SUNY University-Wide Human Resources Manual
Glossary - Terms Significant to the Human Resources Function in the State University of New York

last updated: Monday, July 25, 2005

Following is a glossary of terms that are significant to the human resource function. While many of the terms are specifically defined as they apply to employment in the State University of New York or other employment in the civil service of the State of New York, many relate to the human resource function in general. A unique feature of this glossary is the inclusion, in italics, of active verbs that could be used in job descriptions to differentiate levels of duties and responsibilities. An alphabetical index is provided to assist you in locating the reference you seek. Also, you will note that the parenthetical notations often appearing following a term are an attempt to identify the source for a definition: (SUNY) refers to the Policies of the Board of Trustees; (NYS CSL) refers to the Civil Service Law; (NYS Class & Comp) refers to materials prepared by the Classification and Compensation section of the Civil Service Department; (NYS Taylor Law) refers to the Public Employees' Fair Employment Act; (Federal) refers to definitions from federal government statutes, rules, regulations, and executive orders; (NYS Payroll) refers to the NYS Payroll Manual prepared by the Office of the State Comptroller; (NYS Pers Manual) refers to the Personnel Manual prepared by the NYS Department of Civil Service; (NYS Budget) refers to budget bulletins and other materials relating to the budget process in State agencies; and (Contract) refers to at least one of the collective bargaining agreements between the State and the unions that represent university employees.

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ABOLITION OF POSITIONS (NYS):
the abolition of positions is a prerequisite to the termination of permanent employees in the classified service for the reason of economy. (Attorney General's decision, 1976) Agencies may not layoff employees without abolishing positions.
ACADEMIC EMPLOYEE (SUNY):
an academic rank or qualified academic rank employee in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit.
ACADEMIC RANK (SUNY):
rank held by those members of the professional staff having the title of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, including geographic full-time faculty members having such titles, and rank held by members of the professional staff having the titles of librarian, associate librarian, senior assistant librarian, and assistant librarian.
ACADEMIC STAFF (SUNY):
the staff comprised of those persons having academic rank or qualified academic rank.
ACADEMIC YEAR OBLIGATION (SUNY):
an annual obligation of service for the academic year, not to exceed 10 months.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
the correct use of delegated authority to meet a specific responsibility.
ACRONYMS (SUNY/NYS):
For a list of acronyms associated with the SUNY Human Resources function, go to: Acronyms. Some of these acronyms also are included in this glossary.
ADA: (See Americans With Disabilities Act)
ADMINISTER:
manage or direct the execution of affairs.
ADMINISTRATIVE SALARY PLAN (SUNY)
SUNY Board of Trustees approved salary plan for Presidents of the State-operated campuses, the Chancellor, Executive Vice Chancellor, Senior Vice Chancellor and Provost.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES UNIT (ASU) (NYS Taylor Law):
a negotiating unit in NYS service composed of classified service employees, primarily office and administrative support staff, currently represented by the Civil Service Employees' Association, Inc. (CSEA). See related information at:
ADOPT:
to take up and practice as one's own.
ADVISE:
to recommend a course of action; offer an informed opinion based on specialized knowledge.
ADVISORY ARBITRATION:
a proceeding where an arbitrator issues a decision which is not final and binding on the parties.
AFFECTED CLASS:
those groups of persons, and protected by anti-discrimination laws, who because of past discrimination, may continue to suffer the effects of such discrimination. Affected class status may be determined by statistical analysis and/or court decision.
AFFIDAVIT:
a written declaration of facts made voluntarily under oath. This is made without notice to an opposing party and without the opportunity for cross-examination.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:
any action intended to correct effects of past discrimination, to eliminate present discrimination, or to prevent discrimination for the future.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION GROUPS:
those persons identified by the federal and state laws to be specifically protected from employment discrimination.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN:
a statement of goals, timetables, and programs indicating how the employer plans to move the current status to parity. Also, a document required of government contractors under the regulations of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The employer is obliged to compare the internal distribution of minorities and females to their incidence in the external labor market and to determine whether or not the employer is at parity with the external labor market.
AGE DISCRIMINATION and EMPLOYMENT ACT of 1967 (ADEA) as amended (Federal):
Specifies it is unlawful for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge an individual or otherwise discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of an individual's age. For more information go to Age Discrimination (ADEA)
AGENCY FEE:
a fee deducted from the salary of New York State employees who are non-members of the employee organization chosen by their negotiating unit, if any, to represent them for purposes of collective bargaining. The fee deduction is equivalent to the dues deducted for members. It is considered payment for services or benefits provided to non-members of the employee organization as a result of collective bargaining. See related information at: Agency Fee Payroll Deduction.
AGENCY LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES (ALES)
a negotiating unit in NYS service represented by Council 82, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, that comprises certain personnel who have police duties and responsibilities and are employed in the Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and the State University of New York. The titles in this unit include environmental conservation officer, park patrol officer, environmental conservation investigator I and II, supervising environmental conservation officer, university police officer I and II, university police investigator I and II, forest ranger I and II. This unit was established in 2003.
AGENCY REDUCTION TRANSFER LIST (NYS):
a mandatory list established prior to the date of layoff containing the names of employees in impacted titles at impacted locations ranked by seniority who are eligible for transfer to positions in other agencies in their current title and direct line lower level titles. "BUMP" - is a commonly used term that does not appear in the NYS laws or rules governing RIF's. It means vertical displacement within the competitive class from a higher level title to a lower level title in a direct line of promotion.
ALIEN:
an individual born in, and a citizen of, a country other than the country in which he or she is living.
ALLOCATE (NYS Class & Comp):
to assign a class to a particular salary grade in the salary schedule based on an evaluation of its duties and responsibilities. To reallocate is to change the existing allocation of a class to a different salary grade in the schedule.
ALTERNATE WORK SCHEDULE: (See Executive Order 68)
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT (ASTD):
a professional organization. For more information go to: American Society for Training and Development.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990 (ADA):
the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, programs and services provided by state and local governments, goods and services provided by private companies, and in commercial facilities. For more information go to: ADA Information on the WEB.
AMICUS CURIAE:
a party not involved in a lawsuit but who has an interest in its outcome and who submits arguments to the court in an effort to aid the court in reaching its judgment.
ANALYZE:
separate into elements and critically examine.
ANNUITY:
a fixed amount of money payable periodically for life or for a fixed number of years which has been bequeathed, donated, or purchased.
ANSWER:
a response by the person who is sued, or response to a question.
ANTE (NYS Budget):
Refers to the maximum expenditure which may be authorized. For positions, the maximum amount which may be paid to an incumbent. (At not to exceed).
ANTICIPATE:
foresee and deal with in advance.
APPEAL (NYS Class & Comp) (NYS CSL):
application to the Civil Service Commission to review a determination of the Director of Classification and Compensation. Also includes application to the Civil Service Commission to review decisions of the Department of Civil Service on minimum qualifications, comparability of title for examination, and test grades. Also, the act of a plaintiff who wishes to test a Civil Service Commission decision in court under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Laws and Rules. Action moving a Step One grievance decisions to Step Two, etc.
APPELLANT:
the party who appeals a decision.
APPENDIX A (SUNY):
a list of professional services negotiating unit positions not eligible for permanent appointment found at the end of Article XI in the SUNY Policies of the Board of Trustees. In lieu of permanent appointments, appointees to Appendix A titles must be given 5-year term appointments after an initial 1 year probationary appointment.
APPLICATION:
the act of requesting. Includes a request to the Director of Classification and Compensation for a change in title and/or salary as provided by the NYS Civil Service Law and other requests for review of administrative actions of the Department of Civil Service. Also includes requests for consideration for employment from candidates for positions and employee requests for promotion. An Application Blank is the formal record of a person's request to be employed.
APPOINTING AUTHORITY or APPOINTING OFFICER (NYS CSL) (SUNY):
the officer, commission or body having the power of appointment to subordinate positions. In SUNY, each campus President is an appointing authority.
APPOINTMENT:
the act of placing a person in a position or office.
APPOINTMENT YEAR (SUNY):
unless the terms of appointment otherwise provide, the normal appointment year shall be from September 1 to August 31, regardless of payroll mode; provided however, that an academic year employee may be required to commence her/his professional obligation at a date reasonably prior to September 1 as may be necessitated by a college's operating requirements.
APPRAISE:
give an expert opinion/judgment of worth or merit.
APPROVE:
accept as satisfactory; exercise final authority with regard to the commitment of resources.
ARBITRARY:
something done capriciously or at pleasure; without adequate determining principle; non-rational.
ARBITRATION (NYS Taylor Law):
a procedure through which a third party neutral arbitrator examines facts in a hearing and renders an award to settle a dispute. Sometimes referred to as "Rights Arbitration" in contrast to "Interest Arbitration".
ARBITRATOR:
an impartial person selected by the parties to a dispute who is empowered to make a determination concerning the issues in dispute.
ARRANGE:
make preparation for an event; put in proper order.
ARTICLE 78 PROCEEDING:
a proceeding brought in New York State Supreme Court for review of governmental action pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
ASSEMBLE:
collect or gather together in a predetermined order from various sources.
ASSIGN:
specify or designate tasks or duties to be performed by others.
ASSUME:
undertake; take for granted.
ASSURE:
give confidence, make certain of.
ASTD (Organization): (See: American Society for Training and Development).
ASU (NYS Taylor Law): (See: Administrative Services Unit)
AUTHORITY:
refers to the right a manager has to control the activities of subordinates. Decision-making power.
AUTHORIZE:
approve; empower through vested authority.

