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588 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
401(k) Plan |
A defined contribution plan allowing employees to defer income by making pretax contributions to a retirement account. The plan may also allow for employer matching contributions. |
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403(b) Plan |
Employee retirement account, similar to a 401(k), for public employees. |
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Adverse Selection |
The tendency for people with poorer-than-average health expectations (higher risk) to apply for or continue insurance coverage to a greater extent than people with average or better-than-average health expectations (lesser risk). |
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Age |
Adjusting all salary survey data to the same date (taking inflation into consideration) |
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Balance-Sheet Approach |
Compensation approach for international assignments that equalizes the cost differences between the host country and the home country. |
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Base pay |
The basic compensation for a specified position of employment excluding any other payments or allowances. |
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Benchmark job |
A job that is commonly defined, used to make pay comparisons, either within the organization or to comparable jobs outside the organization. Pay data for these jobs is readily available in published surveys. |
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Benefit |
A collection of non-cash compensation elements, including but not limited to income protection, health coverage, retirement savings, vacation time and income supplements for employees, provided in whole or in part by employer payments. |
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Benefit needs analysis |
A comprehensive review of all employee benefits. |
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Bonus |
A one time amount received or paid in addition to the regular wage or salary. |
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Broadbanding |
Combining salary grades and ranges into a few wide levels, each containing a relatively wide range of jobs and salary levels. |
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Cash Balance Plan |
A defined benefit plan in which the employer contributes a percentage of current pay to an employee's pension plan each year; the employee earns interest on this amount, and may receive a lump sum payment if leaves organization. |
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Cafeteria Plan (Section 125) |
Employee benefit plan that allows employees to select among the various group life, medical expense, disability, dental and other plan to best meet their specific needs. |
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Combined Salary and Commission Plan |
Sales compensation plan that includes straight salary and a commission. |
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Compa-ratio |
Base pay divided by the midpoint of the salary range
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Compensable Factor |
An essential, compensable element of a job such as skills, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. |
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Compensable Time |
Time spend by employees performing work-related tasks. |
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Compensatory Time off |
Time given off instead of payment for additional time worked. |
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Competencies |
Basic employee characteristics/ behaviors that may enhance individual or team performance. |
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Competency Base Pay |
Employee pay based on characteristics/ behaviors or increased job knowledge. |
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Consolidated Omnibis Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) |
Provides for temporary continuation of group health coverage, at group rates, that otherwise might be terminated. |
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consumer price index (CPI) |
Measurement of the average change in a fixed "market basket" of goods and services over time. |
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Contributory plan |
Type of pension plan in which both the employees and the employer contribute |
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Co-payment |
Employee's portion of the cost of insurance premiums and/or other medical care |
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Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) |
Basing annual salary increases on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) |
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Davis-Bacon Act |
Employees with federal construction contracts must pay laborers and mechanics the prevailing wages of the majority of the workers in the same area |
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Defined-Benefit Plan |
An employer's promise to pay employees a fixed amount each year at retirement. Regardless of the rate of inflation, employees receive a pre-determined amount. |
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Defined Contribution Plan |
A retirement plan in which the employee and/or the employer contributes. Employees are usually responsible for choosing investments in these amounts, and income taxes are deferred until the proceeds are withdrawn after age 59 1/2. |
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differential pay |
pay in addition to base pay for special work circumstances |
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Differential Piece-rate system |
An individual pay plan in which employees are paid one piece-rate wages for units produced up to a standard output and a higher piece-rate wage for units produced over the standard. |
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Draw |
A payroll advance repaid by future commissions earned by the sales employee. |
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Earnings-at-risk incentive plan |
Incentive pay plan that puts a portion of the worker's base pay at risk, while also allowing the opportunity to earn more base pay if goals are met or exceeded. |
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Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) |
Employer provided counseling or other services to help employees cope with work or personal problems that may interfere with job performance. |
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Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) |
A law that provides government protection of pensions for all employees with company pension plans. |
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Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) |
Profit sharing plan that gives employees shares of stock in the company; designed to increase employee's effort, commitment and loyalty since they have a stake in the organization's success. |
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Entitlement Philosophy |
Traditional compensation philosophy that gives automatic salary increases based on senority. |
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Equity |
The perceived fairness regarding what an individual does and what is received. |
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Exempt Employees |
Employees not entitled to overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act; positions classified as executive, administrative, professional or outside sales. |
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Factor Comparison System |
Job evaluation system in which the evaluation process is accomplished on a factor-by-factor basis by developing a factor comparison scale. |
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Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 1938 |
Establishes a minimum wage, overtime provisions, and child labor; applies to most non-managerial employees in the private industry. |
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Family and Medical Leave Act |
Eligible employees receive up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for 1) suffering or recovering from a serious health condition, 2) the birth of a child, 3) adoption of a child, or 4) to care for an immediate family member. |
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Fiduciary |
Person placed in a position of trust and confidence expected to exercise a standard of care in administering or managing the assets of others. |
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Flexible Benefits Plan |
Plan that permits employees to choose the benefits they prefer from several benefits offered by the employer. |
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Flexible Spending Account
|
Plan that allows employees to contribute pretax dollars to purchase additional benefits. |
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Gainsharing |
An incentive plan in which groups of employees receive awards base don increased profits, productivity or efficiency |
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Garnishment |
A court order to take part of a person's wages, before he/she gets them, and apply the taken amount to a debt owed to a creditor. |
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Green-circled employee |
Worker paid below the range set for the job |
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Hardship Allowance |
Additional compensation for expatriates assigned to locations with difficult living and working conditions. |
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Hay Profile Method |
Job evaluation method using knowledge, mental activity, and accountability to evaluate executive and managerial positions. |
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Health Care Reimbursement Account (HRA) |
An option under a flexible benefits plan. Expenses paid for uninsured medical or health care services such as vision, hearing and dental care (deductibles, co-payments/ coinsurance, exams for example) are reimbursable by the employer on a nontaxable basis provided IRS rules are met. |
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Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) |
A prepaid health plan delivering comprehensive care to member through designated providers, having a fixed monthly payment for health care services, and requiring members to be in a plan for a specified period of time. |
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Health Savings Account |
A type of flexible spending account that reimburses the employee for out-of-pocket medical expenses; part of the flexible benefit plan. |
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Improshare |
Gainsharing program where bonuses are base don the overall achievements and productivity of a work team. |
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Idemnity Plans |
Traditional fee-for-service group health plans, the patient chooses whichever doctor and hospital he/she wants to use. |
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Independent Contractors |
Individuals who contract with employers to perform specific projects or tasks; they are not employees of the organization. |
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Individual Incentives |
Rewards for the individual effort and performance; piece-rate systems, individual bonuses, and sales commissions. |
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Individual retirement account (IRA) |
A retirement account that allows individuals to make tax-deferred contributions to a personal retirement fund. |
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Job Analysis |
The process of determining the skills and duties required of a job. |
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The Classification System |
Job evaluation system where jobs are classified according to a series of pre-determined salary grades. |
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Job description |
the written duties and responsibilities of a job |
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Job Evaluation |
The systematic process for establishing the relative value/worth of jobs within an organization (internal equity) |
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Job Specifications |
The knowledge, skills and abilities required for a job. |
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Keogh Plan |
A qualified retirement plan for self-employed individuals. |
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Key-Person Insurance |
Insurance intended to cover an organization's costs if a top level executive should die. |
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Lag Policy |
Organization intentionally sets pay structures and targets pay levels below the market rate. |
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Lead Policy |
Organization intentionally sets pay structures and targets pay levels above the market rate. |
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Leveling |
Adjusting salary data to better fit your job requirements (subjective) |
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Long Term Disability (LTD) |
A significant period of disability generally ranging from six months to life. |
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Lump-sum Increase (LSI) |
Any increase in pay that is made from a single cash payment. |
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Managed Care
|
A system that delivers cost effective health care through monitoring and recommending utilization of services.
