Chapter 5 Self-test questions

. Which of the following is not among the rationales for work-life balance legislation?

Correcting gender imbalance.

Reconciling career and family life.

Encouraging marriage.

Discouraging exploitation through downward wage pressure and upward working hour pressure.

. What is the most significant obstacle to realising a true work-life balance for most people in society?

The long-hours culture.

Gender imbalance.

Caring responsibilities.

Employer exploitation.

. Which of the following is not a category of work specified in the National Minimum Wage Act for the purpose of calculating hourly pay?

'Time work', i.e. work that is paid for by reference to the time worked.

'Salaried hours work', i.e. where there are ascertainable basic hours in return for an annual salary, not varying with hours actually worked.

'Output work', i.e. work that is paid for wholly by reference to the number of pieces made or processed by the worker.

'Overtime work', i.e. work in excess of the weekly hours required in the contract.

. Which of the following is not a right granted to employees by the Working Time Regulations?

The right to a break when working more than six hours.

The right to a maximum 10-hour working day.

The right to an average working week of no more than 48 hours.

The right to paid annual leave of over five weeks.

. Which of the following must be true in order for the 48-hour maximum workweek to apply to a given worker?

The work is of a kind where, on account of the specific characteristics of the activity in which the worker is engaged, the duration of the working time is not measured or predetermined or can be determined by the worker herself.

The worker must not have signed an 'opt out'.

The worker must qualify as an 'employee'.

There must be a workforce agreement in place.

. Which of the following will not exclude a worker from the entitlement to daily rest breaks?

Where the worker's activities are such that his place of work and place of residence are distant from one another or his different places of work are distant from one another.

Where the worker's activities involve the need for continuity of service or production.

Where there is a foreseeable surge of activity, as may be the case in relation to agriculture.

Where the worker has signed an 'opt-out'.

. Which of the following is not true of maternity leave?

It can be as long as 52 weeks.

It is available to all 'employees'.

The mother receives pay throughout her leave.

It is unfair to dismiss a worker for taking it.

. Which of the following things accurately describes what a worker is entitled to upon return from maternity leave?

She should receive her old job back, with the same seniority as if she had not left, and with any general lock-step pay rises that were given to other employees in her job classification while she was on leave.

She should receive her job back, provided she completed her ten 'keeping in touch' days during her leave.

She will receive her job back, or a similar job if the employer has found it necessary to replace her.

She will receive her job back at the same pay and seniority she enjoyed at the time her leave began.

. Which of the following is true about parental leave?

It allows parents to take as much as 13 weeks off in a year to care for a child.

It is available to all employees from the start of their employment.

It may not be taken in periods other than a week or multiples of a week if the model scheme applies.

The employer has no say in when the leave is taken.

. Which of the following is not true about the right to request flexible working time?

It is available for parents as well as for those who care for incapacitated adults.

It allows a worker to make one request for flexible working arrangements in a one-year period.

It requires that the worker not only explain the changes sought, but how and why the changes will not create problems for the employer.

It allows the worker to make a complaint to a tribunal if the employer unreasonably denies the request.

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