As the number of hours an employee works increases, the amount of taxes withheld, the amount of retirement savings withheld, and the number of sick leave hours granted increase. Which of the following is the independent variable?

This is a dependent variable, as it changes in response to the number of hours worked. The more hours an employee works, the more sick leave hours they are granted. It is not the independent variable because it does not influence the other variables; rather, it is influenced by them.

This is another dependent variable. The amount of retirement savings withheld depends on the number of hours worked. The more hours an employee works, the larger the portion of their income is withheld for retirement savings. Like the number of sick leave hours granted, it is influenced by the independent variable and does not influence the other variables.

This is also a dependent variable. The amount of taxes withheld from an employee's paycheck is dependent on the number of hours they work. The more hours worked, the more taxes are withheld. It does not determine or influence the other variables but is affected by them.