An Overview of Human Resources – Chapter 1 Vocabulary 702

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, laws, roles, and historical developments discussed in Chapter 1: An Overview of Human Resources.

Human Resources (HR)

Modern name for the organizational function that oversees all employee-related activities and policies.

HR Function

A subunit within a larger organization dedicated to providing human-resource services.

HR Department

The formal organizational entity that carries out the HR function; often used synonymously with HR function.

Employment Office

Early organizational unit created to handle hiring paperwork and relieve managers of recruiting duties; precursor to HR.

Personnel Manager

Supervisor who oversaw expanding employment-office clerks and became the first managerial role in HR.

Paymaster

Individual originally responsible for paying employees within a business unit or department.

Payroll

Centralized office formed by grouping paymasters to manage employee compensation; later placed under Personnel/HR.

Withholding

Mandatory deduction of taxes and other government charges from employee pay, adding complexity to payroll processes.

Fringe Benefits

Non-salary incentives such as health insurance, retirement, and vacation used to attract and retain employees.

National Labor Relations Act (1935)

U.S. law that, along with the Wagner Act, expanded employees’ rights to form unions.

Wagner Act

Common name for the National Labor Relations Act, emphasizing government support for collective bargaining.

Union Relations

HR responsibility for complying with legal requirements tied to labor unions and collective bargaining.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Legislation that prohibited employment discrimination and broadened HR’s compliance and training duties.

Staff Function

Organizational role that supports line units without directly generating revenue; HR is frequently categorized this way.

Line Function

Organizational role that directly produces goods or services and generates revenue.

CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer)

C-suite executive responsible for overall human-resource strategy and operations.

CPO (Chief People Officer)

Alternative C-suite title emphasizing the strategic importance of people management within an organization.

Outsourcing (Payroll & Benefits)

Practice of contracting external providers to handle payroll or retirement-benefit administration to reduce internal workload.

Evolution from Personnel to HR

Shift in terminology reflecting expanded, more strategic responsibilities related to managing an organization’s workforce.

HR Academic Training Programs

Undergraduate and graduate curricula created to meet demand for professionally trained HR specialists following the Civil Rights Act.