Languages › English as a Second Language A Basic Phrase Sheet for Business Professionals Learning English Listing of Key Employment Vocabulary and Phrases Share Flipboard Email Print Dimitri Otis/ Digital Vision/ Getty Images English as a Second Language Business English Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Writing Skills Reading Comprehension Grammar Resources for Teachers By Kenneth Beare English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience. our editorial process Kenneth Beare Updated February 01, 2019 English teachers are often not equipped to go into depth in the terminology required in specific trade sectors. For this reason, supplementary core vocabulary sheets go a long way in helping teachers provide adequate materials for students needing an intensive study of vocabulary in very targeted areas. This core vocabulary reference sheet provides keywords and phrases used by a business' human resources department. This list can be used as a starting point for vocabulary study relating to employment and working. Knowledge of these terms can help people get a job and understand employee handbooks of policies that they are required to follow upon employment at a company. The list contains British and American spellings of terms and phrases, as noted by the use of "(UK)" and British spellings such as "labour," which is spelled "labor" in the United States. Human Resources Vocabulary absentee absenteeism absenteeism rate accident at work/industrial injury applicant/candidate application form apprenticeship aptitude test assessment of applicants assistant back pay bargaining power basic salary blue-collar worker business hours/office hours Christmas bonus clerical work/office work company bargaining/company negotiation compensation for permanent disability contractual situation cost-of-living allowance credentials day shift direct labour (UK) disability pension disciplinary measure/disciplinary sanction discrimination dismissal dismissal for cause dismissal without notice early retirement employer employment agency employment card/working papers employment contract/labour contract (UK) employment for a trial period employment office employment rate executive cadres executive personnel exit permit experienced person family allowances family leave federal holiday/national holiday (US)/public holiday (UK) freelance full employment full time full-time employment general strike gross wages and salaries harassment have an accident at work healthcare higher education/advanced education human relations (US)/human relationships (UK) independent unions index-linked wages indirect labour (UK) industrial tribunal (UK)/labour court (UK) internal regulations irregular work/discontinuous work job/employment job application job description job evaluation job satisfaction job security job sharing junior clerk/junior employee labor costs labor disputes labor force/manpower labor market labor mobility labor relations (US) /industrial relations (UK) labor relations/trade-union relations labor retraining labor supply labor union (US)/trade union (UK) layoff learning by doing leave letter of appointment lock-out management training managing director maternity leave middle management minimum rate of pay minimum wage moonlighting motivation night shift occupation/employment office hours office manager office staff/office personnel on-the-job training outsourcing overtime pay overtime work part time part-time job partial disability pay pay envelope (US)/wage packet (UK) pay formula/retribution diagram pay increase for merit paycheck/payslip payroll/payroll ledger pension pension fund period of notice permanent disability permanent job/steady job permanent staff personnel/staff personnel department personnel requirements planner pretax prevention production bonus professional qualifications professional training programmer purchasing manager re-employment redundancy payment refresher course relationship management remuneration resign (chairperson)/to give notice (employee) resignation (chairperson)/notice (employee) retirement retirement age right to strike salaried workers/employees salary salary range/wage band seasonal employment seasonal workers second shift secondary job senior clerk / senior employee severance pay / dismissal pay short-term employment sick leave / sick day skilled labor (US) / skilled labour (UK) skilled work skilled workers social costs social insurance / national insurance Social Security (US) sole director staff costs / personnel costs striker temporary disability temporary staff temporary worker / temp the job is still vacant third shift time card time clock to apply for a job to appoint a person to ask for a raise to be dismissed / to be fired to be laid off to be on probation / to be on trial to be on strike to be out of work / to be unemployed to dismiss / to fire to fill a vacancy to go on strike to hold a position to interview to retire to risk indemnity to secure employment to select candidates to strike to take measures to take one's vacation days (US) / to take one's holidays (UK) to train to work at home / to telecommute top manager total disability trade training training period trial period under contract underemployed unemployment unemployment benefits union dues / union subscription union officer / trade unionist unjustified dismissal unpaid leave unskilled labor (US) / unskilled labour (UK) unskilled worker vacancy / vacant position vacation (US) / holiday (UK) wage bargaining / pay negotiations wage ceiling wage claims wage dynamics wage freeze wage pressures wage-cost spiral wage-earning workers welfare contributions white-collar worker work overtime work shift workday (US) / working day (UK) worker working hour workload workplace