English Vocabulary for learners
WORK and EMPLOYMENT
Words and expressions relating to work and employment.
- application
- A letter or form with details of your qualifications, skills, experience, etc. sent to a firm or company when requesting to be considered for a job or position.
- apprentice
- An apprentice works for a skilled employer in order to learn a trade or skill (for example a carpenter or a plumber, etc.)
- apprenticeship
- A fixed period of time during which an apprentice is trained.
- assessment
- Evaluation of one's knowledge or abilities.
- background
- A person's education, qualifications and/or work experience.
- bonus
- Additional payment to an employee as an incentive or reward.
- curriculum vitae
- Summary of one's education and experience to date; resume.
- dismiss
- Discharge from employment (to fire, to sack, to let go).
- employee
- Person who works for a firm or company for wages or a salary.
- employer
- Person or firm who employs or hires people to do work for wages or a salary.
- fire
- Dismiss from a job (to sack, to let go).
- flexitime
- A system that allows employees to choose the time they start and finish their work.
- fringe benefits
- Advantages offered in addition to salary (life insurance, retirement scheme, company car, etc.). Also called 'perks', abbreviation for 'perquisites'.
- full-time
- Work a full number of hours considered normal or standard.
- hire
- Employ or take on personnel in a company.
- interview
- Oral examination of a candidate for employment.
- intern
- A student or recent graduate who works for a period of time in order to gain practical experience.
- internship
- Period of time during which someone works in order to gain experience in a particular type of work.
- maternity leave
- Period of absence from work of a female employee before and after the birth of a baby.
- notice: to give or hand in one's notice
- Advance warning of intention to leave one's job - to give or hand in one's resignation.
- overtime
- Work more than the number of hours required by contract.
- part-time
- Work fewer hours or days than is considered standard.
- payslip
- A piece of paper given to an employee showing the amount of money earned and the deductions for insurance, tax etc.
- personnel
- People who work for a firm or company (employees).
- personnel officer
- Manager responsible for recruitment, training and welfare of personnel (employees).<
- promotion
- Advancement in rank or position in a company.
- prospects
- Opportunities for success or promotion in a career.
- recruit
- Look for and hire new people (personnel) to work for a company.
- redundant: make sombody redundant
- Dismiss someone from a job for economic reasons.
- redundancy pay
- Amount of money received to compensate for being asked to leave (made redundant) because your job is no longer needed.
- resign
- Leave one's job voluntarily.
- retire
- Leave employment because of age.
- salary
- Amount of money paid to an employee each year.
- sick leave
- Absence because of illness - to be on sick leave.
- shift work
- A type of work schedule in which different groups work in relay at set periods of time during the day or night (for example in hospitals, airports, etc.).
- skeleton staff
- The minimum number of people needed to operate a business.
- staff
- People who work for a firm or department; employees.
- strength
- Strong characteristic or particular ability.
- strike: go on strike
- To stop working in protest against something.
- take on
- Employ or hire somebody to do a job or fill a position.
- trainee
- A person who is practising the skills of a particular job or profession, for example a trainee journalist or a trainee teacher.
- training course
- A course of study to prepare for a job, for example a computer course.
- unemployment benefits
- Payments made by the state to an unemployed person who meets the required conditions.
- vacancy
- A position to be filled or a job that is available for a new employee.
- weakness
- A lack of ability or a shortcoming in character.
- workforce
- All the people who work for a company or organisation.
- All the people who work for a company or organisation.