Leaders and entrepreneurs
6. People and workplaces
Management The people who lead and organize the company
White-collar workers The employees who perform o ice or
administrative work
Blue-collar workers The employees who perform manual or physical
work
Payroll
Employees, personnel, sta , workers, People who carry out the work of a company
workforce
Sites A specific place where something is located.
Head o ice or headquarters (HQ) Main o ice where the most important managers
work
Open-plan o ices Large areas where many people work
Administration/ admin The ordinary work a company’s activities
Administrative sta Employees who work in administration.
Support sta Ex. Technical support
Labour Everyone except the management who works
afor a company
Labour costs What companies have to pay for labour
Labour dispute Disagreement between management and labour
(often about wages or conditions)
Labour leader Someone in charge of an organization that
represents workers
Labour relations Relationship between management and
employees in general
Labour shortage Periode when there are not enough people
available to work
Labour unrest Period of disagreement between management
and employees
Labour unions They defend the interests of workers
Trade unions
Industrial actions Activities by workers to protest or demand
changes
Strike, stoppage, walk-out Workers stop working for a time
Go-slow Workers continue to work, but more slowly than
usual
Overtime ban Workers refuse to work more than the normal
number of hours
Human resources department (HRD) The organizations that deal with pay, recruitment
Human resources etc.
(old name: personnel department)
,7. Companies and careers
Career paths => series of jobs/ roles a person follow in their work life
- Work your way up the ladder: advance to higher positions in a company
- Getting promotion to senior jobs: more important with larger responsibility
- To be demoted: moved to a less senior job
Retirement The age when someone stops working
To retire permanently
Restructured Reorganized
Flatter Fewer layers of management
Leaner Fewer, more productive employees
Company hierarchy The way a company organizes its employees
from top bosses to regular workers
Downsizing Reducing its number of employees and removing
Delayers layers of management to reduce costs and
increase e iciency an profits
Outsource Paying another company to do the work
In-house Doing work inside the company instead of hiring
others.
Freelancers Independent people who work for several
= sole trader di erent companies
Contractors Workers hired for a specific job or periodte
Temporary contract A work agreement for a short period only.
Flexibility
Job insecurity
Performance reviews Meeting where an employee’s progress is
discussed
To resign Choosing to leave a job.
To hand in your notice
to be dismissed, terminated, fired, sacked/ You are forced to leave a company
given the sack
Laid o , made redundant, o ered early You lose your job but you’ve done nothing wrong.
retirement
Outplacement Advice about how to find another job, retraining,
etc.
, 8. problems at work
Discriminated against People who are treated di erently from each
other in an unfair way
Sex discrimination When a women is unfairly treated just because
she is a woman
Glass ceiling Invisible limit that stops women from getting
higher levels
Racial discrimination Someone who is treated unfairly because of
Racism their race.
A racist Some who makes o ensive remarks about
someone’s race.
Equal oppurtunities When help is given in education and
Positive discrimination employment to groups who were previously
A irmative action discriminated against
Dignity at work policy Set of rules to make sure everyone is treated
with respect and fairness at work.
Bullying When someone uses their position to hurt or
A bully/ to bully threaten an employee.
Sexual harassment When an employee behaves sexually toward
To harass another in an unacceptable way.
Health and safety issues They help create a bad working environment
Health and safety inspectors Professionals who make sure that companies
are safe places to work.
=> passive smoking, repetitive strain injury, dangerous machinery, hazardous substances, fire
hazards, heating and air-conditioning, first aid
Industrial accidents
9. managers, executives and directors
Board All the directors together.
Boardroom Meeting room where the board makes important
decisions.
Non-executive directors Outsiders, directors or companies with
specialist knowledge of the industry.
Head of marketing Marketing director
Head of IT IT director
=> they head up their department, the head of
an activity boss
Executive (exec) High-level manager (senior executive)
Chairman, chairwoman, president Top position of a company
(head of the board)
Chief executive o icer (CEO) Top position of a company
Chief operatief o icer They take care of the day-to-day running of the
company
Chief financial o icer (CFO) Finance director
Vice presidents (VPs) Senior managers in charge of particular areas
6. People and workplaces
Management The people who lead and organize the company
White-collar workers The employees who perform o ice or
administrative work
Blue-collar workers The employees who perform manual or physical
work
Payroll
Employees, personnel, sta , workers, People who carry out the work of a company
workforce
Sites A specific place where something is located.