|
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Mandated Benefits |
Employee benefits that employers provide by law |
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Market Differential |
Temporarily paying above range for certain jobs that are hard to fill |
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Market Line |
The relationship between job value, as determined by job evaluation points and pay survey rates shown on the graph.
|
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Market Price |
Typical wage paid for a job in the immediate labor market |
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Match Only |
Organizational pay policy is set to pay structures and targets pay levels to march the market rates. |
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Maturity Curve |
A process of determining employees' salaries as a function of experience. It assumes that years in a profession equate with more highly valued competencies. |
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Merit (or pay-for-performance) Pay |
Compensation increase based upon an individual's past effort and performance. |
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Money Purchase Plan |
A type of defined contribution plan in which the employer makes fixed, regular contributions for participants, usually a percentage of total pay; employees may also make voluntary contributions. At retirement, the accumulated funds are used to provide annuities or lump-sum distributions. |
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Non-contributory plan |
A retirement or benefit plan in which the employer makes all the contributions. |
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Non-exempt Employees |
Employees who are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage and OT pay provisions. These employees are typically paid hourly. |
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Non-Qualified Plan |
Employee benefit plans that do not adhere to IRS standards, cover only select groups of employees, and don't receive favorable tax treatment. |
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Overtime |
Any hours over 40 worked in a workweek. Non-exempt employees are eligible for OT pay. |
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Organizational Incentives |
Rewards employees for the performance of the entire organization. |
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Paid Time-Off (PTO) Plan |
Benefit plan combining paid sick leave, vacation and holidays. |
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Pay Equity |
The similarity of pay jobs requiring comparable levels of knowledge, skills and abilities. |
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Pay Grade |
A group of jobs of the same or similar value used for compensation purposes. |
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Pay Range |
The range of pay rates (for minimum to maximum) set for a pay grade. Used to set individual pay rates. |
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Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) |
Created by ERISA, insurance program that guarantees payment of basic retirement benefits to participants if a plan is terminated; may also terminate seriously under-funded pension plans. |
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Pension Plans |
A retirement plan established by a corporation or organization to provide income for its employees when they retire. |
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Perquisites (perks) |
Special benefits for executives that are usually non-cash items. |
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Price-rate system |
Individual incentive plan where workers are paid for each unit produced based on predetermined standards. |
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Point of Service Plan (POS) |
A health plan that allows the member to pay little or nothing if they stay within the established delivery system, but permits members to receive services from health providers outside the plan if they are willing to pay higher co-payments, deductibles and possibly monthly premiums.
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Point Method |
Quantitative job evaluation system that assigns points to each job to determine its relative worth |
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Portability |
The ability to transfer pension rights and credits when a workers changes jobs |
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Preferred provide organization (PPO) |
A health care delivery system in which the employer or insurer enters into contracts with health care providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.) to provide health care services at a discount. |
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Prevailing Wage |
The minimum wage to be paid employees working on federal contracts or subcontracts. The wage is determined by the wage paid other workers in the area. |
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Profit Sharing |
The payment of a portion of company profits to employees as a performance incentive in addition to their regular compensation |
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Qualifying Event |
The conditions that require offering continued medical coverage under the COBRA (consolidated omnibus budget reconciliation act) |
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Ranking |
Non-quantitative (whole job) job evaluation method of placing each job in order of relative worth to the organization. |
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Red-Circled Employee |
An employee paid above the range set for this job. |
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Regression Analysis |
The statistical technique of finding a straight line that approximates the information in a group of data points. |
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Roth 401(k) |
A defined contribution plan allowing employees to defer income by making after-tax contributions to a retirement account. |
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Rucker Plan |
Incentive bonus plan based on the relationship between the total earnings of hourly employees and the increased production by the employees. |
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Salary Compression |
A situation that occurs when longer-term employees in a job earn less than new hires for the same job. A salary inequity problem usually caused by inflation. |
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Salary (Pay) Survey |
A method of collecting compensation data for workers performing similar jobs in other organizations. |
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Salary |
The amount regularly paid to an individual regardless of the number of hours worked. |
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Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension Plan (SARSEP) |
Pension plan that allows employees of companies of 25 employees or less to defer taxation on a portion of their income by making voluntary contributions. Permitted under the Tax Reform Act of 1986. |
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Sarbanes-Oxley Act, 2002 |
The Act encourages the disclosure by an employee of confidential employer information, to a government agency, in a publicly traded organization, that may violate federal securities law or any law meant to prevent fraud against shareholders or employees. |
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Scanlon Plan |
Incentive bonus plan using employee committees to achieve cost-reduction improvements. A formula determines the employees' share of cost savings. |
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Seniority |
A workers length of service with an employer relative to the length of service of other workers. |
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Serious Health Condition |
A health condition that requires either impatient care or continuing treatment by a health care provider. |
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Service Contract Act |
Contractors with government service contracts over $2,500 must pay workers prevailing wage rates |
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Shift Differential |
Paying a premium to employees working less desirable shifts. |
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Skill Based Pay |
Rewards employees for the range, depth and types of skills they are capable of using. Also called pay-for-knowledge or multiskilled pay. |
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Social Security Act (1935) |
Provides retirement, disability and health insurance for retired persons and those unable to work. |
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Split-Dollar Plan |
Employer and executive share the cost of the executive's enhanced life insurance premium. |
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Stock option |
The right of employees to buy company stock, usually at a discounted price. |
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Straight Commission Plan |
Sales compensation based only on a percentage of each sale. |
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Straight piece-rate system |
Individual incentive plan in which pay is determined by multiplying the number of units produced by the rate of one unit. |
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Tax Equalization Allowance |
Method used to ensure that expatriates pay no more than the amount of assumed tax from home country income taxes. |
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Team Incentive Plan |
Team members share an incentive bonus when production standards are met or exceeded; commonly used in gain sharing plans. |
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Total Rewards |
Compensation (direct pay), benefits, and the work experience (intangible rewards) |
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Utilization Review |
Evaluation of the necessity, appropriateness and efficiency of the use of medical services and facilities. |
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Variable Pay |
Pay tied to productivity or some measure that can vary with the firm's profitability |
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Vesting |
Benefit plan that guarantees the participants will, after meeting certain requirements, retain the benefits they have accrued. |
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Voluntary Benefits |
Employer provided benefits that are not mandated by the law |
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Wages |
Payments to employees who are paid hourly (non-exempt) directly calculated on the amount of time worked |
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Wage and Salary Survey |
The survey of wages paid by other employees in the relevant labor market. |
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Waivers |
Voluntary agreement between an employee and employer waiving the employer of certain obligations. |
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Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act |
Contractors with government contracts over $10K for supplies, equipment and materials must pay workers prevailing wage rates |
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Workers Compensation |
An insurance program, paid for by the employer, designed to protect employees from expenses incurred for a work-related injury or illness. |
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Accounts Payable |
Money the owes to the vendors or suppliers |
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Accounts Receivable |
Money customers owe the organization |
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Amendment |
Formal revision of, addition to, or change in a bill or constitution |
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Balance Sheet |
Accounting report showing the financial position of an organization |
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Balanced Scorecard |
A management tool that provides a concise picture of the overall organization in 4 quadrants. 1. financial 2. customer perspective 3. internal processes 4. learning and innovation |
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Benchmarking |
The process of comparing a firm's performance against the "best practices" of other leading companies |
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Bill |
Draft of a proposed law presented for approval to a legislative body |
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Centralized organizational structure |
Decisions made by upper management (corporate headquarters) |
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Chain of Command |
A system where authority passes down from the top through a series of management positions in which each is accountable to the one directly superior. |
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Change Theory (Kurt Lewin) |
Unfreeze, move, refreeze |
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Computerized Forecast |
Software package that allows projection of staff needs based on projected sales, production volume and staff needed to maintain that level of production. |
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Consumer Price Index (CPI) |
Index measuring the change in the cost of typical wage earner purchases of goods and services expressed as a percentage of the cost of the same goods and services in some base period. |
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Controlling |
Management responsibilities for ensuring steps for the organizational plan are followed. |
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Coordinating |
Management responsibility for providing resources and tools to accomplish goals |
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Core Competency |
Organizational capabilities or strengths- what an organization does best that differentiates it from competition |
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Cost Leadership Strategy |
Organization seeks to satisfy the consumer need for quality, low cost, products and services. |
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Critical Success Factors (CSF) |
Activities that a business or organization must perform extremely well in order to achieve its mission, goals and objectives |
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Culture |
The values, beliefs and actions of a society |
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Corporate Culture |
A company's values, beliefs, business principles, traditions, ways of operating, and internal work environment. |
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Customer Based Organizational Structure |
Organization chart based on customer needs. |
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Decentralized Organizational Structure |
Decisions made by lower levels of authority |
