The 4/5ths law (or 80% rule) is a guideline used by U.S. federal agencies (EEOC, Dept. of Labor) to determine if an employer's selection procedures—such as hiring, promotions, or layoffs—result in adverse impact discrimination against protected groups. It states that if the selection rate for a protected group is less than 80% (four-fifths) of the rate for the group with the highest rate, it is considered evidence of potential discrimination.
The four-fifths rule is a guideline used to determine if there is adverse impact in the selection process of a specific group. The rule states that the selection ratio of a minority group should be at least four-fifths (80%) of the selection ratio of the majority group.
Example of the 4/5ths rule
The 80% rule states that the selection rate of the protected group should be at least 80% of the selection rate of the non-protected group. In this example, 4.8% of 9.7% is 49.5%. Since 49.5% is less than four-fifths (80%), this group has adverse impact against minority applicants.
Calculate the 4/5ths or 80% of the selection rate of Group A: 80% * 0.8 = 64% Compare this calculated value (64%) with the actual selection rate for Group B (60%). Since the selection rate for Group B (60%) is less than 64%, which is 80% of the selection rate for Group A, the 4/5ths rule is triggered.
The “four-fifths rule” is a statistical guideline used to help determine whether an employment practice may be discriminatory against a protected group.
The 80% Rule, also known as the four-fifths rule, is a statistical reference used to determine if there are substantial differences in the rate of selection between different groups during the hiring process.
The 80% Rule (or Four-Fifths Rule) in hiring is a EEOC guideline to check for adverse impact (unintentional discrimination) where a protected group's selection rate is less than 80% of the majority group's rate, signaling potential bias that requires further investigation, not automatic guilt, as companies must justify any disparities with business necessity. For example, if 50% of white male applicants are hired, at least 40% (80% of 50%) of women or minorities should also be hired, according to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.
Four of five equal parts (4/5, ⅘, 0.8).
Full-time equivalent (FTE) is calculated based upon a 37.5 hour working week. For example, a staff member working 15 hours per week would be 0.4 FTE while someone working four 7.5-hour days would be 0.8 FTE and so on.
Under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act, employees who experience discrimination have a right to sue their employers for the wrongful treatment they may have suffered. If you have been a victim of this kind of workplace abuse, do not hesitate to contact us.
What Are the 4 C's of HR Policies? The Four C's—Character, Commitment, Compatibility, and Competence—are like your hiring compass. They guide HR teams to evaluate potential hires in a way that goes beyond just ticking boxes on a resume.
The rule is: Focus 80% of your hiring and recruiting efforts on the most important 20% of the talent market. When companies don't follow this rule, they overpay and work too hard to hire average candidates.
Encouraging Strong Work Ethics Through Connection
By embodying the traits of reliability, accountability, professionalism, teamwork, initiative, adaptability, and integrity, individuals contribute to a positive and productive workplace culture.
In slang, 4F (or 4-F) primarily refers to the historical U.S. Selective Service classification for someone deemed unfit for military service due to physical, mental, or moral reasons, often used mockingly to call someone inadequate or rejected. While less common now, it can also refer to specific contexts like the Polish sportswear brand 4F, Flottille 4F (French naval aviation), or be used in gaming/tech, but the military meaning is the classic slang definition.
The 37% rule in hiring is a strategy that suggests that an employer should spend the first 37% of the interview process to familiarize themselves with the talent pool and the best qualities. After this period, the employer should hire the next applicant who appears to be the best so far.