In a study of factors affecting employee satisfaction, investigators

i think its D.

it it was an "infer" question then B would have been a good choice, but since we have to find a concusion, only D can be proved right

D) At least 95% of employees will stay for at least one year at some companies with daycare benefits.

this is what D says Does employees here refer to employees only in the 8 companies referred to in the argument. I assumed it to be all the employees including ones not part of the survey. Please clear my confusion.

Went with B but it is D)
In a study of factors affecting employee satisfaction , investigators polled staff at eight companies with over $100 million in revenues and benefits including flexible schedules and on-site daycare.

At least 95% of employees will stay for at least one year at some companies with daycare benefits.

The word SOME is the key... answer D is so unspecified that it can be true.

I chose A because I wasn't sure what companies option D was referring to - the question refers to 8 specific companies with revenues in excess of $100M.
Once I got stuck with this I looked for a RIGHT answer in the remaining options (B,C and E are quite obviously out-of-scope / cannot be inferred) and therefore chose A.

In retrospect, A -> goes beyond the scope of the argument because it says the benefits are IMPORTANT to RAISE overall levels of satisfaction. This is clearly beyond the scope of the argument. if A said "Flexible schedules and daycare are factors relevant to gauge employee satisfaction" then it would have been a great option.

D-> this option wins because of the language. AT LEAST one year in SOME companies (it's not important that it doesn't clarify which companies because it says SOME companies - which may include the 8 companies relevant in the survey mentioned - i.e. the surveyed companies are a subset of the companies spoken about in this answer choice)

Take-away for inference questions: 1. Work from wrong to right and don't force your mind to look for RIGHT answers, train it to spot MORE WRONG answers (applicable to all CR) 2. Inference questions - answer choices tend to be broad/safe and not extreme.

Enjoyed the question!

A? not comfortable because it is no where mentioned that those benefits 'raised' employee satisfaction levels!
B? not comfortable because of 2 reasons. Can 20% be called high? Is profitability reason for employee satisfaction or employee satisfaction reason for profitability?
C? We did not talk about companies without these benefits!
D? Is the 1-5% departure because of day care benefits or some other bigger benefits such as flexible schedules? The little departure rate can be because of employee satisfaction which could be caused by other benefits. Same reason we omitted B. We cannot give the low employee departure credit to daycare benefits alone! For example, imagine yourself in this scenario, 15% people want to leave from company with no benefits. Including daycare services, 3% would back off from leaving. Now the company announces, come whenever you want and other benefits (higher bonuses and family vacation every year) the employees will be more satisfied and another 7% don't want to leave. Remaining 3% still wants to leave for whatever reason (be closer to their family). So in this case how can you say that lower employee departure is because of daycare benefits? Moreover, "varied between 1 and 5% over the period" means per fiscal year or per half year or per quarter? My company discusses these on per quarter basis. So including "per year" in answer choice makes it worse than B
E? Other companies are not in discussion.

So I am lost

Hi Amateur

I would like to answer the question you asked regarding choice D.

First of all, the author addresses a study of factors affecting employee satisfaction levels by investigating eight companies that provide flexible schedules and on-site daycare benefits.
Results of the study are that 1) overall satisfaction levels at the companies were high, 2) the companies enjoyed profit margins averaging over 20% over the last five years, and 3) the rates of employee departures at these companies had varied between 1% and 5% over this period.

Clearly, the investigators are directly attributing these results to the benefits companies are offering to their employees. If you can observe third finding of the study, the rate of employee departure varies between 1% and 5% in those companies. Generally and as per my knowledge, most companies estimate the rate of departures every year and so it is fair enough to use the phrase "employees stay for at least one year" in choice D. I hope I answered second part of your question.

Regarding the first part of your question, the conclusion drawn in choice D is not emphasizing over the kind of benefits that helped companies retain employees but rather implies that 95% of employees will stay for at least one year (Rephrasing one of the observations from the study : rates of employee departures at these companies had varied between 1% and 5% over this period) at SOME companies with daycare benefits(It does not mean that only companies with daycare benefits enjoy low rates of departures). It is ok to conclude that SOME of the companies with day care benefits have low rates of departures based on the information given in the stimulus. Always make sure that the information given in the answer choice is directly drawn from the stimulus without making any additional assumptions.

