12 Days of Christmas GMAT Competition - Day 1: To decrease the rate of

Well the statement says that the policy's goal was to address absentee's rate, thus assuming job satisfaction was the main factor for this occurrence. Now this is key, as the plan would be flawed from the beginning if this was not the case.

The main argument is that because mandatory check-ins lead to feelings of surveillance and potentially decrease job satisfaction, the new health check-in policy might not reduce absenteeism. C is the answer that addresses this directly.

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning. While I'd argue this is more or less assumed, it's not really important to the argument itself because the argument is about how this will affect the employees.
(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies.
Other policies are not in question here.
(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.
The argument requires that this be true, so it's the correct answer. If Job Satisfaction didn't affect absenteeism, then the argument would fall apart - there'd be no reason that the possibility that check-ins decrease job satisfaction would matter for absenteeism.
(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily.
Doesn't weigh in on how this will affect absenteeism.
(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented.
Other forms of monitoring are irrelevant - we're focused on how they'll react to this policy.

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning.
Irrelevant
(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies.
Irrelevant
(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.
Correct. We assume that decreasing job satisfaction affects absenteeism.
(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily.
Irrelevant
(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented.
Irrelevant

[size=100]Explanation[/size]

The argument posits that mandatory morning health check-ins might not reduce absenteeism because they could decrease job satisfaction due to feelings of surveillance. For this conclusion to hold, it must be assumed that job satisfaction significantly impacts absenteeism rates.

• Option C directly addresses this by stating that job satisfaction significantly influences absenteeism. Without this assumption, decreasing job satisfaction might not necessarily affect absenteeism, weakening the argument.
• Option A is about the implementation of check-ins, which, while relevant, is not central to the argument's conclusion about the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism.
• Option B suggests that feelings of being monitored are not worse than other dissatisfactions, which would weaken the argument rather than support it.
• Option D discusses voluntary reporting before the policy, which is unrelated to the link between job satisfaction and absenteeism.
• Option E implies that employees do not react negatively to monitoring, which contradicts the premise of the argument.

Correct Answer: C

Let's falsify the conclusion: In what scenario, health check-ins might help reduce absenteeism as intended?
Given: The company often faces high absentee rates and
research indicates that such mandatory check-ins can lead to feelings of surveillance among employees, potentially decreasing job satisfaction.

What if these health check-ins doesn't affect the employee's perception or job satisfaction level or what if the employees view these check-ins in a positive way, thinking that the company is concerned about their well-being? In this scenario, the conclusion will break. Alternatively, what if the employee's health was not the significant factor behind these absenteeism after all?

Assumption: Mandatory morning health check-ins will negatively impact the job satisfaction level of employees.

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning. Irrelevant.
(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies. Incorrect. It says that employee being monitored are not necessarily more severe or different in nature than their dissatisfaction arising from other company policies such as strict attendance rules. Ok, but still it can affect job satisfaction.
(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism. Correct. Along the lines of what we discussed above.
(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily. Incorrect. Even if employees had reported their health status voluntarily, how would it have reduced absenteeism?
(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented. Incorrect. This is somewhat similar to Option B. Even if the employees do not negatively react to other forms, would they react similarly to daily health check-ins. Also, no negative reaction doesn't mean it's positive. Absenteeism might remain the same as before but it will not decline.

The conclusion is that mandatory check-ins can decrease job satisfaction.
The assumption must link job satisfaction with absenteeism.
The only option that relates job satisfaction and absenteeism is C.

Correct answer C

Answer is C.

(A) This is already explicit in the passage through "mandatory check-ins."
(B) This does not support the argument that check-ins might lead to decreased satisfaction and therefore not reduce absenteeism.
(C) This is necessary to support the argument that check-ins might lead to decreased satisfaction and therefore not reduce absenteeism.
(D) This is irrelevant to the argument about job satisfaction and reducing absenteeism.
(E) This does not support the argument that check-ins might lead to decreased satisfaction and therefore not reduce absenteeism.

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning.
That has already been provided in the data, irrespective of implementation - the policy introduction itself is the problem. so not a necessary condition
(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies.
If they are hurt by lot other policies, even before implementing health , this might not affect the rate of absentism.
(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.
This option relates the missing piece between premises and Conclusion, if the above statement is not true, then there is no wouldn't be a reason for increase in absentism.
(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily.
Irrelevant
(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented.
Supports

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning. - Incorrect, the cadence of health check-ins does not affect the statement in any way, we already know this

(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies. Incorrect, we are not concerned if the feelings are worse that other feelings due to other policies, we only have to examine that the current policy induces feelings that lead to absenteeism.

(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism. Correct. This accurately bridges the gap saying that if employees job satisfaction drops, the rates of absenteeism rise, therefore it does affect the situation

(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily. Incorrect. Irrelevant, does not state whether there will be an impact on absenteeism

(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented. - Incorrect, Out of scope, we are not concerned with how employees react to other forms of monitoring.

This is an assumption question
The logic of the research is mandatory check-ins => feeling surveillance => decrease job satisfaction => Assumption => x reduce absenteeism rate

(A) Fully implement the health check-ins => Not relevant (x)
(B) If being monitor feeling is not worse than other company policies => may support or make no difference to the absentee rate (x)
(C) Job satisfaction is significant factor influencing rate absenteeism => can fill in the logic gap of decrease job satisfaction does not reduce absenteeism rate (✓)
(D) No voluntary report health status => Not relevant (x)
(E) Employee do not react negative => support (x)

Therefore C is the correct answer

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning.
(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies.
(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.
(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily.
(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented.