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Deflation |
A contraction in the volume of available money or credit that results in a general decline in prices |
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Directing |
Management responsibility for leading and reinforcing for effective results |
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Disposable income |
The amount of money consumers have available to spend after taxes have been paid |
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Divisional Organizational Structure |
Organizational chart separated by product, market, group, region, etc. |
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Dual chain of command |
Employees have more than one reporting relationship- as in a matrix structure |
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Economic Value Added (EVA) |
Net operating profit after taxes minus (capital x cost of capital); a measure of the economic value of an investment or project. |
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Employee Engagement |
The extent to which an employee feels a sense of attachment to the organization and believes in its goals and supports its values |
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Environmental Scanning (SPHR) |
The practice of monitoring a business's external environment for changes that pose threats or opportunities for the business |
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Ethics |
Determining right and wrong behavior based on a set of standards of conduct and moral judgement. |
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Ethnocentric Organization |
Organization's headquarters maintains strong control over international operations |
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European Union |
A collaborative network that uses Internet technology to link |
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Extranet |
A collaborative network that uses internet technology to link businesses with their suppliers, customers, or other businesses tat share common goals. |
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Forecasting |
Estimating the likelihood of an event taking place in the future, based on available data from the past. |
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Formula Budgeting |
Overall cost applied to calculate increases in the next budget. |
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Functional organizational structure |
Organizational chart arranged by functional/ department (traditional) |
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General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade |
Establishes rules and guidelines for world trade |
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Geocentric Organization (SPHR) |
Organization seen sin as a single international business |
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Globalization |
Trend to open foreign markets to international trade and investment. |
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Global Organization |
Corporation having business units in a number of countries |
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Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |
The value of the national goods and services produced excluding the value of net income earned abroad. |
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Gross Profit |
The difference between the cost of goods sold and sales |
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HR Audit |
A formal evaluation of the current state of HR management in an organization |
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HR Generalist |
An employee responsible for performing a variety of HR duties. |
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HR Research |
The analysis of HR records and past data to assess the effectiveness of HR practices |
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Historic HR Roles
|
Advisory
Service Control |
|
Current HR Roles |
Administrative Operational Strategic |
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HR Specialist |
An employee with extensive knowledge and expertise in a limited area of HR |
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HR Stratagies |
The actions taken to anticipate and manage the supply of and demand for labor |
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Human Capital |
The knowledge, talents and skills of employees that have economic value to an organization |
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Human Resources Alignment |
Integrating decisions about people with decisions about the results an organization is trying to obtain. |
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Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) |
An integrated system designed to provide information used in HR decision making. |
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Human Resource (HR) Management |
The structure responsible to designing and managing all functions and activities related to the management of people within an organization |
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Human Resource (HR) Planning |
The process by which management ensures that is has the right people, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization reach its objectives |
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Importing and exporting |
Buying and selling goods and services with organizations in other coutnries |
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Income Statement |
Explanation of revenues, expenses, and profits over a period of time. |
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Incremental Budget |
Utilizing the prior budget as the basis for new funding. |
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Individualism (SPHR) |
A social philosophy which stresses the importance of the individual above society |
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Inflation |
An increase in the volume of money and credit relative to available goods and services resulting in a continuing rise in the general price level |
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International Corporation |
Domestic firms that use existing capabilities to move into international markets. |
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Intranet |
A computer network used to share company information and computing resources among employees |
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Joint Resolution |
A resolution passed by both houses of a bicameral (house and senate) legislature and eligible to become a law if singe by the chief executive or passed over the chief executive's veto |
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Product Differentiation Strategy |
Organization seeks to satisfy the consumer desire for unique products and services |
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Productivity |
the amount of output per unit of input (labor, equipment and capital) |
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Quorum |
A minimal number of officers and members of a committee or an organization, usually a majority, who must be present for a valid transaction of business |
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Reengineering |
Redesigning a business to improve measures of performance such as cost, quality of service and speed |
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Regiocentric Organization |
Organization with more coordination within region then with headquarters |
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Regulation |
A principle, rule or law designed to control or govern conduct |
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Return on Investment (ROI)
|
Benefits of a project (over a set time period) divided by the amount invested in the project |
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Secondary Research |
Published or recorded data that have already been collected for some purpose other than the current study |
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Social Responsibility |
An organization's long term investment in causes that go "good" in society while enhancing the company's image/ reputation with the community |
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Span of Control |
The ratio expressing the number of workers that one manager is considered to be able to supervise effectively in a particular situation |
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Staff Manager |
A manager who assists and advises line managers |
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Stages of reaction to change |
Denial Anger Neutral Depression Acceptance |
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Strategic Change |
A change in the company's vision, mission and strategy |
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Strategic Human Resource Management |
A HR management approach that focuses on positioning the organization for success- both now and in the future |
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Strategic Planning |
The process of identifying organizational objectives and the actions needed to achieve those objectives |
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Stragety |
A company's long term plan to maintain a competitive advantage balancing internal and external strengths and weaknesses |
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Supply Chain (Value Chain) |
The distribution channel of a product, from its sourcing, to its delivery, to the end consumer |
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SWOT Analysis |
Organizational internal strengths and weaknesses; external opportunities and threats |
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Tactics |
Detail of the steps to carry out a strategy |
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Transnational Corporation |
Firm that attempts to balance local responsiveness and global scale via a network of specialized operating units |
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Transnational Teams
|
Teams compromised of people of different nationalities working on tasks that span multiple counties |
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Uncertainty avoidance |
The cultural preference of people in a country for structured rather than unstructured situations |
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Unit Labor Cost |
The cost of workers' pay and benefits per unit of manufactured output |
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Utility Analysis |
The use of economic or other statistical models to identify the costs and benefits associated with specific HR activies |
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Values |
What the organization holds in high regard that governs its operations |
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Veto |
The vested power or constitutional right of one branch or department of government to refuse approval of measures proposed by another department, especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature |
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Vision |
What the organization will loo like in the future |
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Vote |
Formal expression of preference for a candidate for office or for a proposed resolution of an issue |
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Zero-balanced budgeting |
new budget starts at zero and all expenditures are budgeted |
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Achievement test
|
Measurement of what a person knows or can do
|
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Adverse (disparate) Impact
|
Employer practices resulting in higher percentages of protected class members being rejected for employment opportunities. Discrimination is probable if the selection rate for a protected class is less than 80% of the selection rate for the majority group. Also, if the protected class representation in the organization is less than 80% of the groups representation in the relevant labor market. |
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Affirmative Action |
Measures taken to correct the effects of past discrimination in hiring and promotion |
|
Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) |
A written document detailing the steps an employer will take to provide equal opportunity within its workfoce
|
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Age Discrimination in Employment Act (1967) |
Prohibits age discrimination of individuals over 40 years of age and prohibits mandatory retirement |
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Albermarle Paper Company vs. Moody
|
Supreme Court ruled that the validity of employment tests must be documented |
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Americans with Disabilities Act |
Prohibits private sector employers who employ 15 or more individuals and all state and local government employers from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of employment. Enforced primarily by the EEOC. |
|
Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act |
Individuals may be considered disabled under the Act with or without assistive devices |
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Application Form |
Employment Form documenting applicant information on education, work experience, and skills |
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Applicant Pool |
The total number of persons who have applied for or have been considered for a particular position. |
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Applicant Population |
The group within the labor force population available for selection using a particular recruiting approach |
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Aptitude Test |
Measurement of a person's capacity to learn new skills |
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Assessment Center |
A series of evaluative exercises and tests used for selection and development purposes |
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Availability Analysis |
The collection, review and analysis of data reflecting the percentage of protected group members available for employment in the labor market. |
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Behavioral Interview |
Interview in which applicants are asked for specific examples of how they performed a certain task or handled a problem in the past. |
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Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) |
Justification for an otherwise discriminatory employment practice. Job requirement that an employee need to be of a certain sex, race, religion or national origin. |
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Business Necessity |
Justification for an otherwise discriminatory practice that has a legitimate business purpose necessary for safe and efficient organizational operations.