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BARGAINING AGENT:
the employee organization chosen by employees in a negotiating unit to have exclusive representation rights for them in collective bargaining.
BARGAINING UNIT: (See: Negotiating Unit)
BASE ANNUAL SALARY:
the base salary before the addition of overtime pay or of any temporary or "emergency" increases approved for a limited period or purpose, or any extra service compensation or additional stipend or pay for other services such as service as department chair.
BASIC WORKWEEK CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES (NYS CSL):
the basic workweek shall be 40 hours; provided, however, that where a shorter workweek would not interfere with the proper performance of government functions, an appointing authority may establish a basic workweek of not less than 37 1/2 hours. (See Workweek)
BLUE CROSS - BLUE SHIELD
a health insurance provider. A major product is the managed care program offered by the "Blue Choice" (HMO) plan. More information is available at: Blue Cross - Blue Shield.
BONA FIDE OCCUPATIONAL QUALIFICATION - BFOQ or BOQ.
a minimum qualification requirement needed as a prerequisite to being able to do a particular job. BFOQs, if challenged, must be demonstrated to be valid by the employer. The courts have interpreted BFOQs very narrowly, especially with regard to sex. Each applicant must be treated as an individual in comparing his or her skills to the skills required to perform the job.
BRIEF:
a paper written by a lawyer to serve as a basis for his or her later oral argument to the court. Its use is largely to inform the court of the lawyer's argument, authorities on questions of law, and desired interpretation of the case.
BUDGET:
financial statement of a plan.
BUDGET CERTIFICATE (NYS Payroll): (See Certificate of Approval)
BUMP (NYS CSL):
the displacement of one classified service employee by another who is being laid off and has greater seniority and is serving in the next higher level direct line title in the layoff unit.
BURDEN OF PROOF:
the responsibility for demonstrating to the requisite degree the truth of one's claim; the affirmative duty of proving or disapproving the claim at issue.
BUSINESS NECESSITY:
Supreme Court's touchstone for determining lawfulness under Title VII of a discriminatory effect. Must be essential to the safe and efficient operation of a business. Generally involves whether the employer would be committed to additional costs or a safety hazard if the discriminatory practice were abandoned. Savings gained by shorter training periods, preserving or improving an employer's image, customer or co-worker preferences, superior or inferior ability to perform non-essential aspects of a job, or need to maintain harmony or decorum at the place of business do NOT qualify as business necessities.

