1
Q
An agreement reached by the United States, Canada and Mexico that instituted a schedule for the phasing out of tariffs and eliminated a variety of fees and other hindrances to encourage free trade between the three North American countries.
A
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
2
Q
Provides that all employees have the right to form, join and assist labor organizations and to bargain collectively with their employers.
A
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of 1947
3
Q
The country—including those that no longer exist—of one’s birth or of one’s ancestors’ birth. This and “ethnicity” often are used interchangeably, although “ethnic group” can refer to religion or color, as well as country of one’s ancestry.
A
National origin
4
Q
The process by which an alien is made a citizen of the United States of America and relinquishes citizenship to any other country.
A
Naturalization
5
Q
A method of analyzing how employee skill deficits can be addressed through current or future training and professional development programs, as well as determining the types of training/development programs required and how to prioritize training/development.
A
Needs analysis
6
Q
A claim made against an employer based on the premise of an employer’s obligation to not hire an applicant the employer knew or should have known was unsuitable and likely to behave inappropriately toward other employees.
A
Negligent hiring
7
Q
Defined as the failure of an employer to disclose complete and factual information about former or current employee to another employer.
A
Negligent referral
8
Q
The act of failing to take appropriate disciplinary action (i.e., termination) against an employee the employer knew or should have known was unsuitable.
A
Negligent retention
9
Q
Favoritism shown to relatives by individuals in a position of authority, such as managers or supervisors.
A
Nepotism
10
Q
Refers to Internet use rules of conduct, involving respecting other’s privacy and not doing anything online that is offensive, annoying or frustrating.
A
Netiquette
11
Q
Requires a minimum length of hospital confinement in conjunction with childbirth. This requirement applies to health plans and health insurance companies that provide hospital stays for childbirth in their policies. The law provides that coverage for a hospital stay following a normal delivery may not be limited to less than 48 hours for both the mother and newborn, and for a cesarean section not less than 96 hours.
A
Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act (NMHPA) of 1996
12
Q
A consensus planning tool used to identify the strengths of an organization, department or division, whereby participants are brought together to discuss important issues, problems and solutions.
A
Nominal group technique
13
Q
A contract restricting an employee from obtaining employment with a competitor within a specified industry, distance and/or time frame.
A
Noncompete agreement
14
Q
Failure to follow equal employment opportunity or affirmative action guidelines and the regulations applicable to them.
A
Noncompliance
15
Q
A contract restricting an employee from disclosing confidential or proprietary information.
A
Nondisclosure agreement
16
Q
A contract restricting an employee from disclosing confidential or proprietary information.
A
Nondisclosure agreement
17
Q
The practice of not discriminating against members of disadvantaged or protected groups in hiring practices, policies, benefits or conditions of employment.
A
Nondiscrimination
18
Q
An employee who does not meet any one of the Fair Labor Standards Act exemption tests and is paid on an hourly basis and covered by wage and hour laws regarding hours worked, overtime pay, etc.
A
Nonexempt employee
19
Q
Used to define occupations or specific fields where women typically comprise less than 25 percent of the workforce.
A
Nontraditional employment
20
Q
A method of projecting future needs in order to determine what developments will be required to meet those needs.
A
Normative forecasting
21
Q
In wrongful discharge cases, this doctrine is used to determine whether or not an employer gave an employee adequate advanced notice of the potential consequences if a specific behavior or conduct was not improved upon.
A
Notice
22
Q
A specification of what is to be accomplished, the timeframe in which it is to be accomplished and by whom.
A
Objective
23
Q
The process of observing employees while performing their respective jobs or tasks, used to collect data regarding specific jobs or tasks.
A
Observation interview
24
Q
The process of observing employees while performing their respective jobs or tasks, used to collect data regarding specific jobs or tasks.
A
Observation interview
25
Defined by OSHA as “any abnormal condition or disorder, other than one resulting from an occupational injury, caused by exposure to factors associated with employment.”
Occupational illness/disease
26
Used to classify specific occupations into a specific category, such as professionals, technical/hi-tech, administrative/clerical, sales, service, retail, etc.