|
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Civil Rights Act 1991 |
Amendment to the Civil rights Act of 1964, Title 7 places the burden of proving non-discrimination on employer; permits compensatory and punitive damages, and allows for jury trial. |
|
Cognitive Ability Tests |
A psychological assessment that measures how well an individual processes information (perception, conceptualization, problem solving); the term is frequently used as a synonym for intelligence test. |
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Comparable Worth (Pay Equity) |
Paying equally for jobs that are of comparable value to the employer, although they may have quite dissimilar job duties |
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Concurrent Validity |
Measured when an employers tests current employees and correlates the scores with their performance ratings. 1. test all current employees on key job elements 2. measure job performance 3. correlate the test scores with performance ratings 4. use on future applicants to predict job success |
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Construct Validity |
Show relationship between a measure of an abstract characteristic and performance on the job. Examples: personality tests, intelligence tests, leadership potential, creativity |
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Content Validity |
The ability of the items in a measuring instrument or test to adequately measure the actual skills used on the job; examples: typing, interview questions covering previous experience |
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Correlation Coefficient |
A statistic that gives measure of how closely two variables are related |
|
Criterion-Related Validity |
The extent to which test scores correlate with job performance, either at present (concurrent validity) or in the future (predictive validity)
|
|
Disabled Person |
Any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment |
|
Disability |
A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity |
|
Disparate Impact |
The adverse effect of a facially neutral practice that nonetheless discriminates against persons because of their race, sex, national origin, age or disability and that has not been shown to be job related and consistent with business necessity |
|
Disparate Treatment |
Employment practices which are applied or administered in a discriminatory manner; the different treatment is based on one or more of the protected factors and the different treatment is intentional |
|
Diversity |
Recognizing and valuing differences among people |
|
Downsizing |
The process of reducing the number of workers employed by a firm |
|
Early Retirement Window |
Time period in which eligible employees are encouraged to retire early with the incentive of enhanced pension benefits, and possibly a cash payment. |
|
Employee Referrals |
System that encourages and rewards current employees who refer family and friends for job openings |
|
Employee Leasing |
Process of dismissing employees and then bringing them back to work through a leasing company which handles all HR-related activities for those workers. |
|
Employer Brand Equity |
Companies with strong product brands have an advantage in attracting job seekers |
|
Employment "Test" |
An employment tool used to make an employment related decision |
|
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) |
The right of all persons to be accorded full and equal considerations for employment, retention and advancement on the basis of merit |
|
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission |
Commission created by Title 7 to investigate job discrimination claims. |
|
Equal Pay Act (1963) |
Requires equal pay for work, regardless of sex |
|
Essential Job Functions |
Those functions of a job or task which must be completed with or without an accommodation. |
|
E-Verify |
An internet-based system that compares employment eligibility to government records of eligibility. |
|
Expatriate |
A person who leaves his or her native country to live and work in another |
|
Flexible Staffing
|
The use of recruiting sources to obtain workers who are not traditional employees |
|
Glass Ceiling |
An unofficial barrier to upper management or prominent positions within an organization which certain groups, particularly women, are unable to cross |
|
Griggs v. Duke Power Company |
Supreme Court decision that identified adverse or disparate impact - a seemingly neutral employment practice that works to the disadvantage of protected class members. |
|
Host-Country National |
An employee who is a citizen of a country in which a branch or plant is located, but the organization is located in another country |
|
Hostile Work Environment |
Conduct aimed at a protected class member, usually sexual, that unreasonably interferes with the individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
|
|
Independent Contractors |
A person or business which provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract |
|
Inpatriate |
A foreign national working in the U.S. |
|
Job Bidding |
Employees formally express interest in a job that may be open in the future |
|
Job Posting |
Employer internal notice of job openings inviting qualified employees to apply |
|
Job Sharing |
2 part time employees sharing one full time job |
|
Labor Force Population |
The total of all persons available for employment selection |
|
Labor Markets |
The market in which workers compete for jobs and employers compete for workers
|
|
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act |
Each paycheck that delivers discriminatory compensation in a wrong actionable under the federal EEO status, regardless of when the discrimination began |
|
Major Life Function |
Caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, eating, sleeping, hearing, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating and working. |
|
Marginal Job Functions |
Duties that are part of a job but are not the purpose or nature of the job. |
|
Markov Matrix |
Method of tracking the pattern of employee movement through various jobs. |
|
Mass Layoff |
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act (WARN) applies when a reduction in force involves at least 1/3 of the workers, or at least 50 employees are laid off for at least a 30 day period. |
|
Nepotism |
The practice of employing workers who are related to management employees. |
|
Nondirective Interview |
Interview using questions developed from the answers to previous questions. |
|
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) |
Federal office responsible for implementing executive orders regarding federal contractors and ensuring the compliance of orders. |
|
Outsourcing |
Contracting with an outside firm to perform work that could be done internally |
|
Panel Interview |
Interview using several interviewers to question a candidate at the same time |
|
Person-Job Fit |
The match between a person's knowledge, skills, and abilities and the requirements of a specific job. |
|
Person- Organization Fit |
The similarity of an individual's personality, beliefs and values with the culture, norms, and values of an organization. |
|
Phased Retirement |
Approach in which older workers reduce their workloads and pay |
|
Physical Ability Tests |
Assessment tools that measure individual strength, endurance, and muscular movement. |
|
Placement |
Putting a person into the right job |
|
Predictive Validity |
Measured when test results of applicants are compared with subsequent job performance: 1. measure all applicants on key job elements 2. Hire and wait for some period of time 3. Measure performance on these same employees 4. correlate test sores with performance ratings |
|
Pregnancy Discrimination Act, PDA |
An amendment to Title 7 that prohibits discrimination based on "pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions" |
|
Protected Class |
A group of people who share common characteristics and are protected from discrimination and harassment by federal and/or state laws |
|
Psychomotor Tests |
Assessment tools that measure hand-eye coordination, arm-based steadiness, dexterity and other factors. |
|
Quid Pro Quo Harassment |
Submission to sexual conduct is made an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment. |
|
Qualified Individuals |
Persons who can perform the essential functions of a job as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act |
|
Realistic Job Preview (RJP) |
Part of the selection process that gives an applicant a clear idea of what it will be like to work at the job if hired. |
|
Reasonable Accomodation |
The modification of work environment that enables a qualified person with a disability to apply for a job and perform the essential functions of the job. |