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CAFETERIA PLAN:
a form of benefit compensation in which employees may choose between two or more taxable or non-taxable benefits (i.e., life insurance, health insurance, tax deferred annuities, etc.).
CALENDAR YEAR OBLIGATION (SUNY):
an annual obligation of service for a full year, (i.e., 12 months).
CANVASS:
an inquiry as to whether an eligible candidate for a classified service vacancy would be willing to accept appointment, if offered.
CAPRICIOUS:
subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, unpredictable change without apparent or adequate motive.
CAREER:
a sequence of jobs held during a person's work life.
CAREER LADDER:
composed of jobs requiring related and increasingly more responsible duties, through which employees advance by experience, in-service training, and testing.
CASUAL EMPLOYEE (SUNY):
unclassified service employee whose employment relationship is so limited as not to justify assignment to a negotiating unit.
CENTRALIZATION:
upper level management retains major decision making authority, creating all major policies and programs, and preserving the authority to make significant changes.
CEO:
Chief Executive Officer.
CERT (NYS Payroll): (See Certificate of Approval)
Budget Certificate.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL (NYS Payroll):
a listing, ordered by payroll line item number, of positions and salaries approved by the NYS Division of Budget for funding from a NYS appropriation for personal service regular expenditures. The NYS Office of the State Comptroller cannot pay more on a line item than the amount which is authorized on the certificate of approval. Also known as Schedule of Positions (SOP). Go to: Schedule of Positions for more information.
CERTIFICATION (NYS Budget), (NYS CSL), or (NYS Taylor Law):
May refer to DOB certifying positions and the Department of Civil certifying appointment to the payroll. May also refer to the Public Employment Relations Board's (PERB) certifying an employee organization as the exclusive representative for a unit of employees.
CHAOS:
a condition created when an organization changes the rules in response to every new situation.
CHARGING PARTY:
person alleging that he or she is aggrieved as the result of an unlawful employment practice.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER (SUNY):
the head of a college or contract college whether called president, dean, provost, director, or otherwise. (CAO)
CIVIL SERVICE (NYS CSL):
encompasses all offices and employments in the service of the State or any of its civil divisions, except offices and employments in the Division of Military and Naval Affairs. The Civil Service is divided into the unclassified and classified service.
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (NYS CSL):
considered the "watchdog" of the New York State merit system, the Civil Service Commission is composed of three members appointed by the Governor. From the three, one is appointed by the Governor to serve as President. The President is the administrative head of the Department of Civil Service. The Commission promulgates rules, hears appeals, and conducts investigations.
CIVIL SERVICE LAW (NYS CSL):
law under which NYS employment in the classified service is governed. For a summary of the law go to: Civil Service Law Summary.
CIVIL SERVICE RULES (NYS CSL):
the rules of the Civil Service Commission implement the Civil Service Law, provide procedures and other details for carrying out the law, and have the force of law themselves.
CLASS or CLASS OF POSITIONS (NYS Class & Comp):
one or more positions sufficiently similar in respect to duties and responsibilities that the same title may be used to designate each position in the group, the same salary may be equitably applied, the same qualifications required, and the same examination used to select qualified employees.
CLASS ACTION:
a lawsuit or grievance initiated by one or more member(s) of a larger group of persons on behalf of all the members of the group.
CLASSIFICATION STANDARD
a detailed statement of the criteria for classifying positions under a title, basic duties and illustravie tasks, supervision received and exerecised, askill and ability, and occupational requirements.
CLASSIFIED SERVICE (NYS CSL):
the classified service shall comprise all offices and positions not included in the unclassified service. The offices and positions in the classified service shall be divided into four classes, to be designated as the exempt class, the non-competitive class, the labor class, and the competitive class.
CLASSIFY (NYS Class & Comp):
to group positions according to their duties and responsibilities and assign a class title.
CLASS TITLE: (See Title)
CLEAR:
gain approval of others.
COBRA (Federal): (See: Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (Federal).
COLLABORATE:
work jointly with, cooperate with others.
COLLECT:
gather or amass.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING (NYS Taylor Law):
statutory mechanism for employees to participate collectively in the determination of their terms and conditions of employment through meetings between their elected representatives and their employer at which their terms and conditions of employment are negotiated. Also used to resolve labor disputes.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT:
An agreement reached through collective negotiations between management and representatives of employee unions. Go to: Links to Collective Bargaining Agreements to view current agreements.
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PERSONNEL ASSOCIATION FOR HUMAN RESOURCES (CUPA-HR):
an organization that supports personnel administration in higher education. For more information go to: College and University Personnel Association for Human Resources .
COLLEGE YEAR OBLIGATION (SUNY):
an annual obligation of service for any period less than the full year (for professional employees).
COMPARABLE WORTH:
the principle that jobs can be compared which may be dissimilar in nature but equal or equivalent in terms of skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions; used to achieve salary equity; popularly tied to sex discrimination.
COMPENSATION:
remuneration for services rendered or for damages incurred. Includes pay, incentives, and benefits provided employees.
COMPETENT:
capable of doing a certain thing; having capacity to understand, and act reasonably.
COMPETITIVE CLASS (NYS CLS):
the competitive class shall include all positions for which it is practicable to determine the merit and fitness of applicants by competitive examination. See: Classified Service Competitive Examination Announcements for information about examinations.
COMPILE:
put together information, collect from other documents.
COMPLAINT:
an informal grievance; a gripe; a non-contract dispute; the first paper filed by a plaintiff.
COMPLIANCE:
within statutory limits and court interpretations, acts by an employer to bring practices into line with civil rights legislation through training managers, supervisors and employees; changing policies, procedures; altering compensation levels; making physical plant changes; changing working hours; etc.
COMPLIANCE AGENCIES:
organizations established under the Office of Federal Contract Compliance as internal sub-units of major government departments or agencies, including, for example, the Department of Labor, Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense. They are charged with the administration of Executive Order 11246, Revised Orders No. 4 and No. 14, and with the collection and analysis of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Reports and Affirmative Action Plans. Their powers of enforcement include the ability to deny government business to contractors found in violation. For more information go to: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
COMPRESSED WORKWEEK:
work schedules with fewer than five workdays a week.
COMPULSORY ARBITRATION:
when the law authorizes either party or an outside agency to impose a settlement after an arbitration hearing.
CONCILIATION:
a settlement of a dispute through discussion rather than formal hearings and/or a trial. Sometimes called mediation. Used by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), PERB, and Division of Human Rights, among others.
CONCUR:
agree with a position, statement, action, or opinion.
CONCURRENT:
to run together, in conjunction with; to exist together.
CONDUCT:
carry on; direct the execution of.
CONFER:
consult with others to compare views.
CONFIDENTIAL (NYS Taylor Law): (See: Management/Confidential).
CONSENT DECREE:
by comparison, the judicial counterpart to conciliation; a formal court document approved by a judge.
CONSOLIDATE:
bring together.
CONSOLIDATED OMNIBUS BUDGET RECONCILIATION ACT OF 1985 (COBRA) (Federal):
this law requires that most employers sponsoring group health plans offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health care and union Employee Benefit Fund coverage called "continuation coverage" at group rates in certain instances where coverage under the program would otherwise end.
CONSULT:
seek the advice of others.
CONTINGENT PERMANENT (NYS CSL):
an appointment, transfer, or reinstatement to a temporarily vacant position of a person meeting all merit and fitness requirements for such appointment. Except in the case of the return of a prior incumbent, contingent permanent appointees have all rights and benefits of permanent appointees.
CONTINUING APPOINTMENT (SUNY):
an appointment to a position of academic rank which shall not be affected by changes in such rank and shall continue until resignation, retirement, or termination. (See: Tenure).
CONTRACTOR OR EMPLOYEE (Federal): Employee/Contractor
CONTRIBUTORY PENSION PLAN:
the employee and employer share the cost of pension benefits.
CONTROL:
measure, interpret, and evaluate actions for conformance with plans and/ or desired results.
CONTROLLING:
staying with the plan making sure the objectives are met and changing the plan as necessary.
COORDINATE:
regulate, adjust or combine the actions of others to attain harmony.
COORDINATION:
the relationships between various positions within an organization. Includes reporting and supervisory relationships per organization chart.
CORRELATE:
establish a reciprocal relationship.
CORRESPOND:
communicate in writing with.
COUNSELING:
a private supervisory conference between a supervisor and a subordinate employee at which the employee's performance deficiencies are discussed. The motivation for such counseling sessions is to improve the employee's performance and eliminate the performance deficiencies. For more information about counseling go to: Counseling
COUNSELING MEMORANDUM:
a written follow-up to an employee following counseling which confirms the reason for the counseling, a summary of the effect of the employee's deficiencies, a summary of the employee's response to the counseling, and the corrective actions expected.
CUPA-HR (Organization): (See: College and University Personnel Association for Human Resources).

