| Word | Description |
| Ability | Aptitude or competence, the skill or proficiency needed to perform certain tasks. |
| Ability test | An assessment instrument used to measure an individual’s abilities, mental or physical skills level (i.e. problem solving, manual dexterity, etc.). |
| Absenteeism | Referred to as the habitual failure of employees to report for work when they are scheduled to work. |
| Absolute ratings | A rating method where the rater assigns a specific value on a fixed scale to the behavior or performance of an individual instead of assigning ratings based on comparisons between other individuals. |
| Abstract reasoning | The process of perceiving issues and reaching conclusions through the use of symbols or generalizations rather than concrete factual information. |
| Academic | An educator who is a faculty member at a college or university. Also referred to as Academician. |
| Accessibility | The extent to which a contractor's facility is readily approachable and usable by individuals with disabilities, particularly such areas as the personnel office, worksite and public areas. |
| Accessible format | Materials that are designed in alternate formats such as Braille, audiotape, oral presentation or electronically for individuals with visual impairments. |
| Accountability | The responsibility placed on an individual or group for their own or others’ actions, conduct, performance, projects, etc. |
| Accreditation | A process of external quality review and certification by a recognized body that evaluates individuals, colleges, universities and educational programs to assure they are performing the functions that they claim to be performing in a competent manner. |
| Accretion | When some employees are transferred to another employing entity whose employees are already represented by a union, the FLRA will often find that those employees have "accredit" to (i.e., become part of) the existing unit of the new employer, with the result that the transferred employees have a new exclusive representative along with a new employer. |
| Achievement test | A standardized testing instrument used to measure how much an individual has learned or what skills he or she has attained as a result of education, training or past experience. |
| Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) | Caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which kills or damages cells of the body's immune system by progressively destroying the body's ability to fight infections and certain cancers. People diagnosed with AIDS may get life-threatening diseases called opportunistic infections, which are caused by microbes such as viruses or bacteria that usually do not make healthy people sick. |
| Acquisition | The process of acquiring control of another corporation by purchase or stock exchange. |
| Action learning | A learner-driven, continuous learning process where learning revolves around the need to find solutions to real problems. |
| Actions during emergencies | Management’s right "to take whatever actions may be necessary to carry out the agency mission during emergencies". |
| Active learning | The process of learning new knowledge, skills and behaviors through taking specific actions or performing specific tasks. |
| Active listening | A manner of listening that focuses exclusively on what the other person is saying and validates understanding of both the content of the message and the emotions underlying the message to ensure exact understanding. |
| Activities of daily living (ADL) | The personal care activities which are essential to an individual’s everyday living, including eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, mobility and toileting. |
| Ad hoc arbitration | A proceeding whereby the union and the employer jointly make their own arrangements for selecting arbitrators as well as designating rules, applicable laws, procedures and administrative support |
| Adjunct program | A supplemental training tool that applies programming principles to existing instructional modules, materials, texts, manuals, etc., that are designed to direct the learner to specific areas within the module |
| Administrative Closure | Charge closed for administrative reasons, which include: failure to locate charging party, charging party failed to respond to EEOC communications, charging party refused to accept full relief, closed due to the outcome of related litigation which establishes a precedent that makes further processing of the charge futile, charging party requests withdrawal of a charge without receiving benefits or having resolved the issue, no statutory jurisdiction. |
| Administrative law judge | An official who presides at administrative trial proceedings to hear facts and issue decisions regarding unfair labor practice cases. |
| Adult learner | Individuals who are beyond postsecondary education age, are employed on a full- or part-time basis and are enrolled in a formal or informal educational program. |
| Adverse action | ny act by an employer that results in an individual or group of individuals being deprived of equal employment opportunities. |
| Adverse Impact | A substantially different rate of selection in hiring, promotion, transfer, training, or other employment related decisions for any race, sex, or ethnic group. A finding of adverse impact by itself, does not establish a violation device in question based on job relatedness or business necessity. |
| Adverse selection | An employer’s selection practices or policies that result in discriminatory or unfavorable treatment toward an individual or individuals who are members of a protected group. |
| Advisory arbitration | A form of arbitration often referred to as fact finding where the decision of the arbitrator is not binding. |
| Advisory committee | A group or panel of internal or external members with no decision- making authority, assembled to identify and discuss specific issues and make recommendations. |
| Affected Class | A group of persons, identifiable by name or characteristics, who are the victims of a pattern or practice of discrimination. |
| Affirmative Action | Actions, policies, and procedures to which a contractor commits itself that are designed to achieve equal employment opportunity. The affirmative action obligation entails: (1) thorough, systematic efforts to prevent discrimination from occurring or to detect it and eliminate it as promptly as possible, and (2) recruitment and outreach measures. See Manual Section 2A02(b). - OFCCP Compliance Manual (Chapter 1) |
| Affirmative action (AA) | Any program, policy or procedure that an employer implements in order to correct past discrimination and prevent current and future discrimination within the workplace. |