Occupational groups
27
An injury sustained during the course of employment, which results in the employee requiring medical treatment other than minor first aid and which results in the employee being absent from work as a result of such injury for one or more work days or results in the work restrictions.
Occupational injury
28
A law setting forth standards that employers must comply with in order to provide working conditions that are safe and free from any health hazards for all employees. Additionally, the law also requires employers to provide employees with protection against workplace hazards that could result in illness, injury or death to an individual, as well as to communicate to employees the information on hazardous materials or chemicals they may be required to handle.
Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970
29
A Department of Labor office responsible for overseeing and assuring the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
30
Used to define the period of time during which an employee is totally and completely relieved of any and all job duties and is free to attend to his or her own personal activities.
Off-duty hours
31
Division of the Employment Standards Administration in the Department of Labor responsible for enforcing three statutes for federal contractors and subcontractors: Executive Order No. 11246, the Rehabilitation Act, and Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act. It enforces the three laws through the use of compliance reviews, complaint investigations, administrative procedures and judicial procedures.
Office of Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP)
32
The practice of relocating business processes, such as production/manufacturing, to a lower cost international location.
Offshoring
33
Amended the ADEA prohibiting all employers from age discrimination in employee benefits programs by either providing equal benefits for older and younger workers or by spending an equal amount on benefits for both groups. It also provides specifications on the requirements for ADEA waivers.
Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) of 1990
34
A neutral third party that helps individuals or groups in conflict resolve disputes by mediating, coaching and facilitating communication between the parties and recommending an appropriate resolution.
Ombudsperson
35
Additional compensation awarded to employees who are required to remain on call during off-duty hours.
On-call pay
36
Used to define periods of time when an employee is off duty but is required to remain on or close to the company premises or to respond to a call or page within a specified period of time, resulting in the employee being unable to effectively use such time to attend his or her own personal activities.
On-call time
37
Administered and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, it is a database that replaced the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) as the nation's primary source of occupational information.
O*Net (Occupational Information Network)
38
Training provided to employees by managers and supervisors; conducted at the actual worksite utilizing demonstration and actual performance of job tasks to be accomplished.
On-the-job training
39
A management strategy emphasizing employee empowerment by making the organization’s financial data available to all employees. The goal of this type of management program is to make employees view themselves as more of a business partner and increase their awareness of how their actions and decisions affect the organization’s bottom line.
Open-book management
40
The period of time designated by the employer’s health or other benefit plan when employees may enroll in new benefit plans or make changes to existing benefit plans.
Open enrollment period
41
An organization that hires workers without regard to their membership in a labor union.
Open shop
42
A detailed projection of all projected income and expenses during a specified future period.
Operating budget
43
A written document issued by government agencies used to provide a ruling on a particular issue.
Opinion letter
44
A tool used to solicit and assess employee opinions, feelings, perceptions and expectations regarding a variety of managerial and organizational issues.
Opinion survey
45
An employer benefit plan provision that offers cash, extra benefits or additional credits in return for an employee reducing the level of benefits he or she selects under a flexible benefit/cafeteria-style program or providing extra cash compensation to those employees who choose not to elect any benefit coverage.
Opt-out provision
46
A verbal warning given to an employee by a manager or supervisor as a means of correcting inappropriate behavior or conduct.
Oral reprimand
47
A motivational theory suggesting that an individual will behave in a manner that helps him or her avoid potential negative outcomes and achieve agreeable outcomes.
Organizational behavior modification theory
48
Refers to organization-wide changes, such as restructuring operations, introducing new technologies, processes, services or products, implementing new programs, re-engineering, etc.
Organizational transformation
49
A graphic representation outlining how authority and responsibility are distributed within an organization.
Organizational chart
50
An organization’s attitude and values regarding itself, employees, customers and the general public. It encompasses the manner things are done within the organization based on defined policies and practices.
Organizational culture
51
The process of establishing and arranging the elements of an organization’s structure.
Organizational design
52
A planned organization-wide effort to improve and increase the organization’s effectiveness, productivity, return on investment and overall employee job satisfaction through planned interventions in the organization's processes.