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DATA:
facts and figures.
DECENTRALIZATION:
significant decision making authority is delegated throughout the organization to lower management levels.
DECISION:
a determination or judgment. The result of an administrative or judicial review. In judicial cases, possible results include dismissal of charges, injunction, and awards for damages or punishment.
DEDUCTION: (See: Payroll Deduction).
DEFENDANT:
the person(s) or organization(s) being sued.
DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN:
a retirement program under which the retirement benefit to be paid is some percentage of final salary rather than simply the return on investment of the retirement fund.
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN:
a retirement program under which an employee contributes a percentage of salary and the return on investment determines the retirement benefit.
DELEGATE:
commission another to perform tasks or duties that may carry specific degrees of accountability. Ideally authority should be passed to the lowest level within the organization capable of making an effective decision.
DEPARTMENTALIZATION:
the process of combining jobs into work units and grouping similar work units.
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE (NYS CSL):
in New York State, it is the State's primary personnel management arm, responsible for the classification and allocation of classified service State positions, the recruitment and selection of candidates for State classified service employment, and the development and maintenance of statewide agency personnel systems. For more information go to: NYS Department of Civil Service
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (NYS):
Go to: NYS Department of Labor
DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE (NYS):
visit this site at: NYS Tax Department.
DEPOSITION:
a written declaration of facts made voluntarily out of court but under oath in the presence of the opposing party, who may conduct cross-examination in front of a court reporter.
DESIGN:
conceive, create, and execute according to plan.
DESK AUDIT (NYS Class & Comp):
a review and discussion of the duties and responsibilities of a position made at an employee's desk or other regular place of work.
DETERMINE:
resolve; fix conclusively or authoritatively.
DEVELOP:
disclose, discover, perfect or unfold a plan or idea.
DEVISE:
come up with something new.
DICTIONARY OF OCCUPATIONAL TITLES (Federal):
a dictionary of titles and descriptive information about their classification created and maintained by the federal government.
DIRECT:
guide operations through the establishment of objectives, policies, rules, practices, methods, and standards.
DIRECT DEPOSIT OF PAYROLL:
making direct deposit of payroll to employee bank accounts via electronic transfer rather than writing pay checks. For more information go to: Direct Deposit.
DISABILITY:
state of not being fully capable of performing all essential functions whether mental or physical.
DISCHARGE:
termination of a person's employment by his or her employer.
DISCIPLINE:
action taken against an employee for misconduct or incompetence when other efforts (i.e., counseling) fail or when a single incident is so severe as to warrant it. In NYS service, disciplinary penalties can only be imposed after an employee has been formally charged and has exhausted his/her appeal rights. Disciplinary penalties range from official reprimands, suspension without pay, fines, loss of accrued leave credits, and reduction in grade, to dismissal from service. Except for cases of extreme misconduct, discipline, where required, should be progressive and consistent. An employee should be notified that a problem exists and given a chance to improve before being disciplined. For more information about discipline go to: Discipline.
DISCOVERY:
the legal term for the investigation phase after a complaint is filed and the defendant has answered.
DISCRIMINATION:
the act of distinguishing between and among different things. It is also a charge brought by people alleging the operation of prejudice. When discrimination is done in a way that disadvantages individuals because of accident of birth or condition, it is unlawful. Thus discrimination may also be a conclusion of the courts that plaintiffs have shown an adverse impact with regard to the employment of protected class persons and employers have failed to demonstrate business necessity.
DISCUSS:
exchange views for the purpose of arriving at a conclusion.
DISPARATE EFFECT or DISPARATE IMPACT:
the result of an employment policy, practice, or procedure that, in application, has less favorable consequences for an affirmative action group than for the dominant group.
DISPOSE:
get rid of.
DISSEMINATE:
spread or disperse information.
DISTRIBUTE:
deliver to proper destinations.
DISTRIBUTION RATE:
the degree (percentage) to which a given protected class is employed in the various job titles, job classes, and other units within the employing organization, and the degree to which individuals of a given protected class are involved in various employment transactions (for example, applications for employment, hiring, placement, promotion, separation, etc.).
DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS (NYS):
Go to: NYS Division of Human Rights
DOT (Federal): Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
DRAFT:
prepare papers or documents in preliminary form.
DRY PROMOTION:
refers to an increase in responsibility and status without an increase in pay.
DUES CHECKOFF:
the privilege granted to the bargaining agent to have exclusive payroll deduction of membership dues.
DUTY:
several tasks which are related by some sequence of events.

