where should the HR manager look to find potential employees with skills in cybersecurity?

1. Consider individuals who have recent criminal records related to internet security adn offer them state-of-the-art equipment.
2. Search for individuals with any computer-related degree
3. Look on “dark” websites that attract cybercriminals and promise them large hiring bonuses.
4. Recruit former military internet workers who are attracted by a higher level of pay and flexibility.

Answer 31

Recruit former military Internet workers who are attracted by a higher level of pay and flexibility.

Question 32

An HR manager is contacted via telephone by an employee concerned about the need for the replacement of protective equipment currently being used. The employee indicates that the equipment is damaged upon reporting to the supervisor, the concerns have not been addressed.

Compliance with industry safety standards is reported publicly on an ongoing basis.

During the conversation, the spouse of the employee can be heard speaking loudly in the background expressing dissatisfaction and posts comments on social media. The HR manager and the public relations department have been notified of the postings.

The HR manager contacts the employee to request the posts be removed which further incites the spouse and additional comments are posted. The spouse requests to meet with the leadership of the firm to discuss.

What approach can the HR manager take to address the request for a meeting with the leadership team?

A. Acknowledge teh request from the pouse, telling them to have the employee contact HR with details
B. Meet with the employee, the spouse, and the supervisor to discuss the concern and to collaborate on next steps.
C. Clearly explain to the employee why a meeting with the spouse will not be necessary to resolve the concern submitted.
D. Inform the employee tha ta meeting will be scheduled once the comments are removed from teh social media site.

Answer 32

C. Clearly explain to the employee why a meeting with the spouse will not be necessary to resolve the concern submitted.

Question 33

Which is the best example of authenticity in the workplace?

A. An HR manager uses covering to better relate to the ingroup and has strong relationships with many of these peers.
B. An HR manager serves as an ethical agent by calling out ethics issues to superiors and subordinates alike.
C. An HR manager abides by social and business norms and avoids conflicts of interest or bribery.
D. An HR manager uses prior sales training to influence people with a winning smile and positive attitude.

Answer 33

B. An HR manager serves as an ethical agent by calling out ethics issues to superiors and subordinates alike.

Authenticity refers to a person’s ability to stay true to their values and maintain their integrity in both their personal and professional lives. It also refers to an individual’s approach to forming and maintaining relationships with colleagues and others in the organization. An individual who remains true to themselves while being able to adapt and cope with rapidly changing events is authentic. A person who is brave enough to call out ethics issues even when this is with a superior is authentic. However, covering is not authentic behavior, nor is putting on an act to influence people. Abiding by social norms and avoiding conflicts of interest is honesty rather than authenticity.

Question 34

The HR director learns that an employee who has already met the sales goal for the month is keeping extra sales secret. The employee is moving the extra sales to the next month in order to ensure that future goals are met. Which should the HR director do first?

A. Send out a general e-mail reminder to the sales team about the ethics policy
B. Inform the employee’s manager and coach the manager on how to address the issue with the employee.
C. Meet with the employee privately to explain that this practice is unethical and request that teh employee refrain from continuing it.
D. Inform the CEO and begin monitoring the employee’s work.

Answer 34

B. Inform the employee’s manager and coach the manager on how to address the issue with the employee.

The HR director should inform the employee’s manager and coach the manager on how to address the issue. This involves the manager in the process and ensures that the manager can address the ethical concern with the employee. Privately meeting with the employee is incorrect, because the HR director has no daily oversight to know whether or not the employee is continuing to practice ethical behavior. Informing the CEO escalates the issue without attempting to address it and doesn’t give the employee a chance to correct their actions. Sending out a general e-mail reminder doesn’t directly address the issue with the employee, and hoping someone takes a hint isn’t an effective method of addressing an ethical issue. In addition, none of the three incorrect answer choices involves the employee’s manager.

Question 35

The HR team has recently revised the company code of conduct in order to connect the code with the organization’s values more clearly. Before posting the finished code of conduct to the organization’s intranet, what final step should the HR team perform?