Organizational development
53
The process of transforming an organization’s goals, objectives, philosophy and mission into practices and policies.
Organizational planning
54
A detailed graphical or tabular chart, text, spreadsheet or similar presentation of the contractor's organizational structure. It must identify each organizational unit in the establishment and show the relationship of each organizational unit to the other organizational units in the establishment.
Organizational display
55
A depiction of the staffing pattern within an establishment. It is one method contractors use to determine whether barriers to equal employment opportunity exist in their organizations. It provides an overview of the workforce at the establishment that may assist in identifying organizational units where women or minorities are underrepresented or concentrated.
Organizational profile
56
The design of an organization that identifies the organization’s hierarchal reporting and authority relationships
Organizational structure
57
The process of evaluating and analyzing an organization’s structure and other major components to determine whether they are suitably meeting the organization’s current and future needs.
Organizational survey
58
Any component that is part of the contractor's corporate structure. In a more traditional organization, it might be a department, division, section, branch or group. In a less traditional organization, it might be a project team or job family.
Organizational unit
59
The introduction of employees to their jobs, co-workers and the organization by providing them with information regarding such items as policies, procedures, company history, goals, culture and work rules.
Orientation
60
Individuals who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.
Other eligible Veteran
61
A strategy used to evaluate and measure the results of an instructional method or program.
Outcomes assessment
62
A benefit offered by the employer to displaced employees that may consist of such services as job counseling, training and job-finding assistance.
Outplacement
63
A contractual agreement between an employer and an external third-party provider whereby the employer transfers responsibility and management for certain HR, benefit or training-related functions or services to the external provider.
Outsourcing
64
A method of keeping employees informed of company programs and services available to them by utilizing such things as postings, newsletters, memos or meetings.
Outreach programs
65
In accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), it is the term used to define work that is performed in excess of 40 hours per week.
Overtime
66
A benefit program granting employees a bank consisting of a specific number of paid days that can be used for absences related to sickness, vacation or personal reasons.
Paid leave bank
67
A benefit program granting employees a specific number of vacation or personal days off which that are paid by the employer. The number of days is generally based on the employer’s policy for accrual of paid time off.
Paid time off (PTO)
68
A form of rating, in which the rater compares, one by one, the performance of each member in a group with the performance of every other member in the group.
Paired comparison
69
A benefit designed to provide employees with approved paid or unpaid time off following the birth or adoption of a child or to care for a dependent.
Parental leave
70
A bar graph used to rank in order of importance information such as causes or reasons for specific problems, so that measures for process improvement can be established.
Pareto chart
71
An illness or injury that prevents an individual from performing one or more functions of his or her job.
Partial disability
72
A management style, developed by Motorola, that involves employees in the decision-making process.
Participative management
73
An individual who continually works less than 40 hours per week (standard workweek hours are based on individual employer policy, therefore, a 40-hour workweek is only a guideline; this number could be higher or lower).
Part-time employee
74
A benefit designed to provide fathers of newborn children with paid or unpaid time off from work following the birth of the child.
Paternity leave
75
Any change made to the pay rate of an employee, such as an increase or decrease to the rate of pay.
Pay adjustment
76
An agreement between an employer and an employee used primarily for relocated employees, stating that an employee will not voluntarily terminate his or her employment with the organization for a specified duration of time, effective from the date of relocation. Failure to abide by the terms of the agreement results in the employee being responsible for paying back a portion of any and all costs incurred by the employer on the employee’s behalf. Also used by employers that pay for expensive job-related or professional development training or educational courses.
Payback agreement
77
A situation occurring when only a small difference in pay exists between employees, regardless of their knowledge, skills, abilities or experience. Oftentimes, it is the result of a market-rate for a given job surpassing the increases historically awarded to long-term employees.
Pay compression
78
A method used to group jobs together that have approximately the same relative internal worth and are paid at the same rate.
Pay grades
79
Associated with pay grades, the range sets the upper and lower compensation boundaries for jobs within that range.
Pay range
80
Documentation created and maintained by the employer, which contains information regarding hours worked, salaries, wages, commissions, bonuses, vacation/sick pay, contributions to qualified health and pension plans, net pay and deductions for all employees on the employer’s payroll for the year.
