Affirmative action
Employment activities designed to "right past wrongs" by increasing opportunities for minorities and women.
Arbitration
An agreement to bring in an impartial third party (a single arbitrator or a panel of arbitrators) to render a binding decision in a labor dispute.
Boycott
When a union encourages both its members and the general public not to buy the products of a firm involved in a labor dispute
Cafeteria-style fringe benefits
Fringe benefits plan that allows employees to choose the benefits they want up to a certain dollar amount.
Comparable worth
The idea that people in jobs requiring similar levels of education, training, or skills should receive equal pay.
Compensation
The combination of salary, vacation time, paid health care, and other benefits.
Compressed workweek
Work schedule that allows an employee to work a full number of hours per week but in fewer days.
Contingent workers
Employees that include part-time workers, temporary workers, seasonal workers, independent contractors, interns, and co-op students.
Core time
In a flextime plan, the period when all employees are expected to be at their job stations.
Employee orientation
The activity that introduces new employees to the organization; to fellow employees; to their immediate supervisors; and to the policies, practices, and objectives of the firm.
External candidates
Potential employees who do not already work for a firm.
Flextime plan
Work schedule that gives employees some freedom to choose when to work, as long as they work the required number of hours
Human resource management (HRM)
The process of determining HR needs and then recruiting, selecting, training and developing, compensating, appraising, and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals.
Injunction
A court order directing someone to do something or to refrain from doing something.
Job analysis
A study of what employees do who hold various job titles.
Job description
Specifies the objectives of the job, the type of work to be done, the responsibilities and duties, the working conditions, and the relationship of the job to other functions.
Job sharing
An arrangement whereby two part-time employees share one full-time job.
Job specifications
A written summary of the minimum qualifications (education, skills, etc.) required of workers to do a particular job.
Labor intensive
When a firm's primary cost of operations is the cost of its labor force.
Lockout
An attempt by managers to put pressure on union workers by temporarily closing the business.
Management development
The process of training and educating employees to become good managers and then monitoring the progress of their managerial skills over time.
Mediation
The use of a third party, called a mediator, who encourages both sides in a dispute to continue negotiating and often makes suggestions for resolving the dispute.
Negotiated labor-management agreement
Agreement that sets the tone and clarifies the terms under which management and labor agree to function over time.
Off-the-job training
Internal or external training programs away from the workplace that develop any of a variety of skills or foster personal development.
Online training
Training programs in which employees complete classes via the Internet.
On-the-job training
Training at the workplace that lets the employee learn by doing or by watching others for a while and then imitating them.
Performance appraisal
An evaluation that measures employee performance against established standards in order to make decisions about promotions, compensation, training, or termination.
Performance improvement plan (PIP)
A detailed document explaining what the employee needs to change and detailed steps on how to accomplish the change.
Reasonable accommodations
An adjustment to the work environment that does not have high costs.
Recruitment
The set of activities used to obtain a sufficient number of the right people at the right time; its purpose is to select those who best meet the needs of the organization.
Reverse discrimination
Discrimination against whites or males in hiring or promoting.
Selection
The process of gathering information and deciding who should be hired, under legal guidelines, to serve the best interests of the individual and the organization.
Sexual harassment
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile work environment.
Strike
Occurs when workers collectively refuse to go to work.
Strikebreakers
Workers hired to do the jobs of striking employees until a labor dispute is resolved.
Telecommuting
The practice of working from home.
Title VII
A law that prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, compensation, apprenticeships, training, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment based on race, religion, creed, sex, or national origin. Age was later added to the conditions of the act.
Training and development
All attempts to improve productivity by increasing an employee's ability to perform. Training focuses on short-term skills and development of long-term abilities.
Union
An employee organization that has the main goal of representing members in employee-management bargaining over job-related issues.
Vestibule training
Training done in schools where employees are taught on equipment similar to that used on the job.
Internal candidates
Employees who already work for a firm who may be transferred or promoted.