Business Ethics Chap 6

due process

the right to be protected against the arbitrary use of authority; in a legal context it includes the procedures that police and courts must follow in exercising their authority over citizens while in the employment context it specifies the conditions for basic fairness within the scope of the employer's authority over the employee

employment at will (EAW)

unless otherwise agreed by contractual obligations, it is the legal doctrine that holds the employers are free to fire an employee at any time for any reason, without offering any notice to all

just cause

a standard for terminations or discipline that requires the employer to have a sufficient and fair cause before reaching a decision against an employee

irs 20 factor analysis

a list of 20 factors to which the irs looks to determine whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor

common law agency test

a persuasive indicator of independent contractor status that provides the employer the ability to control the manner in which the work is performed; under this approach the employer need not actually control the work, but must merely have the right or ability to control the work for a a worker to be classified as an employee

economic realities test

a test by which the courts consider whether the worker is economically dependent on the business or, as a matter of economic fact, is in business for him or herself

downsize

the reduction of human sources at an organization through terminations, retirements, corporate divestment, or other means

occupational safety and health administration (OSHA)

an agency of the federal government that publishes and enforces safety and health regulations for US businesses

sweatshops

any workplace in which workers are typically subject to two or more of the following conditions: systematic forced overtime, systematic health and safety risks that stem from the negligence of the willful disregard of employee welfare, coercion, systematic deception that places workers at risk, underpayment of earnings, and income for a 48 hour work week less than the overall poverty rate for that country

child labor

exploitative work that involves some harm to a child who is not of an age to justify his or her presence in the workplace relative to other options and for which negatively affect a child's development

diversity

refers to the presence of differing cultures, languages, ethnicity, races, affinity orientations, genders, religious sects, abilities, social classes, ages and national origins of the individuals in a firm and in a corporate context, encompasses the values of respect, tolerance, inclusion and acceptance

multiculturalism

similar to diversity but refers to the principle of tolerance and inclusion that supports the coexistence of multiple cultures, while encouraging each to retain that which is unique or individual about that particular culture

affirmative action

a policy or program that strives to redress past discrimination through the implementation of proactive measures to ensure equal opportunity and intentionally includes previously excluded groups which can take place in employment environments, education, or other areas

reverse discrimination

the decisions made or actions taken against those individuals who are traditionally considered to be in power or the majority, such as white men, or in favor of a historically non-dominant group