Glossary

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

A

Affirmative Action: Positive steps taken by an employer that contribute toward greater employment opportunities for minorities, females, the elderly, and the disabled. In federal employment, extra effort must be made to include qualified women, minorities, employees over 40, and the disabled at grade levels and in job categories where they are underrepresented.

Affirmative Action Plans/Affirmative Employment Plans: Written plans for programs required by Executive Order 11478 and other laws and regulations. AAPs may contain studies that show how the workforce at the activity has been used, and they may include goals and timetables for increasing the representation of protected class members in those areas where they have been underrepresented.

Average Grade Level: The sum of all the grade levels in a particular group divided by the total number of people in the group.

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C

Civilian Labor Force (CLF): Persons, 16 years of age or over, excluding those in the Armed Forces, who are employed or seeking employment.

Class Compliant/Class Action: A complaint stated or filed by a group of people who feel that personnel or management policies or practices discriminate against them as a group. Members of the group believe that the characteristic they share -- race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disabilities --forms the basis for the discrimination. For example, a class may be made up of women who believe they have been consistently discriminated against at GSA because of their sex. In such a case, all female employees, past and present, and all female applicants would be included in the complaint. When a class complaint goes to court, it becomes a class action. As with complaints by individuals, illegal discrimination may or may not have occurred.

COIN PAID: Computer Output Identification Number Personnel and Accounting Integrated Data system reports are the historical source for automated personnel data in VA.

Complaint: The first step taken by an employee who believes he or she has been discriminated against. A complaint is an allegation of illegal discrimination that is handled through an administrative procedure. A complaint may result when an employee believes he or she has been unfairly treated because of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, or disability. The allegation itself is not proof that illegal discrimination has taken place. The investigation that follows the filing of a complaint will determine whether illegal discrimination has, in fact, occurred. A person who files a complaint is called a complainant.

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D

Discrimination: Discrimination is often used to mean illegal discriminatory acts. Discrimination means noticing the differences between things or people that are otherwise alike, and making decisions based on those differences. We discriminate when we buy one product over another, when we choose our friends, and when we make personnel decisions based on merit-related factors. All these forms of discrimination are legal and necessary.

However, some types of discrimination in employment have been made illegal. Illegal discrimination is unfavorable treatment of a person by category, class, or group rather than objective treatment on the basis of merit. Under EEO law, it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or handicap. Discrimination can be intentional or unintentional. See Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact.

Disparate Impact: Under Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) law, a less favorable effect for one group than for another. A disparate impact results when rules applied to all employees have a different and more inhibiting effect on women and minority groups than on the majority. For example, nonessential educational requirements for certain jobs can have a disparate impact on minority groups looking for work, as they are often been limited in their access to educational opportunities.

Disparate Treatment: Inconsistent application of rules and policies to one group of people over another. Discrimination may result when rules and policies are applied differently to members of protected classes. Disciplining Hispanic and African American employees for tardiness, while ignoring tardiness among other employees, is an example of disparate treatment. Such inconsistent application of rules often leads to complaints.

Diversity: all of the ways in which people differ, including innate characteristics (such as age, race, gender, ethnicity, mental and physical abilities, and sexual orientation) and acquired characteristics (such as education, income, religion, work experience, language skills, geographic location, and family status).

Diversity Management: A process intended to create and maintain a positive work environment where the similarities and differences of individuals are valued, so that all can reach their potential and maximize their contributions to an organization's strategic goals and objectives.

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E

Ethnic Group: A group of people who share a common religion, color, or national origin. Irish Americans, Mexican Americans, German Americans, Italian Americans are examples of ethnic groups. Some members of ethnic groups participate in the customs and practices of their groups, while others do not. Discrimination based on these customs and practices may be illegal under EEO law. See Minority.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): The goal of laws that make some types of discrimination in employment illegal. Equal employment opportunity will become a reality when each U.S. citizen has an equal chance to enjoy the benefits of employment. EEO is not a guarantee of employment for anyone. Under EEO law, only job-related factors can be used to determine whether an individual is qualified for a particular job. Ideally, EEO laws and Affirmative Action programs combine to achieve equal employment opportunities. See EEO law, Affirmative Action, and Affirmative Action Plans/Affirmative Employment Plans.