| Affirmative Action Clause | The clauses set forth in 41 CFR 60-250.4 and 41 CFR 60-741.4 that must be included in Federal contracts and subcontracts. These two clauses outline the affirma-tive action requirements for special disabled veterans, Vietnam era veterans (41 CFR 60-250.4) and individuals with handicaps (41 CFR 60-741.4). The clauses are a part of covered contracts regardless of whether they are physically incorporated into the contract and whether the contract is written. See also definition of "Equal Opportunity Clause." |
| Affirmative action clauses | The clauses set forth in 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-250.4 and 60-741.4 that must be included in federal contracts and subcontracts of $10,000 and over. These two clauses outline the affirmative action requirements for special disabled veterans, Vietnam-era veterans (41 C.F.R. § 60-250.4) and individuals with disabilities (41 C.F.R. § 60-741.4). These clauses are a part of covered contracts regardless of whether they are physically incorporated into the contract and whether the contract is written. |
| Affirmative Action plan (AAP) | A written set of specific, results-oriented procedures to be followed by all federal contractors holding contracts of $50,000 or more and employing 50 or more people and intended to remedy the effects of past discrimination against or underutilization of women and minorities. The effectiveness of the plan is measured by the results it actually achieves rather than by the results intended and by the good faith efforts undertaken by the contractor to increase the pool of qualified women and minorities in all parts of the organization. |
| Affirmative Action Program (AAP) | A written program, meeting the requirements of 41 CFR Part 60-2, 60-250.5 or 60-741.5, in which a contractor annually details the steps it will take and has already taken, to ensure equal employment opportunity. |
| After-acquired evidence | Used in litigation of employment discrimination disputes, after-acquired evidence is evidence that the employer discovers after it has already discharged an employee which proves that even if the discharge in question is found to be illegal, the employer would have dismissed the employee anyway in light of discovering the misconduct. |
| Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 | The ADEA protects workers age 40 and over by prohibiting discrimination against workers 40 and over in any employment or employment-related decision. The Act applies to most employers with 20 or more employees. One of the main provisions of the Act is that employers, with very few exceptions, can no longer force an employee to retire. |
| Agency head review | A statutory requirement that negotiated agreements be reviewed for legal sufficiency by the head of the agency (or his/her designee). |
| Agency shop | Contract clause that requires unit employees to pay dues and initiation fees to the union as a condition of employment, but not attaining full membership in the union. |
| Agreement negotiated | A collective bargaining agreement between the employer and the exclusive representative. |
| Alter ego employer | An employer who changes the name and outward appearance of a business but is in fact the same employer. |
| Alternation ranking | A rating method used in job evaluation and performance evaluation whereby the rater is asked to select the best and worst employees from a listing of all employees and then rank them accordingly. |
| Alternative assessment | Nontraditional procedures and techniques used within the framework of instructional programs to evaluate a student’s educational achievement. |
| Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) | A voluntary procedure used to resolve disputes or conflicts between individuals, groups or labor-management. This procedure utilizes the services of a neutral third party to facilitate discussion and assist the parties in reaching an agreement which is binding. |
| Alternative worksite | Any location other than the employer’s physical worksite where employees are allowed to perform their jobs. |
| Amendment of certification petition | That portion of the FLRA’s multipurpose petition not involving a question concerning representation that may be filed at any time in which the petitioner asks the FLRA to amend the certification or recognition. |
| American Arbitration Association (AAA) | A private enterprise that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. |
| American Federation of Labor Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) | A voluntary federation of 55 national and international labor unions. The AFL-CIO was created in 1955 by the merger of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Since its founding, the AFL-CIO and its affiliate unions have been the single most effective force in America for enabling working people to build better lives and futures for our families. |
| American Indian - Alaska Native | A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment. |
| Americans with Disabilities Act () of 1990 | The is a federal anti-discrimination law which prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment. This law (covering employers with 15 or more employees) is designed to remove barriers that prevent qualified individuals with disabilities from enjoying the same employment opportunities that are available to persons without disabilities. When an individual's disability creates a barrier to employment opportunities, the requires employers to consider whether a reasonable accommodation could remove the barrier. |
| Analysis of variance | A statistical method used to determine whether a relationship exists among two or more variables by formulating concurrent comparisons of the variables. |
| Analytical thinking | The ability to analyze facts, generate a comparison and draw correct inferences or conclusions from available information. |
| Anecdotal | Information that is based on observations or indications of individual actions instead of any organized process. |
| Annual goal | An annual target for the placement of underutilized groups of protected class members in job groups where underutilization exists. |
| Annual improvement factor | A yearly adjustment rate used in collective bargaining agreements whereby wage increases are granted to workers’ based on their share of increased productivity gains. |
| Anti-nepotism policy | An employer’s policy that restricts the employment of two or more family members at the same time. |
| Apparent authority | The appearance that an individual has the authority or power to act as an organization’s agent, even though the organization has bestowed no such authority or power to that individual. |
| Applicant | A person who seeks work at a certain employers' facilities who meets certain prescribed standards, as defined by the employer. |
| Applicant files | Application forms/resumes and other relevant items maintained by an employer and used during the selection process. |
| Applicant flow data | Records of hiring, promotion and other related employment actions used for the purpose of monitoring selection and employment practices. |
