Topic 14

Word

Definition

Example

hire

employ someone

Businesses are hiring as job growth booms

fire

uncontrolled flames, light, and heat that destroy and damage things

Don't play with fire.

headhunt

to find a manager with the right skills and experience to do a particular job, often by persuading a suitable personto leave their present job

Mr Birt was headhunted to be director of the BBC.

recruit

someone who has joined a company or an organisation

He was a new recruit at the company.

dismiss

to remove someone from their job, usually because they have done something wrong

He was dismissed from his job at a bank for repeatedly turning up to work late.

headhunter

recruiter

From time to time I get requests from headhunters via LinkedIn

notice

to see or become conscious of something or someone

I didn't notice that Karen had changed her hair colour.

give somebody notice

to tell your employer that you will be leaving your job soon

Jim gave notice on Thursday.

hand in your notice

to officially tell that you will leave the company

I handed in my notice yesterday

constructive dismissal

when someone chooses to leave their job but feels they have been forced to leave because their employer has treated them badly or asked them to do something that is not in their contract

If your new boss forces you to leave by deliberately making your life hell, you can claim constructive dismissal.

unfair dismissal

when someone is unfairly removed from their job by their employer

Two employees complained of unfair dismissal.

severance

the act of officially ending an agreement or contract, especially between an employer and an employee

Before signing, it is important to know whether severance is available.

redundant

not or no longer needed or useful; superfluous

I'm calling for the removal of redundant information

sack

a large bag made of a strong material such as hessian, thick paper, or plastic, used for storing and carrying goods.

He got the sack from his last job

reference

a letter written by someone who knows you well, usually to a new employer, giving information about your character, abilities, or qualifications

No employee can insist upon being given a reference when he leaves a job.

referee

a person who makes certain that the rules are followed

A referee or umpire is an official who makes the players obey the rules.

pay

to give someone money for something you buy or for a service

Can I pay by credit card?

salary

a fixed regular payment, typically paid on a monthly basis but often expressed as an annual sum, made by an employer to an employee, especially a professional or white-collar worker.

As a psychotherapist, I earned a good salary and enjoyed a good life.

wage

a fixed regular payment earned for work or services, typically paid on a daily or weekly basis

The wage increases will come into effect in June.

remuneration

payment for work, especially in the form of a salary and additional benefits such as a car

Trainees often did hard, boring work for little remuneration.

income

money received, especially on a regular basis, for work or through investments

His annual income is $250,000

golden handshake

a large amount of money given to a senior employee when he or she leaves a company, especially when they are being forced to leave

The retiring chief executive received a handshake of $27 million.

bonus

a sum of money added to a person's wages as a reward for good performance

I count on my annual bonus as I want to go to Paris

benefit

if you benefit from something, or it benefits you, it gives you an advantage, improves your life, or helps you in some way

An internship will benefit you in the long-run.

benefits package

the total amount of pay and all the other advantages that an employee may receive

The company offers generous benefits packages.

perk

become or make more cheerful, lively, or interesting

I only eat here because it's free – one of the perks of the job.

share option

an option to buy shares at a particular price, especially an option given to employees to buy shares in the company they work for

We have introduced an employee share option scheme.

minimum wage

the lowest amount of money that can legally be paid per hour to a worker

He claimed that Labour's plans to introduce a national minimum wage would lead to job losses.

performance-related pay

pay that increases when your work improves or becomes more productive and goes down if the oppositehappens

Performance-related pay and individual performance review has been introduced for general managers.

compensation

money that someone is given because they have been injured or badly treated

Farmers are demanding compensation for their losses.

industrial relations

the behaviour of workers and management towards each other

The industry had an unrivalled record of good labour relations.

trade union

an organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights

It is estimated that less than one in four immigrant workers are represented by a trade union.

works council

an organization in a company where employers and representatives of workers meet to discuss pay, working conditions etc

A court ordered Renault to consult its European works council before making any move to close its Vilvoorde plant.

staff representative

group or person representing staff

This will be introduced following consultation with the staff representative bodies.

arbitration

when a legal disagreement is dealt with by independent officials who have the authority to make a legal decision about it, rather than the case being dealt with in a court of law

These are the dark victories you win in arbitration.

blue-collar

blue-collar work is unskilled work that may be hard and dirty

His political support comes mainly from blue-collar workers.

white-collar

employees who work in offices

White-collar jobs are moving abroad

colleague

one of a group of people who work together

A colleague is a person who works with you.

co-worker

a person with whom one works, typically someone in a similar role or at a similar level within an organization

We all have that one co-worker, who is not exactly malicious, but just cannot stop whining!

strike

hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand or a weapon or other implement

Disasters can strike any time anywhere.

go on strike

if employees want to protest their work conditions, they go on strike, or refuse to work until conditions improve

Female staff have gone on strike for equal pay.

industrial action

action taken by employees of a company as a protest, especially striking or working to rule

Workers at the plant are threatening industrial action.

grievance

a real or imagined cause for complaint, especially unfair treatment

A special committee has been appointed to handle all grievances

tribunal

a court that is given official authority to deal with a particular situation or problem

Had this tribunal the legal power and authority to try and punish this man?

working conditions

working environment and other factors influencing work

He gets extra pay for dangerous working conditions.

equal opportunities

when the same chances and opportunities for employment are given to everyone whatever their age, sex, race, religion etc

We must establish a balanced workforce that will help guarantee equal opportunities for all -- whites and blacks, men and women.

discriminate

to behave unfairly towards one group of people or one type of company or product

Employment practices that discriminate against women.

age discrimination

dscrimination or differentiation on grounds of age

He sued the company for age discrimination.

sexual discrimination

when people, especially women, are treated unfairly because of their sex, especially when this stops them getting a job or making progress in their job

Sex discrimination in private pension plans is illegal.

racial discrimination

when people from one race are treated less favourably than those from another

Race discrimination is still quite widespread.

positive action

voluntary actions employers can take to address any imbalance of opportunity or disadvantage that an individual with a protected characteristic could face

The basic objectives pursued were positive action, awareness-raising and increasing women's participation in decision-making.

disability

a physical problem that makes someone unable to use a part of their body

The law offers people with disabilities useful protection against unfair discrimination.

recruitment policy

is a statement on how you hire. It outlines your company's preferred hiring practices and promotes consistency within your employee recruitingprocess

Moreover, current recruitment policy puts emphasis on the best candidate, with gender and ethnicity given due consideration for a balance.

under-represented

provide with insufficient or inadequate representation

Women are under-represented at high levels.

interview

a formal meeting where someone is asked questions to find out if they are suitable for a job

I have an interview for a job at Microsoft next week

productivity

the rate at which goods are produced, and the amount produced, especially in relation to the work, time, and money needed to produce them

It cost the country $4 million in lost productivity.

morale

the confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time

A win is always good for morale.

sick leave

leave of absence granted because of illness

He broke his leg yesterday, so he's on sick leave.

unproductive

not achieving very much

The meeting was long and noisy, but unproductive.

asset

a useful or valuable thing or person

The airport is a great asset to the region.

motivate

make someone willing to work harder

He's very good at motivating his sales team.

job satisfaction

a feeling of fulfilment or enjoyment that a person derives from their job

A desire to change jobs is usually about ambition and job satisfaction.

absenteeism

the practice of regularly staying away from work or school without good reason

High levels of absenteeism were caused by low job motivation.

workplace

a place where people work, such as an office or factory

I am interested in health and safety in the workplace.