Payroll records
81
A structure of job grades and pay ranges established within an organization. May be expressed as job grades or job evaluation points.
Pay structure
82
A performance appraisal strategy whereby an employee is reviewed by his or her peers who have sufficient opportunity to examine the individual’s job performance.
Peer appraisal
83
An employer benefit plan funded through insurance, a trust, general assets or other separately maintained funds designed to provide employees with a monthly income benefit upon retirement.
Pension plan
84
A person who does not meet the definition of a disabled individual in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act but is regarded by his or her employer as having a mental or physical disability.
Perceived disability
85
A periodic review and evaluation of an individual's job performance.
Performance appraisal
86
A variable pay strategy that pays employees based on their individual performance and contributions, rather than the value of the job they are performing.
Performance-based pay
87
The process of improving employee performance and productivity by providing the employee with feedback regarding areas where he or she is doing well and areas that may require improvement.
Performance consulting
88
A plan implemented by a manager or supervisor that is designed to provide employees with constructive feedback, facilitate discussions between an employee and his or her supervisor regarding performance-related issues, and outline specific areas of performance requiring improvement.
Performance improvement plan
89
The process of maintaining or improving employee job performance through the use of performance assessment tools, coaching and counseling as well as providing continuous feedback.
Performance management
90
The practice of monitoring employees while they perform their jobs through the use of surveillance cameras, telephone or computer monitoring.
Performance monitoring
91
The tasks, functions or behavioral requirements established by the employer as goals to be accomplished by an employee.
Performance standards
92
A form of incentives generally given to executive employees granting them certain privileges or special consideration, such as memberships in clubs, physical fitness programs, financial counseling, etc.
Perquisites
93
A benefit designed to provide employees with an allotment of paid days off in addition to holidays, sick days or vacation days, which they can use to attend to personal matters.
Personal days
94
A test instrument usually involving a standardized series of questions that are used to evaluate an individual’s personality characteristics.
Personality test
95
Clothing and other work accessories (i.e., safety glasses, hearing protection, etc.) designed to create a barrier against potential workplace hazards.
Personal protective equipment
96
All information pertaining to individual employees, which is collected and maintained by the employer and is essential to the employer for handling various employment-related matters.
Personnel records
97
A work schedule arrangement that allows employees to gradually reduce their full-time hours over a period of time.
Phased retirement
98
A test instrument used to determine an individual’s ability to perform the functions or tasks of a job where physical strength or endurance is required.
Physical ability test
99
A medical examination performed by a company physician or an independent physician to ascertain whether or not an individual is able to perform the physical requirements of a particular job.
Physical examination
100
A per-piece rate system that pays employees based on the number of pieces produced.
Piece rate
101
A written or verbal notice given to employees who are being terminated or laid-off.
Pink slip
102
Other eligible veterans are those individuals who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized.
Placement goals
103
An individual or plan sponsor designated by the instrument under which the plan is operated to be responsible for the administration of pension and welfare benefit plans.
Plan administrator
104
Considered to be the most basic type of Section 125 plan, it is a benefit plan that is designed to allow employees to elect to make premium contributions on either a pre-tax or post-tax basis.
Premium only plan (POP)
105
A written statement that reflects the employer’s standards and objectives relating to various employee activities and employment-related matters.
Policy
106
A workforce planning tool that imposes certain rules or restrictions on the creation, and filling of positions as a means to manage and control the costs associated with any given position within the organization.
Position control
107
A disciplinary strategy geared toward reducing and improving an individual’s unfavorable behavior or conduct by rewarding positive behavior rather than focusing on and punishing negative behavior.
Positive discipline
108
The process of acknowledging specific behaviors with positive feedback, such as a smile, praise or reward.
Positive reinforcement
109
The process of testing an employee involved in a workplace accident for the presence of drugs or alcohol.
Post-accident testing
110
Contributions made to a benefit plan that are subject to applicable state or federal tax withholding requirements.
Post-tax contributions
111
An individual who practices a learned profession.
