affirmative action
Preferential treatment in hiring, recruitment, promotion, and development for groups that have been discriminated against.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (amended 1978 and 1986)
Protects workers between the ages of 40 and 70 against job discrimination.

Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990
A comprehensive antidiscrimination law aimed at integrating the disabled into the workplace. It prohibits all employers from discriminating against disabled employees or job applicants when making employment decisions.

bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ)
A defense against discrimination only where age, sex, religion, or national origin is an actual qualification to perform the job.

Civil Rights Act of 1964
An important law that prohibits employers, unions, employment agencies, and joint labor–management committees controlling apprenticeship or training programs from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Civil Rights Act of 1991
Allows for compensatory and punitive damages in intentional discrimination cases; allows for jury trials when damages are sought.

disparate treatment
The view that discrimination occurs due to different treatment given to a person because of race, sex, national origin, age, or disability factors.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The Civil Rights Act, Title VII, 1964, gave the EEOC limited powers to resolve charges of discrimination and interpret the meaning of Title VII. In 1972, Congress gave the EEOC the power to sue employers in the federal courts.

equal employment opportunity (EEO) programs
Programs implemented by employers to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset past employment discrimination.

Equal Pay Act
The Equal Pay Act requires equal pay for equal work performed by men and women.

four-fifths rule
Discrimination is likely to occur if the selection rate for a protected group is less than 4/5 of the selection rate for a majority group.

Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978
This law makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions in employment decisions.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973
An act that is enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). It requires that all employers with government contracts of $2,500 or more set up affirmative action programs for the disabled.

sexual harassment
Unwelcome sexual attention that causes the recipient distress and results in an inability on the part of the recipient to effectively perform the job.