Unit 1

Word

Definition

Example

minimum salary

the lowest wage permitted by law or by a special agreement

This company pays its workers a $70,000 minimum salary

company hierarchy

the arrangement and organization of individuals within a corporation according to power, status, and job function

Company hierarchy must change with the times

dress code

the way that you are expected to dress in a particular situation, especially as an employee of a particular company

In our dress code, male employees should wear a suit and tie

good atmosphere

the general pleasant impression that you get of the place or people

Did you think that dress code was more important than a good atmosphere?

open-plan office

office having large rooms with few or no internal dividing walls

In my new company we had an open-plan office and it took me some time to adapt to it

pay structure

a system that defines what each individual and job role is paid based upon their value to the business and effectiveness

Was pay structure the most important aspect for you?

values

the beliefs that people have about what is right, wrong, and most important in life, business, etc. which control their behaviour

Some cultures have a different set of values to ours

employee input in strategy

Employees can give input through formal tools such as employee surveys, employee focus groups, to more informal tools such as asking their opinions in departmental or project meetings

We appreciate employee input into company's strategy

company culture

the sum of your formal and informal systems and behaviors and values, all of which create an experience for your employees and customers

Which aspects of company culture were the most and least important for you?

casual dress code

clothing that is informal and comfortable, yet clean and professional

A casual dress code is easier to work with, as people aren't as worried about how they look

allow

let (someone) have or do something

They won't allow you to park here without a permit

interruption

stopping someone from doing something

I apologize for the second interruption

senior staff

employees who are older or more important than others working in the same company

MLB also said Tuesday it is cutting the salary of senior staff by an average of 35% for this year due to the new coronavirus' impact

determine

if something determines something else, it directly influences or decides it

We have to determine all the project costs

to take paid sabbaticals

to take an extended period of time away from work. During this time, employees are still employed and may still be paid

Employees will be encouraged to take paid sabbaticals to work on prototypes

reduce working hours

a provision given by an organization to a few employees to work for a lesser number of hours as compared to the mandatory working hours set for all employees

Parents who choose to reduce working hours to accommodate childcare during Covid-19 lockdown 'should be reimbursed'

implement

to make something such as an idea, plan, system or law start to work and be used

We implemented all of his suggestions

work-life balance

the ability to give a sensible amount of time and effort to your work and to your life outside work, for example to your family or to other interests

It can be difficult to get the right work-life balance

flexible working hours

a flexible schedule allows an employee to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time

Companies in the country should start introducing flexible working hours for their employees

free dental care

the maintenance of healthy teeth paid by the company

Free dental care in Herefordshire drops by more than 500 in a year

staff retention

policy to keep people working for the company

The company needs to improve its staff retention

fast-track

happening or making progress more quickly than is usual

He participates in fast-track clinical trial process of COVID-19 treatment drug

survey

an examination of opinions, behaviour, etc., made by asking people questions

A recent survey had some disappointing findings

carry out

follow, e.g. instructions

A local contractor has carried out a full survey

redundancy pay

money you get from your employer when you are made redundant

The Fair Work Commission has backed an employer bid to cut redundancy pay due to the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis

car allowance

a company car scheme where an employer provides employees with monetary benefits, instead of company-owned cars

Salary: $40-70,000 (depending on experience) plus car allowance

profit-sharing

used for describing a system by which employees receive a part of the profits of a business

It won't be paying any profit sharing for this year

stock options

a benefit in the form of an option given by a company to an employee to buy shares in the company at a discount or at a stated fixed price

Stock options can be used to motivate staff

retirement plan

a system for saving money for when you stop work, done either through your employer or arranged by you

Should you withdraw money from your retirement plan?

paid annual leave

time with pay that you are allowed to be absent from your work each year

Self-employed workers don't usually get paid annual leave

life insurance

insurance that pays out a sum of money either on the death of the insured person or after a set period

If you take out life insurance, your family will receive money when you die

day care in the company

a specific form of child care sponsored or managed by an employer

She relies on day care in the company for her child

company-run buses

transportation provided by a company for its employees

Company-run buses run every day

subsidised canteen

Subsidized canteen is a canteen where the company bears a certain amount of the food expense and the rest is paid by the employees of that organisation

Our company offers access to a subsidised canteen and free parking

incremental

happening gradually over time

We need to take incremental steps in the right direction

recognize

to accept that something is legal, true, or important

He is recognized as a great artist

pay rate

the amount of money workers are paid per hour, week, etc

His pay rate starts at 30 dollars per hour

role model

someone you admire and try to copy

She's my worst critic and my biggest role model

retention

the ability of a company to keep its employees and stop them from going to work somewhere else

They are launching a new employee retention programme

diverse

showing a great deal of variety; very different

His messages appealed to a diverse audience

proper

right, suitable, or correct

Follow proper procedure for reporting about incidents

menial

menial work is boring, needs no skill, and is not important

She didn't want to do a menial job

struggle

to experience difficulty and make a very great effort in order to do something

He struggled with the bureaucratic system

hesitate

to pause before saying or doing something because you are nervous or not sure

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me

come into place

put into effect, carry out

Travel restrictions come into place from midnight Tuesday