Hope I helped u. Thanks.

EASY PEASY
The answer is D
This is an inference question. So NEW INFORMATION CANNOT BE USED. we have to USE INFO FROM THE QUESTION STEM.

In a study of factors affecting employee satisfaction , investigators polled staff at eight companies with over $100 million in revenues and benefits including flexible schedules and on-site daycare. The investigators found that overall satisfaction levels at the companies were high, that the companies enjoyed profit margins averaging over 20% over the last five years, and that the rates of employee departures at these companies had varied between 1% and 5% over this period.

Which of the following conclusions may be drawn from the information above?

(A) Flexible schedules and daycare are important benefits for raising overall levels of employee satisfaction.
WRONG:-The question tell us that companies have flexible schedule and day care. Then it tells us employee are satisfied. Our stupid brain makes a quick causal connection on a unconscious level. But does the author REALLY showed anywhere in the statement that flexible schedule is causing satisfaction. They employee might be satisfied by the high pay and bonus and not because of flexible schedule or day care.

(B) High profitability levels for companies with revenues over $100 million are most likely the result of high employee satisfaction levels.
WRONG:- what is the definition of HIGH PROFITABILITY. Is 20 % high profit. The author only mentioned that company have 20 % profit for last 5 years. Again out stupid brain gets confused by seeing 20% and assumed that 20% is high profit.

(C) Companies without daycare and flexible-schedule benefits have higher rates of employee departures than do those with these benefits.
WRONG:- This is outside information. Even if it was true you cannot use it. GARBAGE .. DISCARD IT

(D) At least 95% of employees will stay for at least one year at some companies with daycare benefits.
RIGHT :- READ THE QUESTION STEM'S LAST LINE :- and that the rates of employee departures at these companies had varied between 1% and 5% over this period.
The author is obviously talking about the last 5 years as clearly mentioned in the stem. and he tells us employee departures at these companies had varied between 1% and 5% over these 5 year period. It means during the last 5 years, in the worst case scenario 95% people were still in the company. In the Best case case scenario 99% people were still in the company. Meaning atleast 95-99% people have worked for atleast 1 to 5 years in these 8 companies (8 is not all of the companies but some of the companies). OPTION D fits like a glove. See for yourself :- (D) At least 95% of employees will stay for at least one year at some companies with daycare benefits.


(E) More companies have recently begun offering daycare and flexible schedule benefits to attract potential employees who are also parents.
WRONG :- AGAIN OUTSIDE INFORMATION. GARBAGE EVEN IF IT IS TRUE.

A - The passage just said the overall satisfaction levels at the companies, which have flexible schedules, were high. It doesn't say that it is important. -So, A is out.

B - Passage doesn't tell that profit margins over 20% is considered to high profitability. -B is out.

C - We don't have any information about companies without daycare and flexible-schedule. - C is out.

D - The last sentence told that the rates of employee leaves from these companies varied between 1% and 5% over this period. If 5% of employee resign, there will be 95% stay for that period. So keep D.

E - There is no information about companies that offering benefits to attract employess. - E is out.

So D is the correct answer.

(A) Flexible schedules and daycare are important benefits for raising overall levels of employee satisfaction.- Maybe but it is not mentioned in the argument that only these are the benefits and Moreover if these are the only benefits we still cannot conclude these are important factors for raising overall levels of employee satisfaction.

(B) High profitability levels for companies with revenues over $100 million are most likely the result of high employee satisfaction levels.- Not stated anywhere in the argument.

(C) Companies without daycare and flexible-schedule benefits have higher rates of employee departures than do those with these benefits.- No comparison made and companies without these benefits are out of scope.

(D) At least 95% of employees will stay for at least one year at some companies with daycare benefits.- Correct.
the rates of employee departures at these companies had varied between 1% and 5% over this period. So in the worst case, 5% might leave the company and 95% will stay.

(E) More companies have recently begun offering daycare and flexible schedule benefits to attract potential employees who are also parents. What other companies are doing is out of scope.

Please give kudos. Thank You

At least 95% of employees will stay for at least one year at some companies with daycare benefits.

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