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws: Five laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap in any terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. The five EEO laws are:

• The Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended
• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 and the Pregnancy Disability Act of 1978
• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended
• The Civil Rights Act of 1991

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F

FEORP: Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program published by OPM is a report to Congress on recuiting initiatives designed to eliminate under representation of minorities and women in the Federal workforce.

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G

Grade Groupings: An accumulation of a group of people in specific grades, for example, grades one thru four; five thru seven; nine thru twelve; thirteen thru fifteen, etc.

GS/GM: General schedule/merit.

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H

Human Resources Flexibilities: Policies and practices that an agency has the authority to implement in managing its workforce. Existing flexibilities that are most effective in managing the workforce are work/life programs (such as alternative work schedules, child care assistance, and transit subsidies), monetary recruitment and retention incentives (such as recruitment bonuses and retention allowances), special hiring authorities (such as student employment and outstanding scholar programs), and incentive awards for notable job performance and contributions (such as cash and time-off awards).

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I

Inclusion:Configuring opportunity, interaction, communication, information, and decision-making to utilize the potential of employee diversity. Fully and respectfully involving all employees in the activities and life of the organization.

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J

Job Related: Essential to job performance. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience necessary to perform a particular job. Tests are job related if they test whether an applicant or employee can perform the job in question. A rule or practice is job related if it is necessary for the safe and efficient performance of a particular job. For example, a rule prohibiting employees from wearing loose, flowing clothing around high-speed rotating equipment is job related. However, the same rule applied in an office with no rotating equipment is not job related and may have a disparate impact on some ethnic minorities.

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L

Labor Force/Labor Market: Labor Force describes all civilians who are at least 16 years old and are employed or looking for work. The labor market is a group within the labor force whose members could fill a particular job. To be considered part of the labor market for a GS-5 clerical position, for instance, an individual must meet all minimum job-related requirements for that grade and classification. For most jobs, employers can find enough applicants in the local labor market. For jobs that have high minimum qualifications, employers may need to tap the national labor market to find enough applicants.

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M

Major Occupations: Those occupational series within an agency which have the largest number of authorized positions either actual or projected, or are deemed mission critical.

Merit Principles: The rules established by the Office of Personnel Management that the federal government follows in hiring, promoting, and all terms and conditions of employment. One of those rules states that enforcing selection and advancement shall be made on the basis of an applicant's or employee's ability, knowledge, and skills in fair and open competition.

Minority: The smaller part of a group. A group within a country or state that differs in race, religion, or national origin from the dominant group. According to EEOC guidelines, minority is used to mean four particular groups who share a race, color, or national origin. These groups are:

• American Indian or Alaskan Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintain their culture through a tribe or community.
• Asian or Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original people of the Far East, Southeast Asia, India, or the Pacific Islands. These areas include, for example, China, India, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
• Black (except Hispanic). A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
• Hispanic. A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.

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N

Numerical Goal: A target number of qualified women and minorities hired and advanced within a given period of time through an Affirmative Action Program. A numerical goal is not a quota, as it may not be reached within the time frame. It does not permit the hiring or advancement of unqualified employees. Numerical goals provide a standard which allows an activity to measure the effectiveness of its Affirmative Action Program. When numerical goals are reached, the percent of women and minority group members working at appropriate grade levels and classifications will be closer to their percentage in the labor market.

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O

OPM: Office of Personnel Management establishes a standard for recruitment and hiring for careers in public service.

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P

PAID Reports: Reports containing Personnel Accounting Integrated Data.

PATCOB: Professional, Administrative, Technical, Clerical, Other, and Blue Collar occupational categories established by EEOC.