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EAP:
Employee Assistance Program. Programs designed with the goal of assisting employees and their family members to solve personal and work related problems which affect job performance.
EARMARK (NYS Class & Comp):
the term used when a position has been designated for restudy when vacant to determine its proper classification before being refilled.
EDUCATION:
concerned with increasing our general knowledge, understanding, and background. (See training) for contrast.
EEO: (See: Equal Employment Opportunity)
EEOC (Federal): (See: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
ELIGIBLE LIST (NYS CSL):
a certified list of candidates for a competitive title ranked in order of their respective final examination ratings, including seniority and veterans credits.
EMPIRE PLAN (NYS Health Insurance Option)
a health insurance option for New York State employees. For more information go to: The Empire Plan
EMPLOYEE (Federal):
person working for another person or an organization for compensation. In certain circumstances it is difficult to determine whether a person is an employee or an independent contractor. As a guide, see Contractor or Employee to see 20 factors provided by the Internal Revenue Service to assist employers in making this interpretation.
EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION NYS Taylor Law):
means an organization of any kind having as its primary purpose the improvement of terms and conditions of employment of public employees.
EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT OF 1988 (Federal):
for information, go to: EPPA Employee Polygraph Protection Act
EMPLOYMENT PARITY:
when the proportion of affirmative action groups in the external labor market is equivalent to their proportion in the company work force without reference to classification.
EMPLOYMENT PROCESS:
under Title VII, the employment process includes recruitment, application flow, hiring, job placement, compensation, promotion, transfer, termination, shift assignments, geographical and departmental assignments, and all other such activities.
EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT (Federal) (ERISA):
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Does not apply directly to SUNY or public, as opposed to private, employers For more information, go to: ERISA
EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM (NYS):
a defined benefit retirement program for NYS and NYS municipal employees. For more information go to: Employees' Retirement System
EPPA (Federal): (See: Employee Polygraph Protection Act).
ENDORSE:
support or recommend.
ERS (NYS): See: Employees' Retirement System
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY.
civil rights requirement for all citizens to have equal opportunity for employment.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC) (Federal):
federal agency responsible for administration of several statutes which prohibit discrimination; has power to subpoena witnesses, issue guidelines that have the force of law, render decisions, provide technical assistance to employers, provide legal assistance to complainants, etc. For more information go to: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
EQUAL PAY ACT OF 1963 (Federal):
makes it unlawful to pay wages to members of one sex at a rate lower than paid to members of the other sex for equal jobs that require equal skill, effort, and responsibility. Jobs must be substantially equal based on job content.
ERISA (Federal): (See Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974).
ESTABLISH:
bring into existence.
ESTIMATE:
forecast future requirements or happenings.
ETHICS (NYS)
usually a reference to New York State Ethics Commission which was established by the Public Officers' Law. Go to: NYS Ethics Commission for more information.
ETHNIC CATEGORIES (Federal):
EVALUATE:
determine or fix the value of. See Performance Evaluation for information about employee evaluations.
EXECUTE:
put into effect or carry out.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 6:
The New York State executive order giving the New York State Civil Service Commission President responsibility to enforce the State's policy of insuring full and equal employment opportunities for minorities, women, the disabled and Vietnam-era veterans. State agencies are required to submit written affirmative action plans to the President.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 68:
New York State executive order which authorized and encourages State agencies to establish alternate work schedules (i.e., flextime, 4 day workweek, etc.). Procedural guidelines for submitting alternative work schedule proposals are contained in Budget Bulletin G-1008, 5/1/78.
EXECUTIVE ORDER 11246 (Federal):
requires affirmative action by government contractors. For more information go to: Executive Order 11246
EXEMPT CLASS (NYS CLS):
the following offices and positions shall be in the exempt class: (a) one secretary of each state department or division, temporary state commission or other state office; authorized by law to appoint a secretary; (b) the deputies of principal executive officers; (c) one secretary of each municipal board or commission; (d) one clerk and one deputy clerk if authorized by law, of each court; (e) all other subordinate offices or positions for the filling of which competitive or non-competitive examination may be found to be not practicable. (No office of position shall be deemed to be in the exempt class unless it is specifically named in such class in the civil service rules).
EXEMPT EMPLOYEES (Federal):
employees in jobs that are purely management, administrative, or professional that perform without close supervision and consequently, they are exempt from coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Rules regarding overtime and wages do not apply.
EXERCISE:
to put into action, practice, or use; to make use of privileges or powers; to exert.
EXPEDITE:
accelerate the process or progress of.
EXPERT WITNESS:
an individual qualified by credentials to give opinion testimony. Although this term has to be limited to a specific application, generally, in test validation at least, a master's degree in psychology and experience in the field is required.
EXTERNAL LABOR AREA:
the geographic area from which an employer may reasonably be expected to recruit new workers. In a compliance sense, this total labor market has sub-markets within it, comprised of persons with the requisite skills, experience, etc. to fill given jobs.
EXTERNAL LABOR MARKET:
the civilian work force within an external labor area.
EXTRA LONGEVITY RATE (NYS Class & Comp):
salary resulting from the addition of two extra increments provided to employees who have rendered continuous and satisfactory service for ten years after having attained the normal maximum pay of their salary grade.
EXTRA SERVICE (NYS Payroll):
work performed by an employee in a payroll agency other than the payroll agency to which the employee is assigned regularly or, under certain circumstances work performed at the regularly assigned payoll agency that is totally different from regularly assigned work and outside of the employee's normal obligation. See:

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FACT-FINDING:
a formalized procedure in which a third party examines the cause and status of a dispute through oral and/or written presentation.
FACTOR COMPARISON:
a method of evaluating jobs on a systematic basis by comparing key jobs with each other on a pre-determined number of factors so that each key job is ranked in its relative order of importance on each factor. Factor values are determined by apportioning the current rate being paid for the job among the various factors. Ratings for all other jobs are determined by comparison with the key jobs on each factor; the sum of the factor values awarded is the job rate.
FACTOR POINT:
a quantitative method of evaluating jobs or groupings of jobs on a systematic basis using a pre-determined number of factors which are divided into a number of defined levels or degrees, each of which is assigned a value expressed in points. The sum of all the points awarded to the job determines its relative value among the others being evaluated.
FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT of 1938 (Federal):
law enacted to establish a minimum wage, to limit work hours, and to discourage oppressive child labor. Referred to as the Wage Hour Act because it ensures fair treatment of employees with respect to wages and hours. Act defines exempt and nonexempt employees. For more information go to: Fair Labor Standards Act Regulations
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (Federal)
Family Medical Leave Act. For more information, go to: Family Medical Leave Act Regulations
FINANCIAL EXIGENCY:
an imminent financial crisis which threatens the survival of the institution as a whole and which cannot be alleviated by less drastic means than layoffs.
FINDINGS OF FACT:
decision of a judge, jury, hearing officer, or hearing body on issues of fact in a dispute.
FLEXIBLE COMPENSATION/BENEFIT SYSTEM:
one in which each employee has a choice in the form of all or a portion of his/ her compensation package.
FLEXIBILITY LEGISLATION:
Refers to a 1986 act of the NYS Legislature which granted SUNY statutory authority, primarily fiscal, to exercise greater independence than other State agencies.
FLEXTIME:
allows employees to follow different schedules of work each day of the workweek.
FLSA (Federal): (See: Fair Labor Standards Act
FMLA (Federal): (See: Family Medical Leave Act).
FORMULATE:
develop or devise.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (Federal):
establishes that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information. For more information go to: Freedom of Information
FTE:
Full Time Equivalent. An accounting term used to equate an employee or the total number of employees to a full time equivalent. For example, a part time employee who works one half of the time required of a full time employee would be counted as 1/2 FTE. (The total number of employees, headcount, will always be more than the total FTE if there are part time employees in the workforce).
FUNCTION:
work than can be distinguished from other work. The kind of action or activity proper to a person, employee, organizational unit, or institution. The primary purpose of a position within an organization.
FURNISH:
provide with what is needed; supply.

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GED: (See: General Education Diploma).
GENERAL EDUCATION DIPLOMA:
General Educational Diploma - the GED is the high school equivalency certificate, generally recognized as equal to a high school diploma for all practical purposes.
GENERAL INCREASE (NYS Class & Comp):
a salary adjustment which requires the permanent or temporary revision of the salary schedule specified in Section 130 of the Civil Service Law, which governs the pay of most employees. Such an increase may be granted only by action of the Legislature with the approval of the Governor. Generally, a similar adjustment is provided for those employees compensated under other schedules or by some other method.
GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIAL (NYS Payroll):
additional compensation over an employee's basic annual salary which may be authorized by the Director of Classification and Compensation subject to approval by the Director of the Budget. The pay differential may be prescribed for those employees in the same or related occupations who are employed in a particular geographic area or location.
GEOGRAPHIC FULL-TIME FACULTY MEMBER (SUNY):
a person serving on the faculty of a medical center who is not employed on a full-time basis for the purpose of fixing compensation payable by the State but all of whose professional services and activities are conducted at the medical center or its affiliated hospitals and are available to the State on a full-time basis for clinical and instructional purposes.
GOALS:
good faith quantitative objectives an employer voluntarily sets as the minimum progress that can be achieved within a certain time period through all-out efforts at outreach recruitment, validating selection criteria, creation of trainee positions, career ladders, etc. Setting goals and objectives are considered proper and legal responses to underutilization of minority groups by the various federal agencies.
GOER (NYS): (See: Governor's Office of Employee Relations).
GOOD CAUSE:
substantial or legally sufficient reason for doing something.
GOOD FAITH:
having no intention to seek an unfair advantage or to defraud another party; making an honest and sincere effort to fulfill obligations.
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS:
responsible for negotiating State-wide labor agreements and seeing that they are properly administered. Click here: GOER for more information.
GROUP OF CLASSES (NYS Class & Comp):
two or more closely related classes having a common basis of duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements but differing in some particular, such as the nature of specialization, which is essential from the standpoint of recruitment and selection and requires that each class in the group be treated individually. Such classes have the same basic title but are distinguished by a parenthetic.

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HARD-CORE UNEMPLOYED:
those without jobs whose lack of useful job skills results in extended periods without employment.
HEALTH INSURANCE (NYS):
See: Health Insurance (NYSHIP)
HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (Federal):
a law that protects people from loss of health insurance. For more information go to: Health Insurance Portability.
HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA)(Federal):
created changes to COBRA. For more information go to: HIPAA.
HIGHER MINIMUM (NYS Class & Comp):
a salary step above the normal minimum of a salary range, authorized by the Director of Classification and Compensation, used temporarily to recruit personnel in specific instances where the Director has determined that it is impracticable to recruit at the minimum salary.
HIPAA (Federal): (See: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
HIRING RATE STUDY (NYS Class & Comp):
an annual study of hiring rates paid for selected beginning level positions by large manufacturing and non-manufacturing employers throughout New York State. Has been conducted among the same employers each year since 1951 as one basis for comparison of New York State rates with those paid elsewhere.
HOLIDAY PAY (NYS PAYROLL):
additional compensation for time worked by an employee during regularly scheduled hours on a date observed as a holiday by the State.
HOOK: (See Parenthetic)
HORIZONTAL REASSIGNMENT (NYS):
in a layoff situation, an agency must offer more senior employees who cannot retain a position in their current location an opportunity to be reassigned to another location where they will displace less senior employees in the same title.
 