A. Ask leaders to adopt the code formally and communicate its rationale to employees

B. Ask supervisors to review procedures that have been included in the code for accuracy.

C. Gather input from the executive team in order to represent the organization’s perspective.

D. Ask a lawyer to rewrite the code’s language to make sure that it is legally compliant.

Answer 35

A. Ask leaders to adopt the code formally and communicate its rationale to employees.

Adopting the code formally and communicating it to ensure understanding shows the commitment and understanding across all stakeholders that is necessary for success. Using legal terminology will make the code more difficult to understand for those without a legal background. Focusing on rules and procedures is not the purpose of a code of conduct. The organization’s perspective should include more than that of management; it could include other stakeholders, such as employees and communities.

Question 36

An organization is sending salespeople into a new territory where bribery is common. How can HR support the code of ethics in this environment?

A. By reviewing current ethical guidelines and creating specific guidelines on bribery if necessary

B. By instructing salespeople to refuse service and leave when bribery is attempted.

C. By requiring salespeople to report bribery income and factor it into compensation.

D. By suspending the code of ethics, because bribery is part of the culture.

Answer 36

A. By reviewing current ethical guidelines and creating specific guidelines on bribery if necessary.

Since bribery is common, it is best to anticipate it and create guidelines for handling it ethically. A code of ethics is not situational and cannot be arbitrarily suspended. Factoring bribery into compensation does not support the code of ethics. Since the salespeople are there to sell and bribery is a known challenge, HR must help the salespeople prepare to overcome it.

Question 37

An HR manager works for a large university. One day, an adult student comes in to claim sexual harassment by a married professor. A week later, another student comes in with a similar claim. Both students are currently in classes taught by the professor. University policy prohibits relationships between employees and students who they teach. Punishment for violation of the policy is determined by the dean of the academic division. While talking to the second student, the HR manager discovers that the students have coordinated their stories. The second student admits that both relationships were consensual and no sexual harassment occurred. Once it was discovered the professor was having multiple affairs, both of the students felt betrayed.

Which action should the HR manager take first based on the information provided by the students?

A. Interview the professor about the allegations.

B. Ask other students in the professor’s classes about inappropriate behavior they may have witnessed.

C. Speak to both complainants together to identify teh level of collaboration of their statements.

D. Question the head of the department to see if other claims have been made against the professor.

Answer 37

A. Interview the professor about the allegations.

Question 38

An HR manager works for a large university. One day, an adult student comes in to claim sexual harassment by a married professor. A week later, another student comes in with a similar claim. Both students are currently in classes taught by the professor. University policy prohibits relationships between employees and students who they teach. Punishment for violation of the policy is determined by the dean of the academic division. While talking to the second student, the HR manager discovers that the students have coordinated their stories. The second student admits that both relationships were consensual and no sexual harassment occurred. Once it was discovered the professor was having multiple affairs, both of the students felt betrayed.

Which action should the HR manager take to discourage inappropriate professor-student relationships in the future?

A. Set up an anonymous help line for students who believe they have been victims of sexual harassment.

B. Start an awareness campaign by creating posters with the policy to display on campus.

C. Hold regular faculty and staff training on sexual harassment and university policies.

D. Require sexual harassment training for any faculty who receive complaints of sexual harassment.

Answer 38

C Hold regular faculty and staff training on sexual harassment and university policies.

Question 39

An HR manager works for a large university. One day, an adult student comes in to claim sexual harassment by a married professor. A week later, another student comes in with a similar claim. Both students are currently in classes taught by the professor. University policy prohibits relationships between employees and students who they teach. Punishment for violation of the policy is determined by the dean of the academic division. While talking to the second student, the HR manager discovers that the students have coordinated their stories. The second student admits that both relationships were consensual and no sexual harassment occurred. Once it was discovered the professor was having multiple affairs, both of the students felt betrayed.

Which action should the HR manager take to convince the students that claiming sexual harassment is inappropriate?