| Applicant Flow Log | A chronological compilation of applicants for employ-ment or promotion, showing the persons categorized by race, sex and ethnic group, who applied for each job title (or group of job titles requiring similar qualifications) during a specific period. |
| Applicant pool | The sum total of all individuals who have applied for a position either by submitting a resume or application for employment which the employer uses to select candidates for employment. |
| Applicant tracking | Any paper or computerized system that tracks the organization’s data such as resumes/applications and internal job posting information. |
| Application service provider (ASP) | A third-party organization that delivers software applications and related services over the Internet allowing an organization to outsource some or all of its information technology needs. |
| Apprenticeship | A system used to train a person in a recognized trade or craft in accordance with specific standards. The apprenticed individual obtains his or her skills by performing the related duties for a specified period of time under the tutelage of an experienced craft or tradesman. |
| Apprenticeship training | A system used to train a person in a recognized trade or craft in accordance with specific standards. The apprenticed individual obtains his or her skills by performing the related duties for a specified period of time under the tutelage of an experienced craft or tradesman. |
| Appropriate arrangement | A group of employees which a labor union seeks to represent. |
| Aptitude testing | A standardized testing instrument used during the selection process that is intended to measure and predict an individual’s abilities. |
| Arbitrability | A term used to describe the potential of a dispute to be appropriate for or subject to settlement by arbitration. |
| Arbitration | An alternative dispute resolution method that uses a neutral third party (i.e. arbitrator) to resolve individual, group or labor-management conflicts and issue a binding decision. |
| Arbitration Dispute | Use of a neutral party, often obtained through lists maintained by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), to decide disputes between a union and employer occurring under a collective bargaining agreement. Such decisions are made in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement. Negotiations over the definition of grievances and the procedure to be used in dealing with grievances including a proposal to have all such disputes ultimately decided by arbitration are mandatory subjects for bargaining. |
| Arbitration Interest | Use of a neutral party to settle disputes between a union or employer about what the terms of a collective bargaining agreement should be. Employers covered by the NLRA are not required to agree to interest arbitration and may, in fact, refuse to discuss the issue, as it is a permissive subject for bargaining. |
| Architectural barriers | The physical attributes or design of a building, structure or facility that prevent individuals with physical disabilities from accessing or freely using the building, structure or facility. The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 requires any building constructed or leased in whole or in part with federal funds be made accessible to and usable by the physically disabled. |
| Area standards picketing | A form of picketing with the purpose of encouraging an employer to observe the standards in a particular industry or locality. |
| Areawide bargaining | A type of multiemployer bargaining whereby the bargaining process takes place between union and employer representatives on a local level. |
| Asian | A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam. |
| Assessment center | A testing location where a candidate being considered for assignment or promotion to managerial or executive-level position is rated by a team of experienced evaluators over a series of days using standardized activities, games and other simulations to predict the candidate’s future job performance. |
| Assign employees | A management right relating to the assignment of employees to positions, shifts, and locations. |
| Assign work | A management right relating to the assignment of work to employees or positions. |
| Association agreements | A collective bargaining agreement governing a group of employers who ban together for shared support when bargaining with labor organizations. |
| Attendance policy | An employer’s written standards regarding the requirement for employees to be on time and present at work during regularly scheduled work periods. |
| Attitude survey | A tool used to solicit and assess employee opinions, feelings, perceptions and expectations regarding a variety of managerial and organizational issues. |
| Attorney | A professional individual who is authorized to practice law and can be legally appointed by either a plaintiff or a defendant to provide legal advice or act as a legal agent on their behalf during legal proceedings. |
| Attrition | A term used to describe voluntary and involuntary terminations, deaths and employee retirements that result in a reduction to the employer's physical workforce. |
| Authorization card | A card signed by an employee to authorize the union to act as his/her bargaining representative. It is necessary for establishment of a sufficient showing of interest to request an election from the NLRB. |
| Automatic renewal clause | A collective bargaining agreements provision in the Federal sector stating that if neither party gives notice during the agreement's 105-60 day open period of its intent to reopen and renegotiate the agreement, the agreement will automatically renew itself for a period of a specified number of years. |
| Automation | A term used to describe the use of control systems such as computers machinery and processes, often replacing human operators. Where mechanization provided human operators with machinery to assist them with physical work requirements, automation reduces the need for human sensory and mental requirements. |
| Auxiliary aids | Defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as including "a wide range of services and devices (necessary) for ensuring that equally effective communication" takes place with regard to persons with hearing, speech and vision disabilities. Such aids include, but are not restricted to, providing interpreters, assistive listening devices, materials in Braille, closed caption, telecommunication devices for the hearing impaired, etc. |
| Availability Analysis | An estimate of the number of qualified minorities and women available for employment in a particular job group. The availability analysis takes into account an external availability factor and an internal availability factor. |
| Award | The final decision imparted by an arbitrator that is binding to the parties involved in the dispute. |