A number of certifications are available in the field of human resources from organizations such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). Both of these organizations offer more than one level of certification and the levels tend to vary in depth of knowledge required and amount of needed experience in the vocation.

The PHR certification, for example, requires a minimum of one year's experience, while SPHR, from the same vendor, requires a minimum of four years of experience. Both test on similar topics). What most of the exams have in common is a need to know major legislation and key court rulings related to the profession.

HR is a broad discipline that crosses all industries, including the IT industry. HR credentials may not directly address IT knowledge, but there is a place for certified HR professionals in the IT world. How much do you know about HR-related acts and rulings? What follows is a self-test of 25 questions based on the general concepts and topics related to the field. The answers appear at the end of the questions. Good luck!

1. Which ruling states that even if there is no discriminatory intent, an employer may not use a job requirement that functionally excludes members of a certain race if it has no relation to measuring performance of job duties?
A. Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio
B. Automobile Workers v Johnson Controls
C. Washington v Davis
D. Griggs v Duke Power Co.

2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on which of the following?
A. race, national origin, and color
B. race, sex, color, religion and national origin
C. sex, color, and national origin
D. national origin and race

3. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states: “Employers must provide people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from the employment-related opportunities available to others. This includes things like recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, and social activities”. How many employees must an employer have before this provision applies to them?
A. 1
B. 10
C. 15
D. 30

4. Which of the following provides for the continuation of group health care coverage when coverage is lost due to a qualifying event?
A. Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
B. Employee Retirement Income Security Act
C. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
D. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

5. In what year was the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) established?
A. 1884
B. 1894
C. 1904
D. 1914

6. Which of the following rulings found that different dress/appearance codes for men and women does not constitute discrimination?
A. R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes Inc. v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
B. McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green
C. Jespersen v. Harrah's Operating Co.
D. Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins

7. According to the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA), “employers are generally prohibited from requiring or requesting any employee or job applicant to take a lie detector test, and from discharging, disciplining, or discriminating against an employee or prospective employee for refusing to take a test or for exercising other rights under the Act”. Which of the following entities is not affected by the law?
A. Institutions of higher education
B. Hospitals and medical facilities
C. Federal, state, and local governments
D. Churches and congregations

8. Which act, signed into law in 2002, specifies financial reporting responsibilities and requires internal controls to ensure the validity of financial records?
A. Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO)
B. Service Organizational Control (SOC)
C. ICFR (Internal Control Over Financial Reporting)
D. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)

9. In which ruling did the Supreme Court clarify the definition of a hostile or abusive work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A. United States v Jones
B. Taxman v Board of Education
C. Harris v Forklift Systems Inc.
D. Katz v United States

10. Which of the following labor laws guarantee the right of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, collectively bargain, and strike?
A. Wagner Act
B. Craig Act
C. Taft Act
D. Norris Act

11. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons. How many employees must a private employer have before they must adhere to FMLA?
A. 1
B. 10
C. 20
D. 50

12. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer:
A. To require a prospective employee to incur expenses for their own DNA testing unless said prospective agrees to it beforehand
B. To destroy genetic testing records obtained in the normal course of duty
C. To fail or refuse to hire, or to discharge, any employee, or otherwise to discriminate against any employee because of genetic information
D. To advertise to consumers based on unhealthy or abnormal body images

13. In what year was the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) passed to fund unemployment benefits?
A. 1929
B. 1939
C. 1949
D. 1959

14. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as the Affordable Care Act) is a federal statute enacted in what year?
A. 2010
B. 2001
C. 1996
D. 1992

15. Section 7 of the Clayton Act prohibits which of the following?
A. Injurious practices intended to break strikes
B. Closed shops in states where right-to-work legislation has been passed
C. Certain mergers and acquisitions where competition is reduced
D. The use of yellow-dog contracts

Please visit GoCertify to attempt the remaining 10 questions of this quiz.

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ANSWERS

1. D: The ruling in Griggs v Duke Power Co. is that even if there is no discriminatory intent, an employer may not use a job requirement that functionally excludes members of a certain race if it has no relation to measuring the performance of job duties.
2. B: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion and national origin.
3. C: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to employers that have 15 or more employees.
4. C: Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provides for the continuation of group health care coverage when coverage is lost due to a qualifying event.
5. A: In 1884, the Bureau of Labor was created in the Department of Interior. In 1913, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was transferred to the Department of Labor.
6. C: In the ruling for Jespersen v. Harrah's Operating Co., it was determined that different dress/grooming codes for different sexes of employer does not constitute discrimination.
7. C: Federal, state, and local governments are not affected by the law.
8. D: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, signed into law in 2002, specifies financial reporting responsibilities and requires internal controls to ensure the validity of financial records.
9. C: The ruling in Harris v Forklift Systems Inc. clarified the definition of a hostile or abusive work environment under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
10. A: The Wagner Act – also known as the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) - guarantees the right of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, collectively bargain, and strike.
11. D: A private employer must have 50 employees or more before they must adhere to FMLA.
12. C: The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 makes it unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire, or to discharge, any employee, or otherwise to discriminate against any employee because of genetic information.
13. B: The Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) was passed in 1939 and established a payroll tax to fund unemployment benefits.
14. A: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as the Affordable Care Act) is a federal statute enacted in 2010.
15. C: Section 7 of the Clayton Act prohibits certain mergers and acquisitions where the effect "may be substantially to lessen competition, or to tend to create a monopoly."

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