ENGLISH VOCABULARY

Work and Employment.

Words and expressions relating to work and employment, for learners.

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 pople who work for a company or organisation.

More Vocabulary Business English