|
Recruiting |
All measures involved in the hiring and employment of suitable applicants |
|
Reduction in Force (RIF) |
The process used to terminate employment positions due to lost funding, change of work requirements, or the reorganization of a department or business operation |
|
Reliability |
Consistency with which a test measures an item. Scores for a test taken twice should be similar (same person takes test again and scores about the same) |
|
Repatriation |
The process of transitioning an employee home from an international assignment |
|
Retaliation |
Actions taken by management or condoned by management because an employee exercised a right protected by law or reported a violation of law to a proper authority. |
|
Reverse Discrimination |
Discrimination against an individual or group that is usually the majority. |
|
Right-to-sue letter |
EEOC notification to a complainant that s/he has 90 days in which to file a personal suit in federal court. |
|
Selection |
The process of choosing an individual with the necessary qualifications to fill a position within an organization. |
|
Selection Criteria |
The qualifications established for a given position, representing the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to adequately perform a job at entry level. |
|
Selection Rate |
The percentage of employees hired from a group of candidates |
|
Sexual Harassment |
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that subject to the worker to adverse employment conditions or create a hostile work environment. |
|
Situational Interview |
Interview situation in which the interviewer asks the applicant to resolve a hypothetical situation that might happen on the job. |
|
Stress Interview |
Interview questions designed to make the applicant feel confused, fearful and defensive to see how s/he would respond. |
|
Structured Interview |
Interview comprised of standardized questions asked of all job applicants. |
|
Team Interview |
Multiple interviewers comprised of members of the prospective department or a mixture of employees from throughout the company the applicant might work with. |
|
Termination |
The permanent end of an employment relationship. |
|
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act |
Section of the Civil Rights Act that makes it illegal to discriminate because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin with respect to hiring, compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment. |
|
Third-Country National |
A citizen of one country, working in a second country, and employed by an organization headquartered by a third country. |
|
Turnover |
The ratio of the number of workers replaced in a given time period to the average number of workers. |
|
Undue Hardship |
An action that requires significant difficulty or expense in relation to the size of the employer, the resources available, and the nature of the operation |
|
Uniform Guidelines and Employment Selection Procedures |
Guidelines issues jointly by the EEOC, DOL, and OFCCP to determine whether employers are complying with federal discrimination laws |
|
Utilization Analysis |
An analysis of protected group availability compared to the current workforce for the purpose of determining the representation of protected groups |
|
Validity |
The extent to which a measurement instrument or test accurately measures what is supposed to measure. |
|
Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRA) |
Requires contractors or subcontractors who have a contract with the Federal government for $100K or more to take affirmative action to employe, advance or otherwise treat veterans without discrimination. Enforced by the OFCCP. |
|
Vocational Rehabilitation Act |
Prohibits discrimination in employment against qualified individuals with disabilities. Requires employers with federal contracts over $10K to take affirmative action in the hiring, and to make reasonable accomodations, for disabled persons. Enforced by the OFCCP. |
|
Walsh-Healy Public Contracts Act |
Requires prevailing wage rates for workers on government contracts for supplies, equipment, and materials over $10K. Wages are established based on what other workers doing the same job are being paid in the same locality. |
|
Work Sample Tests |
Tests requiring the examinee to perform tasks that are similar to those performed on the job. |
|
Yield Ratios |
The comparison of the number of applicants at one stage in the recruiting process to the number in another stage. |
|
Active Practice |
Participants actually perform job-related tasks and duties during training. |
|
Alternational ranking method |
Ranking all employees from best to worst and then highest to lowest on a certain trait |
|
Apprenticeship Training |
A combination of classroom instruction and ob-the-job training for people to become skilled in an area of work. |
|
Behavior Modeling |
A training process designed to change behavior. Trainees view behavior models, rehearse the behaviors, receive feedback, and then transfer these behaviors to their work environment. |
|
Behavior Modification |
Changing behavior by rewarding for positive and penalizing or ignoring negative. |
|
Behavior Observation Scale (BOS) |
Using a behavioral approach to measure frequency of desired behavior for purposes of performance appraisal. |
|
Behavioral Rating |
Assessing and rating an employee's behaviors rather than other characteristics. |
|
Behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) |
An appraisal method that combines narrative critical incidents and quantified ratings by anchoring a quantified scale with specific narrative examples of good and poor performance. |
|
Career |
A chosen pursuit; profession or occupation |
|
Career Counseling |
Assisting an employee in developing their career interests and goals, identifying skills and suitable career objectives |
|
Career Path |
Line of advancement in a job within an organization |
|
Career Planning and Development |
A process of becoming aware of personal career related attributes and the lifelong series of stages that contribute to a person's career fulfillment |
|
Career Plateau |
Reaching the end of a career ladder for either personal or organizational reasons
|
|
Central tendency |
The tendency of scores in a frequency distribution to luster around a central value |
|
Checklist |
Performance appraisal instrument using statements or words that are checked by raters |
|
Coaching |
A form of training where supervisor/ manager models or demonstrates a behavior or task and uses feedback to guide the employee while s/he practices a behavior or task |
|
Computer Assisted Instruction |
Using computers in an interactive format to provide job instruction. |
|
Contrast Error |
Rating employees compared to others instead of against performance standards. |
|
Controlled Experimentation |
Testing the effectiveness of a training program using pre and post tests and a control group |
|
Cooperative Training |
Providing on the job training combined with class work |
|
Cost-benefit analysis |
The process of assessing and comparing both the costs (financial cost, resources needed) and the benefits of a course of action (such as training) in order to determine if it is a desired course of action |
|
Criterion Contamination |
Non-performance factors influence job performance ratings |
|
Critical incident |
Positive or negative event that relates to an employee's performance |
|
Critical incident method |
Maintaining a record of exemplary and undesirable work behavior and sharing it with the employee at predetermined times |
|
Cross Training |
Providing training to employees in job areas closely rated to theirs |
|
Deductive Reasoning |
Reasoning from the general to the particular (from cause to effect) |
|
Development |
The process of improving an employee's ability to prepare for future roles in the organization |
|
E-learning |
Self-paced, interactive training programs produced on CD or the Web that contain multimedia elements and automated test questions that provide instant feedback to the trainee. |
|
Employee Orientation |
A process of providing new employees with background information about the company |
|
Encapsulated Development |
Situation in which participants in a training program lean new methods and ideas but return to a work unit unwilling to use new methods. |
|
Error of Central Tendeny |
Incorrectly rating all employees above average |
|
Essay Method |
Providing a narrative portion to the performance appraisal |
|
Expatriation |
The process of preparing and sending global employees to foreign assignments |
|
Forced-choice method |
Rater chooses between predetermined statements to rate an employee's performance. |
|
Forced Distribution |
Performance appraisal method in which employe |
|
Graphic Rating Scale |