 
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I-9 FORM (Federal:
form required of all appointees to verify their U.S. citizenship, or if they are aliens, their eligibility for employment in accordance with the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1986. See: I-9 requirements for more information.
IHRIM (Organization): See: International Association for Human Resources Information Management.
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION ACT OF 1986 (Federal):
for information go to: INA Immigration and Naturalization Act
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE (Federal): (Go to U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services).
IMPASSE:
a point in negotiations where the parties appear to be unable to reach an agreement.
IMPLEMENT:
carry out; execute a plan or program.
IMPROVE:
make something better.
INA (Federal): (See: Immigration and Naturalization Act).
INCENTIVE:
a part of compensation that recognizes the results of an employee's efforts. Reward designed to encourage performance and productivity.
INCIDENCE RATE:
a measurement of the degree to which a specific protected class is involved in any of the various steps of the employment process. If, out of a group of 100 black males, twenty-five are promoted, the incidence rate is 25 percent. As a measure of compliance, the incidence rate is compared with the degree to which the specific protected class is represented in the external labor market.
INCONVENIENCE PAY (NYS PAYROLL):
additional compensation over an employee's basic annual salary which is authorized for employees who are required to work four or more hours between 6:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. in their regular tour of duty.
INCREASED MINIMUM: (See Higher Minimum)
INCREMENT (NYS Class & Comp):
an established salary increase between steps of a given salary grade, marking a steady progression from the minimum of the grade to the maximum.
INFORMATION:
data (facts and figures), organized so that they are useful to the manager.
INITIATE:
start or introduce.
INJUNCTION:
may either require that a certain practice be stopped or that something be done in the future; orders other actions, such as relief, to affected class members.
INSPECT:
critically examine for suitability.
INS (Federal): (See: Immigration and Naturalization Service) (name changed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services)
INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES UNIT (ISU) (NYS Taylor Law):
a negotiation unit in NY State service composed mostly of those classified service employees responsible for providing therapeutic and custodial care in the State's institutions, currently represented by the Civil Service Employees' Association, Inc. (CSEA). See related information at:
INSUBORDINATION:
the intentional and willful refusal to accept the valid authority of a supervisor ... the refusal to act on a direct order.
INTERNAL CONTROLS:
for a review of NYS's internal controls policies go to: Internal Controls or Internal Controls Standards for New York State.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)(Federal):
agency of the federal government that is responsible for the administration of tax statutes and the collection of taxes. For more information, go to: Internal Revenue Service
INTEREST ARBITRATION (NYS Taylor Law):
involves use of an arbitrator to resolve an impasse in contract negotiations.
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT (IHRIM):
an association of professionals involved in managing human resource information. For more information go to: International Association of HRIM.
INTERNATIONAL PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (IPMA):
a professional organization. For more information go to: International Personnel Management Association.
INTERPRET:
explain something to others.
INTERROGATORIES:
written questions drawn up and served on an opposing party with a prescribed time period to answer. The party must then serve answers to the questions under oath. Sometimes used in the deposition procedure.
INVESTIGATE:
study through close examination or systematic inquiry.
IPMA (Organization): (See: International Personnel Management Association).
IRS (Federal): If you really don't know, go to: Internal Revenue Service.
ISSUE:
put forth or distribute officially.
ISU (NYS Taylor Law): (See Institutional Services Unit).
ITEM NUMBER (NYS Budget): (See: Line Item Number)
 
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JOB:
one or more positions within an organization. A job constitutes the smallest unit of the organizational structure into which the activities of the enterprise can be divided.
JOB AUDIT: (See Desk Audit)
JOB DESCRIPTION:
a written summary of tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a job.
JOB DESIGN:
consideration of the content, functions, and relationships of jobs directed toward the accomplishment of organizational purposes and satisfaction of the personal needs of individual job holders.
JOB ENLARGEMENT:
increases the tasks performed and tries to eliminate boredom.
JOB ENRICHMENT:
program designed to increase worker satisfaction derived from the work itself.
JOB EVALUATION:
the systematic determination of the relative worth of jobs within the organization, which results in a pay system within the organization.
JOB SHARING:
dividing full time jobs into two or more positions often without particular regard for how the full time job is divided.
JOB SPECIFICATION:
the minimum skills, education, and experience necessary for an individual to perform a job.
JOB SPLITTING:
dividing the tasks of a single job into two entirely separate part time positions.
JOB SUMMARY:
one to three statements which describe the essence of the job.
JURISDICTIONAL CLASSIFICATION (NYS CSL):
means the assignment of positions in the classified service to the competitive, non-competitive, exempt, or labor classes.
JURY TRIAL:
more formal than a bench trial; a jury hears the case.
 
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KEY RESULT AREA:
a distinct and important function in the operation of an organization.
 
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LABOR CLASS (NYS CSL):
the labor class shall comprise all unskilled laborers in the service of the state and each of its civil divisions except those whose positions can be examined for competitively.
LAYOFF:
a layoff separates surplus employees from the payroll. It is also used whenever an employee is separated or loses status in his/her position as a result of the abolition or reduction of positions. For example, employees whose positions are not abolished but are "bumped" have been laid off.
LAYOFF UNIT (NYS):
separate units for suspension or demotion within which layoffs occur. Agencies may be one layoff unit, or may be subdivided into a number of units that are organizational, or geographic, or differentiated by negotiating unit. President's Regulation 72.1 lists the approved layoff units for State agencies.
LEAVE DONATION PROGRAM (NYS):
See: Leave Donation Program
LINE AUTHORITY:
empowers the supervisor with the right to command subordinates.
LINE FUNCTION:
any function that is vital and contributes directly toward the accomplishment of the major organizational objective.
LINE ITEM NUMBER (NYS PAYROLL):
the unique number assigned to a position to identify it for payroll, accounting, and budget certificate purposes.
LITIGATION:
a judicial controversy; lawsuits.
LOCATION PAY (NYS PAYROLL):
additional compensation granted to an employee whose principal place of employment or official station is located in the city of New York or in the county of Rockland, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk or Monroe.
LONGEVITY RATE (NYS Class & Comp):
salary resulting from the addition of one extra increment provided to employees who have rendered continuous and satisfactory service for five years after having attained the normal maximum pay of their salary grade.
LOST TIME (NYS PAYROLL):
employee absence not covered by allowable leave credits results in a lost-time pay deduction.
 