A. Share the school’s sexual harassment policy with the students.

B. Host one-on-one discussion with each student explaining sexual harassment and answering their questions.

C. Share exmaples of previous sexual harassment cases to demonstrate the difference.

D. Provide data on how many false sexual harassment claims are made on campus each year.

Answer 39

B. Host one-on-one discussions with each sudent explaining sexual harassment and answering their questions.

Question 40

An HR manager works for a large university. One day, an adult student comes in to claim sexual harassment by a married professor. A week later, another student comes in with a similar claim. Both students are currently in classes taught by the professor. University policy prohibits relationships between employees and students who they teach. Punishment for violation of the policy is determined by the dean of the academic division. While talking to the second student, the HR manager discovers that the students have coordinated their stories. The second student admits that both relationships were consensual and no sexual harassment occurred. Once it was discovered the professor was having multiple affairs, both of the students felt betrayed.

The professor’s spouse contacts the HR manager and requests that no adverse action be taken against the professor because the professor is in the country on a work visa sponsored by the university. How should the HR manager respond?

A. Explain to the spouse that the HR manager is not at liberty to disclose information.

B. Talk to the dean about the professor’s spouse.

C. Listen to the concerns of the professor’s spouse.

D. Offer to meet with the professor to discuss the differetn discplinary actions that may be taken.

Answer 40

A. Explain to the spouse that the HR manager is not at liberty to disclose information.

Question 41

A recently promoted HR manager is transferred to a remote facility, due to several complaints of inappropriate behavior and favoritism between the plant manager and the former HR manager. The complaints range from allegations of an affair between the two to poor performance and stealing company property.

The head office leaders are highly sensitive to creating an ethical culture and have asked that the new HR manager report back on any discovered issues with the plant manager. This makes the HR manager uncomfortable, because she is trying her best to balance developing a relationship with the plant manager with trying to complete the investigation.

The new HR manager begins an investigation and learns that the plant manager believes two female employees in the accounting department reported the theft and the affair. When the HR manager speaks with these employees, they share the belief that they are being retaliated against. Although they were rated as above-average performers, they have been given only minimal wage increases.

The investigation identified theft of a number of items by the plant manager. The items are not expensive, but their value is not minor. Additionally, it was learned that the plant manager is actively undermining the new HR manager’s authority by telling all managers to ignore any HR recommendations.

How should the HR manager handle the evidence of theft by the plant manager?

A. Provide a summary of the investigation including the evidence collected back to headquarters.

B. Schedule an interview so the plant manager is given an opportunity to respond to the evidence.

C. Recommend hiring a private investigator to assume the investigation so it is viewed by teh plant employees as fair and objective.

D. Offer the plant manager an opportunity to reimburse teh company for the missing inventory in exchange for receiving a written reprimand.

Answer 41

A. Provide a summary of the investigation including the evidence collected back to headquarters.

Question 42

A recently promoted HR manager is transferred to a remote facility, due to several complaints of inappropriate behavior and favoritism between the plant manager and the former HR manager. The complaints range from allegations of an affair between the two to poor performance and stealing company property.

The head office leaders are highly sensitive to creating an ethical culture and have asked that the new HR manager report back on any discovered issues with the plant manager. This makes the HR manager uncomfortable, because she is trying her best to balance developing a relationship with the plant manager with trying to complete the investigation.

The new HR manager begins an investigation and learns that the plant manager believes two female employees in the accounting department reported the theft and the affair. When the HR manager speaks with these employees, they share the belief that they are being retaliated against. Although they were rated as above-average performers, they have been given only minimal wage increases.

The investigation identified theft of a number of items by the plant manager. The items are not expensive, but their value is not minor. Additionally, it was learned that the plant manager is actively undermining the new HR manager’s authority by telling all managers to ignore any HR recommendations.

The HR manager studies the performance reviews and wage increases for all employees and finds inconsistencies that support the accounting employees’ claims of retaliation. Given the HR manager’s knowledge of the plant manager’s behavior, what is the appropriate next step for the HR manager to take?

A. Talk to the plant manager and recommend an immediate adjustment to the wages of the two people affected to avoid further problems.

B. Given the more serious issues with the plant manage,r choose to treat the complaint as a lower priority and not deal with it immediately.

C. Inform the plant manager of the allegations and ask him to meet with HR and the employees to respond to their statements.

