HM 422 EXAM 1 (CHAP 1-5) QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Answer -legislation passed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, or national origin; became the cornerstone for workplace change
Title VII - Answer -portion of the Civil Rights Act that ensures fair employment standards;
generally credited for initiating the Equal Employment Opportunity environment (EEO) that exists in
the US today
legal - Answer -human resources management is the practice of _____________ discrimination
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - Answer -created by the Civil Rights Act of
1964, this federal commission is responsible for enforcing nondiscrimination laws in the US
affirmative action - Answer -a policy that establishes an obligation for federal employers or federal
contractors to take positive steps to ensure that members of a protected group or class receive
treatment to help overcome past discriminatory practices
adverse impact - Answer -a possible result of selection or employment practices in which
members of one group or class are much more negatively affected by the practices than members
of another group or class
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 - Answer -legislation that made it illegal to
discriminate on the basis of age; U.S. citizens age 40 and over are protected by this act
Americans with Disabilities Act - Answer -legislation that requires commercial operations both to
remove barriers to persons with disabilities in the workplace and to provide facilities for customers
with disabilities; called the "Bill of Rights" for persons with disabilities because it prohibits job
discrimination against people with disabilities
bona fide occupational qualifications - Answer -qualifications on which employers are allowed to
legally discriminate during selection and promotion
business necessity - Answer -discrimination allowed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as
a legal reason for choosing one employee over another. To date, most of the acceptable cases
have involved job-related safety issues such as special training or experience (RARE)
wrongful discharge - Answer -a charge brought against an employer for terminating employees
without due process or without substantial efforts to first call an employee's attention to improper
work habits and to help the employee change; terminating an employee's employment without
sufficient reason
reverse discrimination - Answer -discrimination against a member of a majority group in favor of a
minority solely on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability status, or national origin
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, reasonable accommodation - Answer -an employer's obligation to do something to enable an
otherwise qualified person to perform a job
just cause - Answer -a policy that focuses on fair and equal treatment, and progressive discipline
Pregnancy Discrimination Act - Answer -Civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination by the
employer on the basis of pregnancy
Family and Medical Leave Act - Answer -provides eligible employees with unpaid, twelve weeks of
job-protected leave for certain family or medical conditions
essential functions of a job - Answer -Language in the Americans with Disabilities Act that
specifies that people with disabilities must not be barred from work if they can perform the
"essential functions of the job." In the case of a cook, essential functions would include cooking
skills.
Equal Pay Act - Answer -legislation that establishes federal policy of equal pay for both men and
women who do the same job with the same employer
Pros of Affirmative Action - Answer --diversity is desirable and will not always occur by chance
-those starting at a disadvantage need help
-affirmative action draws people to fields of work and study they might otherwise not consider
-some stereotypes cannot be broken w/o AA
-AA is needed to compensate minorities for centuries of slavery and other unfair treatment
-it's the law
Cons of Affirmative Action - Answer --AA leads to diverse discrimination sometimes
-AA lowers standards of accountability and performance
-sometimes people aren't prepared for the jobs they receive through AA
-elimination of the policy would lead to a truly color-blind society
-it's condescending to say that minorities need help
-demeans minorities by labeling them as successful only because of AA
Violations of Title VII - Answer -1) disparate treatment
2) disparate impact
disparate treatment - Answer -Occurs when an employerintentionally discriminates against an
individual or a group of individuals belonging to one of the protected classes
disparate impact - Answer -Occurs when an employer does not intentionally discriminate yet does
something that gives one group an advantage over another
sexual harassment - Answer -employment decisions are made based on an individual's
acceptance or rejection of sexual conduct; a person's job performance is adversely affected by
sexual conduct; creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment
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Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Answer -legislation passed to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race,
color, religion, sex, or national origin; became the cornerstone for workplace change
Title VII - Answer -portion of the Civil Rights Act that ensures fair employment standards;
generally credited for initiating the Equal Employment Opportunity environment (EEO) that exists in
the US today
legal - Answer -human resources management is the practice of _____________ discrimination
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - Answer -created by the Civil Rights Act of
1964, this federal commission is responsible for enforcing nondiscrimination laws in the US
affirmative action - Answer -a policy that establishes an obligation for federal employers or federal
contractors to take positive steps to ensure that members of a protected group or class receive
treatment to help overcome past discriminatory practices
adverse impact - Answer -a possible result of selection or employment practices in which
members of one group or class are much more negatively affected by the practices than members
of another group or class
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 - Answer -legislation that made it illegal to
discriminate on the basis of age; U.S. citizens age 40 and over are protected by this act
Americans with Disabilities Act - Answer -legislation that requires commercial operations both to
remove barriers to persons with disabilities in the workplace and to provide facilities for customers
with disabilities; called the "Bill of Rights" for persons with disabilities because it prohibits job
discrimination against people with disabilities
bona fide occupational qualifications - Answer -qualifications on which employers are allowed to
legally discriminate during selection and promotion
business necessity - Answer -discrimination allowed by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as
a legal reason for choosing one employee over another. To date, most of the acceptable cases
have involved job-related safety issues such as special training or experience (RARE)
wrongful discharge - Answer -a charge brought against an employer for terminating employees
without due process or without substantial efforts to first call an employee's attention to improper
work habits and to help the employee change; terminating an employee's employment without
sufficient reason
reverse discrimination - Answer -discrimination against a member of a majority group in favor of a
minority solely on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability status, or national origin
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, reasonable accommodation - Answer -an employer's obligation to do something to enable an
otherwise qualified person to perform a job
just cause - Answer -a policy that focuses on fair and equal treatment, and progressive discipline
Pregnancy Discrimination Act - Answer -Civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination by the
employer on the basis of pregnancy
Family and Medical Leave Act - Answer -provides eligible employees with unpaid, twelve weeks of
job-protected leave for certain family or medical conditions
essential functions of a job - Answer -Language in the Americans with Disabilities Act that
specifies that people with disabilities must not be barred from work if they can perform the
"essential functions of the job." In the case of a cook, essential functions would include cooking
skills.
Equal Pay Act - Answer -legislation that establishes federal policy of equal pay for both men and
women who do the same job with the same employer
Pros of Affirmative Action - Answer --diversity is desirable and will not always occur by chance
-those starting at a disadvantage need help
-affirmative action draws people to fields of work and study they might otherwise not consider
-some stereotypes cannot be broken w/o AA
-AA is needed to compensate minorities for centuries of slavery and other unfair treatment
-it's the law
Cons of Affirmative Action - Answer --AA leads to diverse discrimination sometimes
-AA lowers standards of accountability and performance
-sometimes people aren't prepared for the jobs they receive through AA
-elimination of the policy would lead to a truly color-blind society
-it's condescending to say that minorities need help
-demeans minorities by labeling them as successful only because of AA
Violations of Title VII - Answer -1) disparate treatment
2) disparate impact
disparate treatment - Answer -Occurs when an employerintentionally discriminates against an
individual or a group of individuals belonging to one of the protected classes
disparate impact - Answer -Occurs when an employer does not intentionally discriminate yet does
something that gives one group an advantage over another
sexual harassment - Answer -employment decisions are made based on an individual's
acceptance or rejection of sexual conduct; a person's job performance is adversely affected by
sexual conduct; creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment
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