A performance appraisal scale that requires the rater to mark employee's performance along a continuum. |
|
Halo Effect |
A performance rating error that assess a person high on all items because of performance in one area. |
|
Human Capital |
The set of skills that an employee acquires on the job, through training and experience, which increase that employee's value in the marketplace. |
|
Immediate Confirmation |
The concept that training skills are best retained if reinforcement and feedback is given shortly after training |
|
In-basket training |
Using real life work situations to evaluate trainees. Used for management development. |
|
Individual-centered Career Planning |
The focus of career planning on individual needs rather than on organizational needs. |
|
Inductive Reasoning |
A system of reasoning based on observation and measurement. |
|
Informal Training |
Training that occurs on the job and is often accomplished through personal instruction, guidance from a supervisor, or even by observing co-workers. |
|
Instructional Objectives |
Desired outcomes of a training program |
|
Job Enlargement |
Increasing the number of job related duties for an employee |
|
Job Enrichment |
Recreating job responsibilities so the employee has increased responsibility resulting in feelings of achievement, growth and recognition. |
|
Job Instruction Training (JIT) |
Using job description of all basic activities for initial training of an employee. |
|
Job Rotation |
Moving an employee from job to job as a means of providing variety and experience while creating back-up potential for the performance of other jobs. |
|
Knowledge Management |
Capturing, organizing, and storing knowledge and experiences of individual workers and groups within an organization and making this information available to others in the organization. |
|
Leaderless Group Discussion |
Setting up a discussion with trainees on a specific topic, with or without designated group roles. |
|
Life Long Learning |
Participating in continuing education throughout a career. |
|
Management Assessment Center |
A process of putting prospective management candidates through a series of hypothetical scenarios and evaluating their performance. |
|
Management by objectives (MBO) |
A system in which specific performance objectives are jointly determined by subordinates and their supervisors, progress towards objectives is periodically reviewed, end results are evaluated and rewards are allocated on the basis of this progress. |
|
Management by Development |
Improving management by increasing knowledge and skills along with changing perspective. |
|
Management Game |
Computer simulation of realistic situations that provides development for management teams |
|
Manager and/or supervisor appraisal |
Review of an employe's performance appraisal by a manager one level higher. |
|
Massed Practice |
Practicing all of the new skills learned at once |
|
Mentors |
Individuals coach, advise and encourage others of lesser rank. |
|
Mentoring |
The process in which an experienced colleague is assigned to an inexperienced individual and assists in a training or general support role. |
|
Motivation |
An individual's desires or goals which propel him/ her into action. |
|
On the job training |
learning a job while working the position while being provided supervision |
|
Organization-centered Career Planning |
Career planning with a focus on future needs of the organization |
|
Pairing Comparison Method |
Ranking employees in pairs and the choosing which would be the better employee |
|
Peer Appraisal |
Using fellow employee comments that are compiled into a single profile to be used as part of the employee's performance appraisal |
|
Performance Management Systems |
The procedures used to identify, measure, evaluate and reward employee performance. |
|
Performance Standards |
Verifiable, measurable levels of employee performance in terms of quantity, quality and timeliness. |
|
Primacy Effect |
The tendency to give greater weight to information received first than to that noted later. |
|
Programmed Learning |
Job training that involves the employee answering questions and providing immediate feedback on their answers |
|
Ranking |
The arranging of a set of scores in order from lowest to highest, or highest to lowest |
|
Rater Bias |
Rater error that occurs when the rater's values or prejudices distort the rating |
|
Recency Effect |
The tendency to give greater weight to recent events rather than appraising an individual's entire performance |
|
Reinforcement |
The tendency to repeat responses when given positive rewards, and to avoid actions associated with negative consequences |
|
Repatriation |
The preparation for the reassignment of employees back to their home countries |
|
Role Playing |
Part of training that involves employees acting out realistic situations |
|
Sabbatical Leave |
A paid leave of absence intended to develop and rejuvenate an individual employee |
|
Self-Appraisal |
Used as a portion of the performance review in which the employee self rates |
|
Self-Efficacy |
An individual's belief in his/her ability to successfully master a given situation |
|
Sensitivity Training |
A process led by trained specialists to increase employee's awareness of the effects of their own behavior |
|
Similar-to-me error |
Rating an employee higher due to a personal connection between the employee and the rater |
|
Simulated Training |
Employee training using simulated equipment to reduce accidents and training costs |
|
Simulation |
A development technique that requires participants to model real-life work situations and/or variables |
|
Spaced Practice |
Training and practice sessions spaced over a period of time |
|
Strictness/ leniency error |
Tendency for management to rate all employees either high or low |
|
Team Appraisal |
Recognizing team performance rather than individual accomplishments for performing appraisals. Based on TQM concept |
|
Team Building |
Improving teams by providing consultants, interviews and meetings |
|
Training |
Activity leading to skills behaviors |
|
Transfer of training |
Effectively matching principles learned to what is needed for a job |
|
Administrative Law Judge |
Someone employed by the National Labor Relations Board to conduct unfair labor practice hearings and render decisions to the NLRB |
|
AFL-CIO |
Formed by a merger in 1955 between the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizatoins |
|
Agency Fee |
The portion of union dues that non-union employees must pay when employed under an employer with an agency shop clause |
|
Agency Shop |
Employees are not required to join the union but must pay the union a sum equal to membership dues to defray bargaining and grievance expenses |
|
Ally Doctine |
The employees of a secondary employer do not commit an unfair labor practice by refusing to perform struck work |
|
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) |
Employee complaint or dispute resolution procedures |
|
Alternative Work Arrangements (AWA) |
Work structures that alter the time and/or place that work gets done on a regular basis |
|
American Federation of Labor |
Federation of craft unions |
|
Appropriate Bargaining Unit |
A grouping of jobs whose employees share common employment interests and conditions (Communities of Interest) |
|
Arbitration |
The final step in most union grievance procedures in which a neutral third party renders a binding decision. Win-Lose. |
|
Arbitration Hearing |
A meeting with the grievance parties and an arbitrator where testimony, evidence, and exhibits are presented, from which the arbitrator makes a binding decision. |
|
Attitude Survey |
Employee survey that focuses on their feelings and beliefs about their jobs and the organization |
|
Bad Faith Bargaining |
A practice by an employer or union that constitutes a refusal to bargain over mandatory issues, or to insist impasse on a permissive issue |
|
Bargaining Unit |
group of 2 or more employees with common working conditions that may reasonably be grouped together for collective bargaining |
|
Boycott |
The refusal to purchase or handle products from companies involved in a labor dispute |
|
Bumping |
A seniority right of an employe who is going to be laid off to claim a different job held by an employee with lower seniority status |
|
Business Agent |
An employee of the union who operates the local union office and assists union members |
|
Captive Audience |
Employees required to attend employer meeting during a pre-election campaign |
|
Card Check |
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus one of the employees in a bargaining unit, the employer may, but is not obligated to, accept the union as the exclusive bargaining representative without a secret ballot election.