D. Review the process for setting wage increases for the accounting department with the company’s controller.

Answer 42

D. Review the process for setting wage increases for the accounting department with the company’s controller.

Question 43

A recently promoted HR manager is transferred to a remote facility, due to several complaints of inappropriate behavior and favoritism between the plant manager and the former HR manager. The complaints range from allegations of an affair between the two to poor performance and stealing company property.

The head office leaders are highly sensitive to creating an ethical culture and have asked that the new HR manager report back on any discovered issues with the plant manager. This makes the HR manager uncomfortable, because she is trying her best to balance developing a relationship with the plant manager with trying to complete the investigation.

The new HR manager begins an investigation and learns that the plant manager believes two female employees in the accounting department reported the theft and the affair. When the HR manager speaks with these employees, they share the belief that they are being retaliated against. Although they were rated as above-average performers, they have been given only minimal wage increases.

The investigation identified theft of a number of items by the plant manager. The items are not expensive, but their value is not minor. Additionally, it was learned that the plant manager is actively undermining the new HR manager’s authority by telling all managers to ignore any HR recommendations.

What steps should the HR manager take to address the direction by the plant manager to ignore HR’s recommendations?

A. Advise the head office that she is being retaliated against by the plant manager because of the investigation.

B. Call corporate immediately, advising them of the situation; then follow the recommendations that they provide.

C. Further investigate the statements to determine the full context of the situation before taking action.

D. Document the conversation and file it in case it si needed in the future.

Answer 43

C. Further investigate the statements to determine the full context of the situation before taking action.

Question 44

A mid-sized company has a strict attendance policy stating that any absence of three days or more without contact from the employee is considered job abandonment and the employee is subject to termination. The organization has experienced significant growth over the years, and the increase in the employee population has prompted stricter policies, which some staff view as unnecessarily controlling.

One manager’s best employee has been absent without contact for four days and calls in. The employee indicates he had some unexpected personal problems involving his teenage child. The employee did not call earlier due to being distraught, occupied with the situation, and also a bit embarrassed. According to the policy, the employee must be terminated, but the manager is reluctant to do so because this is the department’s best employee. This is the first violation, and the serious family issues could escalate if the employee is terminated.

Senior leadership has recently taken a tough stance on consistently adhering to company policies and practices due to complaints of favoritism. The manager is hesitant to go to HR for fear they will recommend termination. Instead the manager seeks counsel from a member of the senior leadership team who is a relative and who supports the decision to not terminate the employee.

When the employee is not terminated, an anonymous complaint is filed via the employee hotline system. It alleges discrimination and favoritism; there is also a comment about too many new policies. The employee is named, and the complainant demands that other employees terminated under the no-call, no-show policy be reinstated. The protocol requires that HR review all discrimination complaints.

Which is the first course of action HR should take?

A. HR should inform the president of the issue and partner with her on the next steps for corrective action.

B. HR should immediately suspend teh employee without pay due to the violation of the company’s attendance policy.

C. HR should review the employee’s performance records and use the ratings to determine the outcome.

D. HR should immediately terminate the employee due to the violation of the company’s attendance policy.

Answer 44

A. HR should inform the president of the issue and partner with her on teh next steps for corrective action.

Question 45

A mid-sized company has a strict attendance policy stating that any absence of three days or more without contact from the employee is considered job abandonment and the employee is subject to termination. The organization has experienced significant growth over the years, and the increase in the employee population has prompted stricter policies, which some staff view as unnecessarily controlling.

One manager’s best employee has been absent without contact for four days and calls in. The employee indicates he had some unexpected personal problems involving his teenage child. The employee did not call earlier due to being distraught, occupied with the situation, and also a bit embarrassed. According to the policy, the employee must be terminated, but the manager is reluctant to do so because this is the department’s best employee. This is the first violation, and the serious family issues could escalate if the employee is terminated.

Senior leadership has recently taken a tough stance on consistently adhering to company policies and practices due to complaints of favoritism. The manager is hesitant to go to HR for fear they will recommend termination. Instead the manager seeks counsel from a member of the senior leadership team who is a relative and who supports the decision to not terminate the employee.

