Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
The government's attempt to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity for employment, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.
(Common mistake: Sexual orientation is not included, unfortunately.)
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)
A 1990 act prohibiting individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against in the workplace.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The government commission to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity for employment, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin.
(Common mistake: Sexual orientation is not included, unfortunately. That depe
Utilization Analysis
A comparison of the race, sex, and ethnic composition of an employer's workforce with that of the available labor supply.
Goals and Timetables
The part of a written affirmative action plan that specifies the percentage of women and minorities that an employer seeks to have in each job group and the date by which that percentage is to be attained.
Action Steps
The written affirmative plan that specifies what an employer plans to do to reduce under-utilization of protect groups.
Disparate Treatment
A theory of discrimination based on different treatments given to individuals because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability status.
Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ)
A job qualification based on sex, religion, and so on, that an employer asserts is a necessary qualification for the job.
Disparate Impact
A theory of discrimination based on facially neutral employment practices that disproportionately exclude a protected group from employment opportunities.
Four-Fifths Rule
A rule that states that an employment test has disparate impact if the hiring rate for a minority group is less than four-fifths, or 80%, of the hiring rate for the majority group.
Standard Deviation Rule
A rule used to analyze employment tests to determine disparate impact; it uses the difference between the expected representation for minority groups and the actual representation to determine whether the difference between the two is greater than would o
Reasonable Accommodation
Making facilities readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
The law that authorizes the federal government to establish and enforce occupational safety and health standards for all places of employment engaging in interstate commerce.
General Duty Clause
The provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act that states that an employer has an overall obligation to furnish employees with a place of employment free from recognized hazards.
Safety Awareness Programs
Employer programs that attempt to instill symbolic and substantive changes in the organization's emphasis on safety.
Job Hazard Analysis Technique
A breakdown of each job into basic elements, each of which is rated for its potential for harm or injury.
Technic of Operations Review (TOR)
Method of determining safety problems via an analysis of past accidents.