four-fifths rule

an arbitrary rule of thumb for determining a prima facie case of discrimination, as set forth in the Uniform Guidelines for Employee Selection Procedures. If the employer hires a protected group (e.g., an ethnic minority, women) at a rate that is less than four fifths the rate at which the majority group (i.e., White males) is hired, the company must justify its hiring procedures by showing that they are job-related or of business necessity. If justification cannot be provided, the employer may be open to a charge of violating civil rights laws. See also adverse impact; affirmative action; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; equal opportunity.

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Psychology term of the day

November 18th 2024

family romance

a common childhood fantasy in which a child imagines that he or she is the offspring not of his or her biological parents but of a noble or royal personage. Sigmund Freud saw this as rooted in the Oedipus complex. See foster-child fantasy.