When the employee is not terminated, an anonymous complaint is filed via the employee hotline system. It alleges discrimination and favoritism; there is also a comment about too many new policies. The employee is named, and the complainant demands that other employees terminated under the no-call, no-show policy be reinstated. The protocol requires that HR review all discrimination complaints.

Which next step should HR take to address the allegations that a member of senior leadership advised against following a company policy?

A. Send an e-mail to the manager and the employee informing them that they violated the policy so they are not surprised by a potential investigation.

B. Meet jointly with the manager and the employee, and terminate both for policy violations.

C. As a member of the leadership team, HR should seek counsel from another leadership team member and ask that person to have teh conversation.

D. Discuss the claim directly with the President and provide an overview of the incident, with a recommendation for holding bouth the manager and the senior leader accountable.

Answer 45

D Discuss the claim directly with the President and provide an overview of the incident, with a reocmmendation for holding both the manager and the senior leader accountable.

Question 46

A mid-sized company has a strict attendance policy stating that any absence of three days or more without contact from the employee is considered job abandonment and the employee is subject to termination. The organization has experienced significant growth over the years, and the increase in the employee population has prompted stricter policies, which some staff view as unnecessarily controlling.

One manager’s best employee has been absent without contact for four days and calls in. The employee indicates he had some unexpected personal problems involving his teenage child. The employee did not call earlier due to being distraught, occupied with the situation, and also a bit embarrassed. According to the policy, the employee must be terminated, but the manager is reluctant to do so because this is the department’s best employee. This is the first violation, and the serious family issues could escalate if the employee is terminated.

Senior leadership has recently taken a tough stance on consistently adhering to company policies and practices due to complaints of favoritism. The manager is hesitant to go to HR for fear they will recommend termination. Instead the manager seeks counsel from a member of the senior leadership team who is a relative and who supports the decision to not terminate the employee.

When the employee is not terminated, an anonymous complaint is filed via the employee hotline system. It alleges discrimination and favoritism; there is also a comment about too many new policies. The employee is named, and the complainant demands that other employees terminated under the no-call, no-show policy be reinstated. The protocol requires that HR review all discrimination complaints.

Which is the appropriate outcome for the attendance policy violation?

A. Immediately terminate both the manager and teh employee for violating company policy to reinforce leadership’s focus on consistency.

B. The employee should be suspended without pay to take tiem to think about his behavior.

C. HR should factor in the circumstances in this particular situation and recommend that the employee contact the compan’s employee assistance program for counseling.

D. The employee should be terminated per the company policy, to reinforce a consistent focus on policies that have been adopted and put in place.

Answer 46

D. The employee should be terminated per the company policy, to reinforce a consistent focus on policies that have been adopted and put in place.

Question 47

A mid-sized company has a strict attendance policy stating that any absence of three days or more without contact from the employee is considered job abandonment and the employee is subject to termination. The organization has experienced significant growth over the years, and the increase in the employee population has prompted stricter policies, which some staff view as unnecessarily controlling.

One manager’s best employee has been absent without contact for four days and calls in. The employee indicates he had some unexpected personal problems involving his teenage child. The employee did not call earlier due to being distraught, occupied with the situation, and also a bit embarrassed. According to the policy, the employee must be terminated, but the manager is reluctant to do so because this is the department’s best employee. This is the first violation, and the serious family issues could escalate if the employee is terminated.

Senior leadership has recently taken a tough stance on consistently adhering to company policies and practices due to complaints of favoritism. The manager is hesitant to go to HR for fear they will recommend termination. Instead the manager seeks counsel from a member of the senior leadership team who is a relative and who supports the decision to not terminate the employee.

When the employee is not terminated, an anonymous complaint is filed via the employee hotline system. It alleges discrimination and favoritism; there is also a comment about too many new policies. The employee is named, and the complainant demands that other employees terminated under the no-call, no-show policy be reinstated. The protocol requires that HR review all discrimination complaints.

Which would be the best way for HR to address the anonymous complaint?