Person with a Disability: A person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, (2) has a record of such impairment, or  (3) is regarded as having such an impairment.

Prima Facie: This Latin term translates as "on first view" or "at first appearance." In EEO cases, complainants present evidence and arguments to support a claim of discrimination. If those arguments cannot be rebutted with additional evidence, the claim will be supported by the court within further argument. Thus, a prima facie case is established. In the EEO area, statistics of underutilization have been sufficient to make a prima facie case for discrimination.

Protected Class: A group protected from employment discrimination by law. These groups include men and women on the basis of sex; any group that shares a common race, religion, color, or national origin; people over 40; and people with physical or mental handicaps. Every U.S. citizen is a member of some protected class and is entitled to the benefits of EEO law. However, the EEO laws were passed to correct a history of unfavorable treatment of women and minority group members.

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Q

Quota: Fixed hiring and promotion rates based on race, sex, or other protected class standards which must be met at all costs. In extreme cases, the courts have assigned quotas to some employers who have continued to practice illegal discrimination. An agency or any other employer cannot use quotas to meet their affirmative action goals unless a court orders it. Quotas are considered discriminatory against males and other nonminority people.

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R

Racial or Ethnic Group:

• American Indian or Alaskan Native.  A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
• Asian or Pacific Islander.  A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands  This area includes China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.
• Black.  A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. 
• Hispanic.  A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American culture or origin, regardless of race. 

RCLF: Relevant Civilian Labor Force, reflects all the people in America employed in or actively seeking work in a specific occupation (as opposed to the total CLF, which shows all workers; or the PATCOB, which breaks workers into categories).

Reasonable Accommodation: An accommodation is any change in the work environment or in the way things are customarily done that enables an individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. There are three categories of reasonable accommodations:

1. Modifications or adjustments to a job application process that enable a qualified applicant with a disability to be considered for a position; or
2. Modifications or adjustments to the work environment, or to the manner or circumstances under which the position held or desired is customarily performed, that enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of that position; or
3. Modifications or adjustments that enable a covered entity's employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by its other similarly situated employees without disabilities.
4. Reasonable accommodation is available to qualified applicants, and employees with disabilities and must be provided to qualified employees regardless of whether they work part-time or are considered "probationary." Generally, the individual with a disability must inform the employer that an accommodation is needed.

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S

SES: Senior executive service provides for a separate personnel system covering a majority of the top managerial supervisory, and policy-making positions in the Executive Branch of Government.

SMSA: Standard Metropolitan statistical Area.

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T

Targeted Disability: Disabilities (deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness, and distortion of limbs and/or spine) targeted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for special emphasis in the affirmative action program.

Underrepresentation: Inadequately represented in the workforce of a particular activity. This term is used to describe the extent to which women and minorities are represented in particular grade levels and job categories. The percentage of women and minorities in the labor market is used as a standard to determine underrepresentation. For example, suppose there are 100 GS-12s at an agency; 3 of them (or 3 percent) are black. However, the black labor market for GS-12 positions at that particular activity is 15 percent. In this case, blacks are underrepresented at the GS -12 level.

Underutilized: To use less than fully; below potential use. This term is often applied to categories of employees who are working at jobs that do not make use of their skills and abilities, although they may have been hired for those skills and abilities. When an employee is consistently assigned to "dead end" jobs, he or she may be underutilized because that person is often seen as able to perform only limited tasks.

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V

VSSC: VISN Service Support Center, an intranet site maintained by VHA, provides numerous automated reports of personnel data.

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W

Workforce Diversity: Refers to ways in which people in a workforce are similar and different from one another. In addition to the characteristics protected by law, other similarities and differences commonly cited include background, education, language skills, personality, sexual orientation, and work role.

Workforce Profile: An organizational "snap shot" illustrating the dispersion of race, national origin, gender, and/or disability groups within specified employment categories.

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