Employment: English Vocabulary List

someone who works for a skilled person for a specific period of time to learn their skills, usually earning a low income

"The apprentice learned quickly."

"The young apprentice watched carefully as the master carpenter carved the wood knowing that someday he would need to perform the same delicate work alone."

a list of tasks and responsibilities that a job includes

"Clear job description."

"The company provided a very clear job description before the interview started."

the act or process of working with someone to produce or achieve something

"The song was an unexpected but brilliant collaboration between the two artists."

"The collaboration between the two departments led to great results."

all the individuals who work in a particular company, industry, country, etc.

"The workforce is happy."

"The company invested in training programs to improve the skills and productivity of its entire workforce."

individuals employed in an organization, especially in military or structured environments, who are expected to follow directives

"All personnel must attend the meeting."

"All company personnel must attend the important safety training next week."

someone with whom one works

"I had lunch with my colleague."

"My work colleague helped me finish the important project before the deadline."

someone whose job includes heavy physical work that does not require much skill

"The laborer lifted boxes."

"The laborer loaded heavy bags of cement onto the truck under the hot sun."

a regular payment made to a retired person by the government or a former employer

"Retirement pension important."

"After forty years of work he receives a comfortable monthly pension from his former employer."

an amount of money we receive for doing our job, usually monthly

"Her salary is good."

"His salary was increased by ten percent after he successfully completed a difficult project that brought significant revenue to the company throughout the year."

the lowest level of salary, set by the law

"Minimum wage increased."

"The minimum wage helps workers earn enough to live."

earning or giving only a small amount of money

"He has a low-paid job."

"He has a low paid job at the factory but he is grateful to have any work at all."

the difference between the payment received by two different groups of people

"Gender pay gap."

"The gender pay gap still exists in many industries around the world today."

(of a person) not having much work to do in their job or being unable to use their full potential

"He is underemployed."

"The underemployed college graduate worked as a barista because she could not find a job in her field despite having a degree."

boring because of being the same thing all the time

"The job is monotonous."

"The monotonous sound of the clock ticking drove him crazy after he had been listening to it for hours."

causing one to feel very tired and out of energy

"The trip was exhausting."

"The exhausting hike up the mountain took six hours and left everyone sore and tired for days."

(of a task) needing great effort, skill, etc.

"Her boss is demanding."

"Her job is very demanding and she often works late into the night to finish all of her tasks on time."

(of an activity) making one feel satisfied by giving one a desirable outcome

"Teaching is rewarding."

"Teaching is a rewarding profession because you get to help young minds grow and develop every day."

boring and repetitive, often causing frustration or weariness due to a lack of variety or interest

"The job is tedious."

"The data entry job was extremely tedious because he had to type the same numbers into the computer for eight hours every day."

the extra money that we get, besides our salary, as a reward

"She received a generous year-end bonus for her high performance."

"The company gave all of its employees a generous end-of-year bonus as a reward for their hard work and dedication during a very successful year that exceeded all of the company's financial goals and targets for growth and profitability."

to simultaneously do more than one thing

"She can multitask well."

"It is very difficult to multitask effectively because the human brain can only focus on one thing at a time."

the action of finding someone a job, home, or school

"The job placement was successful."

"The university's career services department offers excellent support for student placement into internships and full-time positions."

to officially announce one's departure from a job, position, etc.

"The CEO resigns after the company scandal."

"The CEO decided to resign from his position after the company suffered a major financial scandal."

the amount of work that a person or organization has to do

"Heavy workload today."

"The increased workload caused many employees to work overtime every day for weeks."

(of a job or occupation) providing a high salary or income in comparison to others in the same industry or field

"She has a well-paid job."

"The well paid lawyer drove a luxury car and lived in a big house with a pool."

someone who observes or directs a person or an activity

"Strict supervisor checked."

"The supervisor approved the time off request quickly because the employee rarely asked for days off."

a person's profession or job, typically the means by which they earn a living

"What is your occupation?"

"His occupation as a firefighter requires bravery and physical fitness but he says the most rewarding part is helping families escape dangerous situations safely."

a position or job that is available

"There is a vacancy."

"The company advertised a vacancy for a skilled programmer, hoping to attract qualified candidates quickly."

a job, role, or function within an organization

"He has a position."

"The company is looking to fill a senior position in their marketing department."

a period of supervised work experience, often unpaid, undertaken by a student or recent graduate to gain practical skills or fulfill qualification requirements

"Good internship opportunity."

"The internship at the law firm paid nothing but provided valuable experience and connections."

the workforce of an organization, viewed in terms of their talents, experience, and potential contributions

"Human resources department."

"The human resources department handles all employee matters in the large company."

work, particularly difficult physical work

"Hard labor needed."

"Child labor is illegal in most countries because it exploits vulnerable young people."

a sum of money paid to someone based on the value or quantity of goods they sell

"High commission earned."

"The salesman earned a high commission after closing a very big deal with the new client last month."

an official agreement between two or more sides that states what each of them has to do

"She signed a three-year contract with the firm."

"The football player signed a three-year contract with his new team worth millions of dollars."

to take advantage of someone by making them work a lot and paying them less than is deserved

"They exploit workers."

"The factory owner was accused of exploiting his employees by underpaying them for long hours."

to stop working as a sign of protest against some work issues, such as low wages, poor working conditions, etc.

"Workers will strike today."

"The factory workers decided to strike over unfair employment conditions and inadequate compensation."

difficult to accomplish, requiring skill or effort

"The job is challenging."

"The challenging course pushed the students to their limits but they all passed and felt proud of their achievement at the end."

the process or action of finding new individuals to become a member of the armed forces, a company, or an organization

"Army recruitment increased during the war."

"The recruitment process includes reviewing resumes conducting interviews and checking references from previous employers."

a period of authorized absence from work, duty, or service

"He took leave."

"She requested a six-month leave of absence to travel and pursue personal interests abroad."

the extra hours a person works at their job

"He worked overtime yesterday."

"Working overtime without proper compensation is illegal in many countries but some employers still pressure workers to accept unpaid extra hours."