Head o ice or headquarters (HQ) Main o ice where the most important managers
work
Open-plan o ices Large areas where many people work
Administration/ admin The ordinary work a company’s activities
Administrative sta Employees who work in administration.
Support sta Ex. Technical support
Labour Everyone except the management who works
afor a company
Labour costs What companies have to pay for labour
Labour dispute Disagreement between management and labour
(often about wages or conditions)
Labour leader Someone in charge of an organization that
represents workers
Labour relations Relationship between management and
employees in general
Labour shortage Periode when there are not enough people
available to work
Labour unrest Period of disagreement between management
and employees
Labour unions They defend the interests of workers
Trade unions
Industrial actions Activities by workers to protest or demand
changes
Strike, stoppage, walk-out Workers stop working for a time
Go-slow Workers continue to work, but more slowly than
usual
Overtime ban Workers refuse to work more than the normal
number of hours
Human resources department (HRD) The organizations that deal with pay, recruitment
Human resources etc.
(old name: personnel department)
,7. Companies and careers
Career paths => series of jobs/ roles a person follow in their work life
- Work your way up the ladder: advance to higher positions in a company
- Getting promotion to senior jobs: more important with larger responsibility
- To be demoted: moved to a less senior job
Retirement The age when someone stops working
To retire permanently
Restructured Reorganized
Flatter Fewer layers of management
Leaner Fewer, more productive employees
Company hierarchy The way a company organizes its employees
from top bosses to regular workers
Downsizing Reducing its number of employees and removing
Delayers layers of management to reduce costs and
increase e iciency an profits
Outsource Paying another company to do the work
In-house Doing work inside the company instead of hiring
others.
Freelancers Independent people who work for several
= sole trader di erent companies
Contractors Workers hired for a specific job or periodte
Temporary contract A work agreement for a short period only.
Flexibility
Job insecurity
Performance reviews Meeting where an employee’s progress is
discussed
To resign Choosing to leave a job.
To hand in your notice
to be dismissed, terminated, fired, sacked/ You are forced to leave a company
given the sack
Laid o , made redundant, o ered early You lose your job but you’ve done nothing wrong.
retirement
Outplacement Advice about how to find another job, retraining,
etc.
, 8. problems at work
Discriminated against People who are treated di erently from each
other in an unfair way
Sex discrimination When a women is unfairly treated just because
she is a woman
Glass ceiling Invisible limit that stops women from getting
higher levels
Racial discrimination Someone who is treated unfairly because of
Racism their race.
A racist Some who makes o ensive remarks about
someone’s race.
Equal oppurtunities When help is given in education and
Positive discrimination employment to groups who were previously
A irmative action discriminated against
Dignity at work policy Set of rules to make sure everyone is treated
with respect and fairness at work.
Bullying When someone uses their position to hurt or
A bully/ to bully threaten an employee.
Sexual harassment When an employee behaves sexually toward
To harass another in an unacceptable way.
Health and safety issues They help create a bad working environment
Health and safety inspectors Professionals who make sure that companies
are safe places to work.
=> passive smoking, repetitive strain injury, dangerous machinery, hazardous substances, fire
hazards, heating and air-conditioning, first aid
Industrial accidents
9. managers, executives and directors
Board All the directors together.
Boardroom Meeting room where the board makes important
decisions.
Non-executive directors Outsiders, directors or companies with
specialist knowledge of the industry.
Head of marketing Marketing director
Head of IT IT director
=> they head up their department, the head of
an activity boss
Executive (exec) High-level manager (senior executive)
Chairman, chairwoman, president Top position of a company
(head of the board)
Chief executive o icer (CEO) Top position of a company
Chief operatief o icer They take care of the day-to-day running of the
company
Chief financial o icer (CFO) Finance director
Vice presidents (VPs) Senior managers in charge of particular areas
