PSHRA-CP key terms

The principle that hiring, pay, promotion, and other employment decisions should be based on job-related qualifications rather than race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.

When a neutral-looking employment policy or test disproportionately excludes members of a protected group, regardless of whether anyone intended to discriminate. Employers must show the practice is job-related and consistent with business necessity.

A planned effort by covered employers to increase representation of qualified women, minorities, veterans, or people with disabilities through outreach, goals, and good-faith steps, usually required by government contract rules.

A change to the job, work environment, or way duties are performed that lets a qualified employee with a disability apply, perform essential functions, or enjoy equal benefits, unless it causes undue hardship.

Federal law giving eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain family and medical reasons, with continuation of health benefits under the same terms.

An employee status under the Fair Labor Standards Act in which the person is not entitled to overtime pay, typically because the role meets salary-basis and duties tests for executive, administrative, professional, or outside sales work.

Unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment, or that is used as a condition of employment (quid pro quo).

A written collection of an organization's policies, expectations, and benefits information given to employees; it should be reviewed by legal counsel and updated regularly so it does not create unintended contractual promises.

A written summary of a position's title, duties, reporting lines, essential functions, and minimum qualifications, used for recruitment, classification, compensation, accommodation, and performance decisions.

A formal statement of an organization's intent and rules on a topic, such as attendance or conduct; policies set direction and are implemented through procedures that explain the required steps.

A plan listing which records the organization keeps, for how long, and how they are destroyed, based on legal requirements, operational needs, and litigation-hold obligations.

The systematic process of gathering information about a job's duties, tasks, required knowledge and skills, working conditions, and performance expectations; it is the foundation for job descriptions and selection criteria.

A selection interview in which every candidate is asked the same predetermined job-related questions and rated with a consistent scoring guide, reducing bias and improving comparability across applicants.

A selection technique that asks candidates to describe specific past situations and actions, based on the idea that past behavior predicts future performance; often scored with structured rating scales.

Verification of an applicant's employment, education, criminal history, or other credentials, usually conducted after a conditional offer and subject to fair credit reporting and adverse action rules.

A required notice to an applicant or employee when a background check or credit report leads to a decision not to hire, not to promote, or to terminate, including information about the consumer reporting agency and dispute rights.

A systematic method for comparing jobs within an organization to determine their relative worth, usually based on factors such as skill, responsibility, effort, and working conditions, so pay structures are internally equitable.

A salary range with a minimum, midpoint, and maximum assigned to jobs of similar value; it gives managers a framework for setting and moving pay within a consistent structure.

The process of collecting and analyzing external compensation data for comparable jobs to set pay levels that are competitive in the relevant labor market and aligned with the organization's pay strategy.

When new hires or less experienced employees are paid nearly as much as or more than longer-tenured employees in the same role, often because market pay has risen faster than internal ranges.

A compensation structure that combines many narrow pay grades into a few wide bands, giving managers more flexibility to move employees across roles and rewarding skill development instead of only promotion.

A step-by-step response to performance or conduct problems, often moving from coaching and verbal warning to written warning, suspension, and termination, with each step documented and proportional to the issue.

A standard requiring an employer to show a fair, factual reason for discipline, such as a clear rule, notice, investigation, consistent treatment, and a penalty that fits the offense; common in union contracts.

A formal process for employees to raise complaints about contract interpretation, discipline, or working conditions and have them reviewed, often through steps ending in arbitration under a collective bargaining agreement.

The process by which an employer and a union representing employees negotiate wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment, usually resulting in a written labor contract.

A time-limited, written plan that identifies performance gaps, sets specific expectations and support, and schedules check-ins, used to give an employee a fair chance to improve before further discipline.

A formal review of an employee's results, behaviors, and development needs over a period, typically using ratings or narratives, intended to inform feedback, goals, pay, and training decisions.

An employment relationship in which either the employer or the employee may end the relationship at any time, with or without cause, subject to exceptions such as illegal discrimination and retaliation.

A federal law that sets minimum standards for private-sector pension and health benefit plans, covering reporting, disclosure, fiduciary duties, funding, and participant rights.

A federal law allowing eligible employees and their dependents to continue group health coverage for a limited time after a qualifying event such as job loss, at the participant's expense.

A federal law that protects the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information and sets rules for how covered health plans and providers may use or disclose it.

The process by which an employee gains nonforfeitable ownership of employer contributions or benefits over time; once fully vested, the employee keeps the benefit even after leaving.

A retirement plan, such as a 401(k), in which the employee and often the employer contribute to an individual account; the final benefit depends on contributions and investment performance, not a promised monthly amount.

A tax-advantaged savings account available to people enrolled in a qualifying high-deductible health plan, used to pay current or future medical expenses; unused funds can carry over and invest.

A software system that stores and manages employee data and HR processes such as payroll, benefits, timekeeping, recruiting, and reporting, serving as a central source for workforce information.

The accuracy, completeness, and consistency of data stored in HR systems; maintained through validation rules, audits, access controls, and clear procedures for entering and updating records.

The percentage of employees who leave an organization during a period, usually calculated by dividing separations by average headcount; used to monitor retention and workforce stability.

The number of days from opening a job requisition or posting a vacancy to the date a candidate accepts the offer, used to measure recruiting efficiency and identify delays in the hiring process.

Data that can identify a specific person, alone or combined with other data, such as name, Social Security number, address, or health information; it requires safeguards under privacy laws.