The argument suggests that mandatory morning health check-ins, intended to reduce absenteeism, could backfire because they might make employees feel monitored, which could decrease job satisfaction. The argument assumes that job satisfaction is a significant factor influencing absenteeism rates; otherwise, the concern about job satisfaction decreasing due to the health check-ins would not matter.

Option A: While important for the check-ins to function, this does not address the relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism, which is critical to the argument.

Option B: This statement compares dissatisfaction from monitoring to other dissatisfaction but does not address the central issue of how job satisfaction affects absenteeism.

Option D: Whether employees voluntarily reported their health status earlier is irrelevant to the assumption about job satisfaction’s role in absenteeism.

Option E: While this addresses reactions to monitoring, it does not directly connect job satisfaction to absenteeism, which is the key assumption.

Option C explicitly addresses the assumption that links job satisfaction and absenteeism, making it the best answer.

The argument relies on which of the following as an assumption?
My choice: C
(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.
Without this assumption, the argument that mandatory check ins could decrease job satisfaction, which in turn would not reduce absenteeism would not hold.


(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning. - not relevant to the main argument
(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies. - this doesn't mean that creating extra dissatisfaction from the monitor will reduce absenteeism
(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily. - not relevant to the main argument
(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented. - too broad statement that may not apply to this specific situation

This critical reasoning question requires identifying an assumption, which is an unstated premise that must be true for the argument to hold.

The argument states:
1. The company implemented mandatory health check-ins to reduce absenteeism.
2. Mandatory check-ins could lead to feelings of being monitored.
3. Such feelings might decrease job satisfaction, which could prevent absenteeism rates from improving.

The conclusion is that the health check-ins might not reduce absenteeism as intended.

An assumption connects evidence (monitoring decreases job satisfaction) to the conclusion (absenteeism might not improve). The missing link is that job satisfaction significantly affects absenteeism.

Answer Choices:

(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning.
This is irrelevant. The argument assumes the check-ins affect job satisfaction, not whether they are conducted regularly.

(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies.
This is irrelevant. It does not address whether job satisfaction influences absenteeism or link monitoring to absenteeism.

(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.
This is correct. It directly links job satisfaction to absenteeism, bridging the gap in the argument. Without this assumption, the argument collapses.

(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily.
This is irrelevant. The argument focuses on the effects of mandatory check-ins on absenteeism, not on prior practices.

(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented.
This is irrelevant. The argument already assumes employees react negatively to this specific policy, not others.

The correct answer is (C). The argument hinges on the assumption that job satisfaction significantly impacts absenteeism. Without this connection, the idea that decreased job satisfaction might negate the intended reduction in absenteeism wouldn’t make sense.

Conclusion: Therefore, the health check-ins might not reduce absenteeism as intended

The passage mentions lower employee satisfaction, but it doesn't explain why lower satisfaction (as part of health-check-ins) leads to "might now reduce absenteeism". The potential assumption might mention something about this missing logic.

(A) adds new info without any impact on the logic
(B) is irrelevant to the discussion
(C) is the answer I'm looking for
(D) adds new info without any impact on the logic
(E) adds new info without any impact on the logic

Answer: C

Conclusion: The health check-ins might not reduce absenteeism as intended.


(A) The health check-ins have been fully implemented and are conducted regularly each morning.

We don't need the health check-ins to be fully implemented and to be conducted each morning for the argument to hold true. Hence, we can eliminate the option.

(B) Employees’ feelings of being monitored are not worse than any other feelings of dissatisfaction they may have due to other company policies.

The argument relies on how the plan stated in the argument will not achieve its goal. Hence, any other reasons for not achieving goal is not relevant. Eliminate B

(C) The level of job satisfaction among employees is a significant factor influencing their rates of absenteeism.

Correct. If the level of job satisfaction has no bearing to the rate of absenteeism, then the plan will work. However, we are told that the plan will not work. Keep this option.

(D) Before the health check-ins were implemented, no employees reported their health status voluntarily.

Too extreme. Also, out of scope. We don't need to know what was the situation in the organization prior to the plan was implemented. Eliminate D.

(E) Employees typically do not react negatively to other forms of monitoring or reporting that the company has implemented.

The argument relies on how the plan stated in the argument will not achieve its goal. Hence, any other reasons for not achieving goal is not relevant. Eliminate E

Option C

Conclusion: The implementation of health check-ins might not reduce the rate of absenteeism.

Premise 1: Lately there have been a lot of absenteeism citing to health reasons.
Premise 2: And hence the company is mandating the concept of health check-ins where the employees are supposed to report their well-being at the start of their day.
Premise 3: And this can cause a feeling of distrust in employees, leading to not cause a decrease in absenteeism.

Gap: The feeling of distrust is the most significant factor causing absenteeism.

Anything that'll be supporting this gap the most is our assumption.


Let's analyze the choices,

A) We don't mind if it's implemented or not.

B) Irrelevant as it's comparing the feeling of distrust with other company policies.

C) Correct, as it's in line with what we're looking for.

D) Irrelevant.

E) Irrelevant. We don't care about the typical reaction.