|
|
Centralized Bargaining |
Collective bargaining unit that covers more than one appropriate bargaining unit, examples are multi plant or multi employer |
|
Certification |
The NLRB determination that the union has won the representation election |
|
Change to Win |
Coalition of American labor unions formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL-CIO |
|
Civil Service Reform Act |
Codified the rights of federal employees to organize. Bargaining rights do not extend to economic or staffing issues. |
|
Clayton Act |
An Amendment to the Sherman Antitrust Act, that removed union activities as possible restrains of trade. |
|
Closed Shop |
An unlawful collective bargaining clause that would require an applicant to be a union member before being employed. |
|
Coalition Bargaining |
A bargaining structure in which a group of unions simultaneously bargains with a single employer |
|
Co-Determination |
A practice whereby union or worker representatives are given positions on the board of directors (practiced in Europe) |
|
Collective Bargaining |
Process of negotiating a labor agreement where representatives of management and workers negotiate over wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment |
|
Common Law |
Law established by subject matter heard in earlier cases |
|
Common Situs Picketing |
Picketing an entire work site even thought the labor dispute may involve only one union or one employer working at that site |
|
Company Union |
Union created and supported by the company. These are illegal |
|
Complaint |
Employee's ora dissatisfaction with the interpretation of the labor agreement. |
|
Compressed work week |
Scheduling a full work week schedule into fewer than 5 days |
|
Concerted Activity |
Two or more employees engaging in actions for "the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection" |
|
Concession Bargaining |
Trade-offs in demands by both union and management negotiators in the collective bargaining process |
|
Conciliation |
Process by which a third party attempts to keep union and management negotiators talking so that they can reach a voluntary settlement |
|
Congress of Industrial Organizations |
Federation of industrial unions |
|
Constructive Discharge |
Employee voluntarily quits because the employer deliberately made conditions so harsh, unreasonable, or intolerable in an attempt to get an employee to leave |
|
Contract Administration |
The process a union and management pursue in complying with the contract during its term |
|
Consumer (product) picketing |
union attempt to persuade customers to refuse to purchase products from an employer the union has a labor dispute with |
|
Contract Bar Doctrine |
Representation elections may not be held during the life of a valid, singed, collective bargaining agreement with a duration of at least 3 years |
|
Contractual Rights |
Individual rights based on specific agreement between an employer and employee |
|
Craft Union |
A union representing predominantly employees in one occupation, such as carpenters |
|
De-Authorization |
Process whereby the bargaining unit members remove union security clauses from the collective bargaining agreement |
|
Decertification |
Legal process in which employees terminate a union's right to represent them |
|
Defamation |
An intentional false communication that injures another person's good name or reputation |
|
Discipline |
Procedure that corrects or punishes employees for violating a rule or procedure |
|
Distributive Justice |
Perceived fairness that the individual is treated the same as others in disciplinary action. |
|
Distributive Bargaining |
Adversarial approach to the collective bargaining process where gains for one party come at the expense of the other party. |
|
Due Process |
Individual's opportunity to explain and defend his/her position during a disciplinary action. |
|
Dues check-off |
Collective bargaining provision requiring union members to have their union dues automatically deducted from their paychecks and transferred to the union. |
|
Duty to Bargain |
The duty of both the union and management, following certification by the NLRB, to bargain over "wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment" |
|
Economic Strike |
Strike resulting from a failure of the negotiators to agree during the collective bargaining on mandatory issues (wages, benefits, or other conditions of employment) Strikers may be replaced. |
|
Election Bar |
The certification of an election by the NLRB prohibits another election in the same unit for one year. |
|
Empathetic bargaining |
Each side is aware of the other's situation and collective bargaining negotiations are guided by an appreciation of those circumstances |
|
Employment-at-will (EAW) |
Common law doctrine giving employers the right to fire employees without giving a reason, unless there is a law or contract to the contrary, and the right of employees to leave whenever they choose. |
|
End-Run Bargaining |
Union attempt to bypass the employer's negotiators at the bargaining table and bargain directly with the company's executives. |
|
Excelsior List |
List of names and addresses in a bargaining unit. Employer must give the list to the NLRB within seven days of the representation election being ordered. |
|
Exclusive Representation |
All individuals within a bargaining unit are represented by the union for purposes of collective bargaining regardless of whether they voted for representation or whether they are union members |
|
Fair Representation |
The legal obligation for a union to fairly represent both union members and non-union members in a bargaining unit |
|
Featherbedding |
An illegal union demand to retain jobs that are no longer necessary |
|
Federation |
Group of independent national and international unions. |
|
Federal Labor Relations Authority |
The federal employment equivalent of the NLRB |
|
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service |
A federal agency created by the Taft-Hartley Act to assist employers and unions when bargaining has reached impasse |
|
Final-Offer Arbitration |
A variation of interest arbitration in which the arbitrator must choose one of the offers of the parties. In another variation, the arbitrator may select the entire package or make the determination issue by issue. |
|
Flextime |
Employees are allowed to schedule their workday around a core of midday hours |
|
Focus Group |
Facilitator led, structured small group discussions to gather feedback or ideas. |
|
Free-rider |
Bargaining unit member is not required to pay union dues; occurs under an open shop or in a right to work state law. |
|
Gissel Rule |
The NLRB may order a company to recognize and bargain with a union if evidence reveals that a fair, impartial election would be impossible because of serious or numerous employer union labor practices |
|
Good Faith Bargaining |
The obligation of all collective bargaining negotiators to demonstrate an honest and sincere intent to finalize a labor agreement by being reasonable in bargaining positions, tactics and activities |
|
Good Faith Bargaining Impasse |
Although bargaining in good faith, both parties are unwilling to concede their bargaining position on mandatory subjects still in dispute. |
|
Grievance |
Employer's written protest about a perceived violation of the labor agreement involving mandatory issues (wages, hours, or conditions of employment) |
|
Grievance procedures |
Formal step-by-step procedures for resolving workplace disputes arising from the interpretation of the labor agreement |
|
Hot Cargo Agreement |
Illegal agreement that allows union members to refuse to handle goods made by non-union labor and/or employees at a struck company. Unfair labor practice under the Landrum-Griffin Act. |
|
Hot Stove Rule |
Disciplinary rule that can be compared to touching a hot stove; it gives warning, is immediately effective, consistently applied and applies to all employees fairly and unbiased. |
|
Illegal Bargaining Issues |
Collective bargaining issues that would require either party to take illegal, or discriminatory, action. There is no duty to bargain in good faith over such issues. |
|
Implied Contract |
An agreement which is not reduced to writing but is created, under the common law,on the basis of the behavior of the parties which suggests that they are acting under an agreement. |
|
Industrial (labor) relations |
Human resource role that addresses employment issues in a unionized workplace. |
|
Industrial Union |
Union representing employees in a single industry, such as the United Auto Workers. |
|
Informational Picketing |
Union's attempt to inform the public of a labor dispute with the picketed business. |
|
Injunction |
Court order compelling a party to resume or desist from a certain action. |
|
Insubordination |
An employee's willful disregard or disobedience of a legitimate supervisory order. |
|
Integrative Bargaining |
Bargaining over issues in which both parties may achieve a better position that the one previously held. |
|
Interest Arbitration |
Arbitration over the contents of a contract |
|
Interest-Based Bargaining |
The activities within a bargaining team that lead to agreements on positions and concessions in negotiations.