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MAINTAIN:
keep in an existing/current state.
MAKING WHOLE:
award of back pay employees would have received but for the effects of unlawful practice.
MANAGEMENT:
accomplishing the objectives of the organization through assigned resources.
MANAGEMENT/CONFIDENTIAL (NYS TAYLOR LAW):
persons designated by PERB as managerial or confidential are excluded from coverage of the Taylor Law. Such persons are not eligible to be represented by an employee organization for the purpose of collective negotiations. They cannot belong to or hold office in an employee organization that represents or seeks to represent public employees employed by the public employer. Criteria for designation as managerial are:
  1. formulates policy;
  2. may reasonably be required on behalf of the employer to assist directly in preparation for and conduct of collective negotiations; and
  3. has a major role in administration of agreements or in personnel administration not routine or clerical and requiring exercise of independent judgment. See related information at:
Confidential employees assist or act in confidential capacity to managerial persons who have a labor relations responsibility. See related information at:
MANAGER:
proactive, rather than reactive, people who are responsible for planning and controlling.
MANDAMUS:
an order issued by a court to a private or municipal corporation; an executive, judicial, or administrative officer; or to an inferior court commanding the performance of a particular act with the responsibility of the latter party.
M/C: (See Management/Confidential)
MEDIATION:
the intercession of a neutral into a dispute for the purpose of aiding the parties to come to an agreement. The mediator serves as a catalyst, as well as a liaison between the parties, to stimulate both sides toward settlement.
MEDICARE (Federal):
medicare provides health insurance to people age 65 and over and those who have permanent kidney failure and certain people with disabilities. For more information go to: Medicare.
MENTAL HEALTH PARITY ACT OF 1996 (Federal):
a new law that creates new demands on HMOs and other health insurance programs that include mental health benefits. For more information go to: Mental Health Parity Act.
MERIT:
determined by job performance and employee potential for development.
MERIT SYSTEM:
a system which attempts to match people with jobs based upon the merit, qualifications, and fitness of the people to perform the tasks, duties, responsibilities, and functions of the organization. To the extent possible, merit and fitness are determined by competitive examination.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (NYS Class & Comp):
education, training, and/or experience requirements denoting the minimum standards that all candidates are required to possess to give reasonable assurance that they can perform satisfactorily.
MINIMUM WAGE (Federal):
the minimum hourly rate an employee may be paid for employment in the United States by federal statutue. For more information go to: Minimum Wage.
MONITOR:
watch, observe, or check for a specific purpose.

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NACUBO (Organization): (See National Association of College and University Business Officers). NACUBO
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY BUSINESS OFFICERS (NACUBO):
a professional organization of college/university business officers. For more information go to: National Association of College and University Business Officers.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE (NCQA):
a professional organization that evaluates and accredits managed care plans including HMOs. For more information or to check the rating for a particular managed care plan go to: National Committee for Quality Assurance.
NCQA (Organization): (See National Committee for Quality Assurance).
NEGOTIATE:
confer with others with an eye to reaching agreement.
NEGOTIATING UNIT (NYS Taylor Law):
a negotiating unit is the grouping of employees for the purpose of collective negotiations. When it is agreed or determined which employees shall make up a unit, the employees then select the employee organization they want to represent them in negotiations. In New York State the groupings are usually determined by, the Public Employees' Relations Board, on the basis of job class.
NEWBORNS AND MOTHERS' HEALTH PROTECTION ACT OF 1996 (Federal):
a new law that, among other things, regulates the period of hospital stay for newborns and mothers. For more information, go to: Newborns and Mothers Health Protection.
NEW YORK STATE:
links to New York State governmental agencies and departments may be found at: New York State.
NON-COMPETITIVE CLASS (NYS CSL):
the non-competitive class shall include all positions that are not in the exempt or the labor class and for which it is found by the commission having jurisdiction to be not practicable to ascertain the merit and fitness of applicants by competitive examination.
NON-CONTRIBUTORY PENSION PLAN:
pension plan financed entirely by employer.
NON-STATUTORY OR NS (NYS Class & Comp):
designates a position, the salary of which is not fixed by statute but is established by the Director of the Division of Budget.
NOTICE REQUIREMENTS (SUNY):
professional staff appointed to term appointments in SUNY have to be given appropriate advance notice if their term appointments are not going to be renewed. For specific policy requirements go to: Notice Requirements.
NOTIFY:
make known to.
NS: (See Non-statutory)
 
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OBJECTIVES:
similar to goals, a good faith effort to meet numerical goals through modifications in employment procedures and practice. Goals and objectives are set after careful external and internal labor analysis.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT (Federal):
a federal act that sets and regulates health and safety standards for the work place. For more information go to:
OCCUPATIONAL PARITY:
when the proportion of affirmative action group employees in all occupational levels is equivalent to their respective availability in the qualified external labor market. Eventually, with the goal of equal educational and training opportunities, employment parity and occupational parity may be equal.
OCCUPATIONAL SURVEY (NYS Class & Comp):
a study of all positions in a given class, series of classes, or occupational group in whatever departments or agencies they may be located.
OFCC (Federal):
Office of Federal Contract Compliance - has set guidelines for all federal contractors with respect to nondiscrimination and affirmative action. For more information go to: Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
OFFICE OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER (OSC):
The Office of the State Comptroller in New York State is responsible for the audit and control function, for payroll auditing, for legal opinions, and for managing the NYS defined benefit retirement programs. For more information, go to: Office of the State Comptroller
"OFFICE" TITLE (NYS Class & Comp):
a title which differs from the classified title assigned to a job and which is used to describe a particular position for other than payroll, budget, or official civil service purposes. For example, a Head Clerk position might have an "office" title of Office Supervisor.
OJT:
on-the -job-training is job instruction given by an employee's supervisor or experienced employee. After being shown how to do the tasks and duties, the employee works closely with the trainer until the job is performed at an expected level of performance.
OPEN-COMPETITIVE LIST (NYS CSL):
a certified list of appointment eligibles containing the names of candidates who passed an open competitive examination for a title ranked by examination scores. Transfer lists, preferred lists, reemployment rosters, and promotional lists, if any, take precedence. (See Eligible List).
OPERATE:
perform an activity or series of activities.
OPERATIONAL SERVICES UNIT (NYS Taylor Law):
a negotiating unit in NYS service composed of craft workers, maintenance and repair personnel and machine operators, currently represented by the Civil Service Employees' Association, Inc., (CSEA). See related information at:
ORGANIZATION:
a structural framework which establishes the basis