A. Identify the author who made the anonymous complaint, and then send an e-mail to her with an update on the situation.

B. Inform the employee and the manager that a complaint has been lodged and that there will be an itnernal investigation.

C. Contact the training department to launch new training on the attendance policy for all employees to attend.

D. Determine that the senior leader made the best decision due to the mitigating circumstances, an dinform all staff via the employee intranet.

Answer 47

B. Inform the employee and the manager that a complaint has been lodged and that there will be an internal investigation.

Question 48

Ability to stay true to values and maintain integrity in both personal and professional livs and, from an organiation perspective, approach to forming and maintaining relationships with colleagus and others in the organization.

Answer 48

Authenticity

Question 49

Treatment of personal information that has been disclosed to another person or organization.

Answer 49

Confidentiality

Question 50

Maintaining consistency between one’s values and one’s actions

Answer 50

Integrity

Question 51

An individual’s right to freedom from intrusion (by viewing, monitoring, reading, etc.) into matters, actions, or information that is personal

Answer 51

Privacy

Question 52

Situation in which a person or organization may benefit from undue influence due to involvement in outside activities, relationships, or investments that conflict with or have an impact on the employment relationship or its outcomes.

Answer 52

Conflict of Interest

Question 53

Principles that guide decision making and behavior in an organization

Answer 53

Code of Conduct

Question 54

Extent to which an organization’s agreements, dealings, informatioin, practices, and transactions are open to disclosre and review by relevant persons.

Answer 54

Transparency

Question 55

True or False:
Risk that comes from within a company cannot be avoided.

Answer 55

False
Risk that originates inside a company is considered internal and preventable.

Question 56

True or False:
The best way to promote risk management within a company is to align it with the company’s strategic goals.

Answer 56

True
Aligning risk management strategies with strategic goals is an excellent method for motivating even reluctant employees to uphold risk management policies.

Question 57

What are three ways to protect the rights of employees?

Answer 57

Creating a safe work environment
Maintaining a fair working environment
Protecting employee privacy

Question 58

What is a safe environment in the workplace?

Answer 58

A safe environment is one in which employers take all reasonable steps to protect employees against illness and injury caused by their work and workplace violence and bullying. It can also include proactive measures such as steps taken to increase employee wellness.

Question 59

What are the steps in the basic framework for ethical decision making.

Answer 59

1. Recognize ethical situations as they arise
2. Establish the facts about the situation
3. Evaluation the ethical dimensions of possible actions
4. Apply relevant codes of ethics and behavior to the options
5. Consult with others
6. Make a decision, own it, and learn from one’s mistakes.

Question 59

Describe the utilitarian approach to ethics

Answer 59

A utilitarian approach argues for the path that provides the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people

Question 60

Describe the rights approach to ethics

Answer 60

A rights approach examines whether a decision violates any basic human right, such as a right to truth, privacy, or physical well-being.

Question 61

Describe the justice approach to ethics

Answer 61

A justice approach examines the degree to which an action might be preferential or discriminatory.

Question 62

Describe the common-good approach to ethics

Answer 62

A common-good approach considers the impact of the decision on the entire group (or society, in more general terms)

Question 63

Define Ethics

Answer 63

Adherence to socially accepted norms of behavior, integrity, and commitment to the common good

Question 64

What do ethical workplaces begin with?

Answer 64

The leadership’s definition of their organizations values

Question 65

What are the benefits of an ethical workplace

Answer 65

Ethical behavior leads to an atmosphere of trust
Ethical workplace has natural advantage in attracting and retaining top talent
Ethical workforce creates opportunities and reduces risks
Businesses with a reputation for ethical behavior attract customers and investors and are also likely to attract better candidates for open positions
Ethical leaders and workers are less likely to violate laws.

Question 66

What is HR’s Role in Supporting an Ethical Workplace?

Answer 66

• Personal Integrity - HR professionals model ethical conduct and the organization’s values in all their actions
• Professional Integrity - Demonstrate awareness of and commitment to ethics in their work
• Ethical Agent - Communicate ethical expectations to all new employees and administer those expectations consistently.