Civil Rights Terms and Definitions

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.

Racial Discrimination
Racial discrimination is present when people are treated differently than others who are similarly situated because they are members of a specific race. It can occur when individuals are treated differently because of unalterable characteristics, such as physical feature, indigenous to their race.

Ethnic Group
A group of peoples who share a common religion, color, or national origin. Irish-Americans, Mexican-Americans, German-Americans, Italian-Americans, Hindus, Moslems, and Jews 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 is illegal under EEO law.

Class Complaint/Class Action
A complaint articulated 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 a characteristic they share -- race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability is the basis for the discrimination.

Religious Discrimination
Religious discrimination occurs when an employment rule or policy requires a person to either violate a fundamental precept of his or her religion or lose an employment opportunity. The definition of "religion" is not restricted to the major religions. Since the provisions under religion include a lack of belief, atheists are also covered. The coverage under religion includes all aspects of religious observances and practices as well as belief.

Sexual Harassment
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term condition of employment; Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or Such conduct has the purpose or effect or unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Disparate Treatment
Inconsistent application of rules and policies to an individual or one group of people over another. Discrimination may result when rules and policies are applied differently to members of protected classes. Disciplining Hispanic and Afro-American employees for tardiness, while ignoring tardiness among other employees, is an example of disparate treatment.

Community Outreach Program
Community Outreach Program is a continuous public relations approach to the achievement of the agency’s civil rights policies and objectives. The objectives of community outreach include, but are not limited to: Establishing and maintaining good working relations with leaders of minority, women's, and disabled persons' organizations; community leaders; officials of schools, colleges and technical institutions and more.

Employment agency
Means any person regularly undertakingwith or without compensation to procure employees for an employer or to procure for employees opportunities to work for an employer and includes an agent of such a person.

Affirmative Action Plans/Affirmative Employment Plan
Written plans for programs required by Executive Order 11478 and other laws and regulations. AAP's may contain studies, which show how the work force at the activity has been used, and may include goals and timetables for increasing the representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in those areas where they have been underrepresented.