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Job Rotation |
Providing variety and experience for employees while creating back-up potential for performance of individual jobs. |
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Jurisdictional Dispute |
The assignment of work members of one union, alleged to be the job duties of members of another union. |
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Just Cause |
Exception to employment at will that requires reasonable justification for taking employment-related actions. |
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Laboratory Conditions |
NLRB goal to conduct union campaigns and elections in nearly ideal conditions |
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Landrum-Griffin Act (Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act) |
Defines union-member rights when dealing with their own union. |
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Last change agreement |
written disciplinary agreement defining strict conditions to be met for continued employment. Violation of the agreement would result in the employee's immediate termination. |
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Libel |
False and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person. |
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Local Union |
The union unit closest to the members. |
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Lockout |
During a labor dispute, management refuses work to employees or closes its establishment in order for a certain period of time. |
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Maintenance of membership |
Collective bargaining requirement that union members must remain in the union for a certain period of time. |
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Management Rights Clause |
General statement in a collective bargaining agreement reserving the rights of the employer to manage, direct, and control its business, unless voluntarily limited or restricted in written agreement. Also, called the management reserved right doctrine. |
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Mandatory Bargaining Issues |
Issued related to "wage, hours, and other conditions of employment" must be negotiated in the collective bargaining process if they are introduced by one of the parties |
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Mediation |
Means by which a neutral third party assists a grievance between parties. Win-win |
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Mediator |
A third party neutral, with no binding authority, assists parties in resolving their grievance. |
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Multi-Employer Bargaining |
A group of employers in the same industry bargain for a contract, the terms and conditions which apply for all the employers. |
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National Emergency Strike |
A strike that might imperil the national health and safety |
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National Labor Code |
1. National Labor Relations Act- Wagner Act
2. Labor-Management Relations Act - Taft- Hartley Act 3. Labor-Management Reporting & Disclosure Act- Landrum-Griffin Act |
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National Labor Relations Act (Wagner Act) |
Encouraged the growth of unions in the US. Banned certain types of unfair labor practices and provided for secret ballot representative elections |
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National Labor Relations Board |
Agency created by the NLRA to investigate unfair labor charges, and to regulate and oversee union election campaigns and secret ballot representative elections. |
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National Mediation Board |
Agency that holds representative elections and mediates contract disputes between employers and union election campaigns and secret-ballot representative elections. |
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Non-Compete Agreement |
Agreement prohibiting a former employee from competing with the employer in the same line of business for a specified period of time |
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Norris-LaGuardia Act |
Federal Act that guarantees workers the right to bargain collectively free from interference, restraint or coersion |
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Ombudsman |
Employee from outside the normal chain of command designated to expedite employment disputes. |
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Open Door Policy
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Policy encouraging employees to contact levels of management above the immediate supervisor, if necessary, to settle grievances. |
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Open Shop |
Employment arrangement in which an employee would not be required to join a union as a condition of employment. |
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Parole evidence rule |
Anything discussed or noted, but not written into the labor agreement, may not be used later as evidence of what may have been intended by either party. |
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Past Practice |
A traditional work practice or rule that employees rely on though it is not a part of the collective bargaining agreement. |
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Peer Review Panel |
Group of employees who hear appeals from disciplined or terminated employees and make recommendations or decisions. |
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Permissive Bargaining Issues |
Collective bargaining issues that are not mandatory or illegal but relate to certain jobs or groups of employees (such as retirement benefits). May be negotiated if both parties agree. |
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Picketing |
Union members walk outside of employer's premises, usually carrying signs, for the purpose of achieving a specific objective. |
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Policies |
A written principle to guide decision making. |
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Positive Discipline |
Discipline that focuses on the early correction of employee work-related problem, giving the employee the responsibility for correcting the problem |
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Procedural Justice |
Perceived fairness of the process used by an organization in determining whether its work rules or policies have been violated. |
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Procedures |
The process or steps to achieve determined results |
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Production cells |
Group of employees who produce entire products or components |
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Progressive Discipline |
Increasingly severe penalties for repeated similar violations by an employee. |
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Quality Circle |
A group of employees that meet to consider problems or other matters related to the improvement of quality outputs of a process |
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Railway Labor Act |
The labor act passed in 1926 that applies to rail and airline industries |
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Ratification |
The process in which union members vote to accept or reject a negotiated contract settlement. |
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Recognition Picketing |
Union attempt to gain employee recognition of the union as their bargaining representative
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Representation |
The union's role as the employees' agent in employment matters |
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Representation Election |
An employee election to determine whether employees desire to be represented by a union for the purpose of collective bargaining |
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Reserve Gate Picketing |
NLRB requirement that employers may designate an entrance for employees not involved in a labor dispute. The union may not picket at that entrance. |
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Responsibilities |
Obligations of individuals for their own actions.
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Rights |
Privileges belonging to individuals by law, nature or tradition |
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Right to Privacy |
Individual freedom from unauthoirzed and unreasonable intrusion into personal affairs |
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Right-to-work laws |
A state law, permitted under the Taft-Hartley Act, forbidding the requirement of union membership as a condition of obtaining or continuing employment |
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Rules |
Employer regulations that specify the accepted workplace behavior or prohibitions of individuals |
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Salting |
Union organizing tactic, Workers, employed by the union as undercover organizers, apply for and are hired by unsuspecting employers, in order to organize the workers |
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Secondary Boytott |
Union strikes an employer not directly involved in the labor dispute to put pressure on the employer in the dispute |
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Self-directed work team |
A group of employees who share responsibility for a complete product process, or accomplishment of a significant part of the process. |
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Seniority |
the period of time between an individual being hired or moved into a current job and the present |
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Sherman Anti-Trust Act |
A federal law prohibiting price-fixing and restraint of trade; allowed courts to issue injunctions forcing striking workers back to work |
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Shamrock Team |
Group that consists of core members, with resource experts and part-time members joining temporarily, as needed |
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Sit-Down Strike |
An illegal strike in which employees stop working but refuse to leave their work station, denying the employer the use of the facility |
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Slander |
Words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another. |
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Special-purpose team |
Group of employees formed to address specific problems or work processes |
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Spillover effect |
The tendency for economic gains won in the collective bargaining process to influence pay and benefit decisions for non-union employees |
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Statutory Rights |
Individual rights as the result of laws or statutes |
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Step Review System |
Review of employee complaints or disputes by successively higher levels of management |
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Steelworker's Trilogy |
A set of 3 Supreme Court decisions establishing arbitration as the final decision-making step in the grievance process. |
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Strike |
Temporary work stoppage in which union members refuse to work for the purpose of expressing their grievance or demand on the employer |
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Strike Benefits |
Funds set aside by a national union to pay union members on strike |
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Strike Breakers |
Employees and/or hired replacements willing to cross picket lines and continue to work during a strike
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Suggestion System |
A formal means for workers to identify wastes, safety, and environmental concerns and submit improvement ideas. |
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Super-Seniority |
The state of having greater seniority than any other individual in the bargaining unit. It is usually conferred on union stewards to protect them in the case of layoffs. |
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Suspension |
Unpaid disciplinary layoff |
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Sweetheart Arrangements |
Illegal employer bribes to union officials to work toward the employer advantage instead of the best interests of the union members |
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Sympathy Strike |
Strike in support of another union involved in a dispute with an employer |
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Taft-Hartley Act |
The act amending and extending the Wagner Act to include union unfair labor practices |
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Telecommuting |
The use of communications technology to conduct business from locations outside of the traditional office setting |
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Twenty-four hour rule |
The NLRB rule forbids both union and management campaigning in the last full day before an election |
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Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) |
Employer or union illegal practices that deny employees their rights and benefits under federal labor law. |
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Unfair labor practice strike |
A strike by employees to pressure the employer to stop an unfair labor practice. Employees are entitled to reinstatement |
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Union |
Organization established to represent the interests of employees |
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Union Authorization Card |
Card signed by an employee designating a particular union as his or her collective bargaining representative |
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Union hiring hal |
Union clearinghouse, usually for construction trades, that place workers with employers |
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Union security provision |
Collective bargaining contract language intended to ensure the union a steady source of membership and/or financial support. A mandatory bargaining issue. |
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Union Shop |
A form of union security. New hires must join the union after a short period of time and pay union dues as a condition of continued employment. |
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Union (Shop) Steward |
Employed by an employer, a member of the union elected by the bargaining unit to represent the members at local union meetings and handle grievances at the first level |
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Voice Power |
The ability that unionization provides to empower employees to have their complaints heard and acted upon by management |
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Weingarten Rights |
A unionized employees right to have a co-worker (usually the union steward) present at an investigatory meeting |
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Whistle-blowers |
Individuals protected from retaliation for reporting employer violations, which may harm the public, to governmental agency. |
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Wildcat Strike |
Work stoppage that is not authorized or sanctioned by the union. The strikers may be discharged. |
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Win-win Bargaining |
Collective bargaining approach that promotes a mutually cooperative problem-solving approach to negotiations. Encourages mutual trust and communication. |
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Written Warning |
Documentation following previous oral attempts to correct an employee's behavior |
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Wrongful discharge |
Employment termination for reasons that are improper or illegal |
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Yellow-dog contract |
Illegal condition of employment stating that the employee will not join or assist in organizing a union. |
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Zipper Clause |
A clause in a collective bargaining agreement stipulating that everything agreed upon is in the written contract |