An employer may not _______ the employment of a permanent employee because the employee is required to attend a hearing for their child.

• A. Suspend
• B. Terminate
• C. Demote
• D. Reassign

Answer: (B)

The situation tests protection for employees who must tend to family matters, like a court hearing for their child. Terminating the employment simply because the employee is required to attend that hearing is not allowed, because firing someone for fulfilling a legitimate family responsibility would be an improper punitive response to a protected activity. The other actions—suspending, demoting, or reassigning—could be possible for other legitimate reasons or under workplace policies, but they are not the prohibited action described here. The key point is that firing someone for attending a child’s hearing cannot be done merely for that reason.