Practitioner
112
Used in the test validation process to measure the relationship between test scores and actual job performance.
Predictive validity
113
The practice of issuing tests to potential employees on a pre-employment basis in order to determine an applicant’s suitability for a certain position. These tests may include, but are not limited to, drug and alcohol tests, medical examinations, skills tests, physical agility tests, honesty/integrity tests or personality tests.
Pre-employment testing
114
Any condition for which a person is currently receiving treatment, has been advised to receive treatment or for which a prudent person would seek treatment.
Preexisting condition
115
An amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, requiring pregnancy or related conditions to be treated in the same manner as any other temporary disability.
Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978
116
Contributions made to a benefit plan that are exempt from all applicable state or federal tax withholding requirements.
Pre-tax contributions
117
Additional compensation paid for work performed outside of regularly scheduled work hours.
Premium pay
118
A benefit plan that provides employees, their spouses or dependents with assistance in obtaining legal services, which have been prepaid in whole or in part by the employer.
Prepaid group legal plan
119
Refers to the use of resume boards to determine which current employees are looking for a job online.
Pre-stacking
120
Typically a provision included in a group health plan designed to provide covered employees and their dependents with payment assistance for medically prescribed drugs.
Prescription drug benefits
121
A rate of pay determined by the U.S. Department of Labor based upon the geographic area for a given class of labor and type of project.
Prevailing wage
122
Latin for “at first view” or “at first appearance,” it is a lawsuit that requires an employer to articulate a reason that sufficiently proves that any decision or action taken was made based on legitimate and nondiscriminatory factors.
Prima facie case
123
Refers to information about an employee which he or she regards as personal or private (i.e., medical information, financial data, etc.) and the right of that individual to not have such information shared with others.
Privacy
124
A formal document issued by the Internal Revenue Service announcing tax decisions or changes.
Private letter ruling
125
Used as a form of discipline, it is a specified period of time during which an individual’s performance or conduct is closely monitored.
Probation
126
A specified period of time (typically 30-90 days) where a newly hired, promoted or transferred employee’s job performance is evaluated. Primarily used by supervisors to closely observe an employee’s work, help the employee adjust to the position and reject any employee whose performance does not meet required standards.
Probationary period
127
The term comes from the Latin phrase meaning, "as a matter of form". The term is very broad and its meaning depends on the context in which it is being used. Basically it is a term used to describe the presentation of data, usually financial statements, where the data reflects information as if the state of the world were different from that which is in fact the case.
Pro forma
128
A detailed written document designed to assist managers and supervisors in carrying out their day-to- day responsibilities by acquainting them with all of the organization's policies and the procedures required to implement those policies.
Policy/procedures manual
129
The process of improving business practices or methods by creating and implementing new processes or making changes to existing processes.
Process reengineering
130
An organization that enters into a join-employment relationship with an employer, by leasing employees to the employer, allowing it to share and manage many employer-related responsibilities and liabilities. Employers outsource their human resource functions, such employee benefits, compensation and payroll administration, workers’ compensation and employment taxes.
Professional Employer Organization (PEO)
131
A qualified retirement plan established and maintained by an employer which enables employees and their beneficiaries to participate in the profits of the employer's business.
Profit sharing plan
132
A form of discipline whereby increasingly harsher penalties are awarded each time an employee is disciplined for the same or a different performance infraction or policy or work-rule violation. Generally, the sequence is an oral warning to written warnings to suspension and finally termination.
Progressive discipline
133
Career advancement within an organization, which includes increased authority, level of responsibility, status and pay.
Promotion
134
Information associated with a company's products, business or activities, including such items as financial data; trade secrets; product research and development; product designs; marketing plans or techniques; computer programs; processes; and know-how that has been clearly identified and communicated by the company as proprietary, a trade secret or confidential.
Proprietary information
135
Legal terminology referring to areas protected by federal or state statutes.
Protected characteristics
136
A legal term describing certain groups, such as women, older and disabled individuals, Vietnam-era veterans and minorities.
Protected class
137
A written, visual or verbal assessment administered to determine cognitive and emotional skills.
Psychological test
aPHRi
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Decks in class (9)
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