Workplace
Vocabulary
Key terms and concepts for effective
professional communication.
Introduction
This presentation
explores essential
vocabulary and
communication skills
needed in the workplace
to enhance professional
interactions.
Business Jargon
Business jargon includes
specialized terms and phrases
often used in corporate
environments. Familiarity with
jargon such as 'synergy',
'bandwidth', and 'paradigm shift'
can enhance professional
communication but may also
lead to misunderstandings if not
clearly explained.
01
Workplace
Vocabulary
Common Terms
• job: paid work you do • occupation: a person's usual
regularly. or main work.
• career: the progress of your • workplace: the place where
working life, especially the someone works.
progress towards a better job
• co-worker: a person who
• employer: a person or works with another person in
organization that people work the same workplace.
for.
• boss: a person who is in
• employee: a person who is charge of a group of
paid to work for another employees.
person or organization.
• team: a group of people who work together to achieve a
goal.
• office: a place where people work, especially sitting at
desks.
• business: a place that makes or sells products or services.
• company: a place that sells something or provides services
in order to make money.
• corporation: a large company
• headquarters: the main office of a company, where the
top executives work.
• branch: a smaller office of a company, located in a
different city from the headquarters
• executive: a high-level manager in a company.
To talk about what someone does for a living, you can use the
verb "work" followed preposition.
For example:
• I work in an office.
• I work for a company.
• I work as a teacher.
To talk about someone's job, you can use the expression "have a job".
For example:
• I have a job as a doctor.
• I have a job in a bank.
To describe someone's career, you can use the expression "have a career".
For example:
• He will have a long career in the military.
• She's had a successful career as a lawyer.
To ask someone what they do for a living, you can use the
question "What do you do?"
For example:
• What do you do? I'm a doctor.
• What do you do? I work in a bank.
To ask someone what their job is, you can use the question "What's your job?"
For example:
• What's your job? I'm a doctor.
• What's your job? I work in a bank.
To ask someone about their career, you can use the question
"What's your career like?"
For example:
• What's your career like? It's very rewarding.
• What's your career like? It's a lot of work, but I enjoy it.
• What's your career like? It's very challenging.
• What's your career like? Actually, I'm thinking of changing careers.
To talk about someone's workplace, you can use the
expression "workplace environment"
For example:
• The workplace environment is very important to me
• I prefer a relaxed workplace environment.
02
English
Vocabulary for
the Workplace,
Part 2
Advanced Vocabulary
• labor: workers, especially people who do work with their
hands
• Labor Day: a national holiday in the United States, celebrated
on the first Monday in September. It honors the contributions
of workers to the country
• a labor union: an organization of workers that bargains with
employers over wages, benefits and working conditions. (To
bargain means to negotiate and try to reach an agreement)
• workers' rights: the basic rights of workers, such as the right
to a safe workplace, or the right to fair pay.
• a strike/ to go on strike: when workers stop working in
order to protest something, usually related to ther job or
workplace.
Advanced Vocabulary
• minimum wage: the lowest wage that an employer can
legally pay an employee
• benefits: extra payments or services that an employer
provides for their employees, in addition to wages. For
example, health insurance or a retirement plan
• working conditions: the conditions in which someone works,
such as the temperature, the amount of space, or the type of
work.
• insurance: when you make monthly payments to a company
to help you in case something bad happens. For example, if
you get sick and can't work, or if your house is damaged in a
fire.
Advanced Vocabulary
• maternity leave: time that a mother is allowed to take off
from work before and after the birth of her child. Payment
during this time may be partially or fully covered by the
government, or by the employer.
• vacation: days that you're allowed to take off from work, in
addition to weekends and holidays.
• to demote: to move someone to a lower position in their job.
• to promote: to move someone to a higher position in their
job.
• to get a raise: to receive more money for one's work, usually
because of an increase in position or responsibility.
• to lay off: to stop employing someone. For example, because
Advanced Vocabulary
• to fire: to stop employing someone. For example, because that
person was not doing their job well, or because the company
doesn't need that person's job anymore.
• a downsizing: when a company reduces the number of
employees, often because of a decrease in business.
• an economic recession: a period of time when there is less
business activity and more unemployment.
• to be out of work / to be unemployed: to not have a job.
• to retire: to stop working because one has reached a certain
age, or because one can no longer work due to illness or injury.
• a retirement plan: a financial plan that allows someone to
save money while they are working, so that they will have
money to live on when they retire.
Advanced Vocabulary
• to quit / to resign: to stop working at a job, usually because
one is taking a new job, or for personal reasons.
• to give notice: to tell an employer that you are going to quit
your job, usually two weeks in advance.
• taxes: the money that people and businesses must pay to the
government, based on their income or profits. The government
uses this money to provide public services
• to audit: to examine someone's financial records, usually to
make sure that they are paying the correct amount of taxes.
• financial records: documents that show how much money
someone has earned, spent, saved, or invested.
Advanced Vocabulary
• assets: anything that someone owns and has value. For
example, a house, a car, or stocks and bonds.
• stocks: a type of investment that represents ownership in a
company. When a company makes money, the stockholders
(people who own stocks in the company) make money
• bonds: a type of investment in which the investor loans
money to a company or government and receives interest
payments over time.
(The difference between stocks and bonds is that with stocks, you
are investing in a company and sharing in its profits (or losses).
With bonds, you are lending money to a company or government,
and receiving interest payments in return.)
Advanced Vocabulary
• shares: another word for stocks.
• to invest: to use money to buy something, usually in the
hope of making more money. For example, to buy a house, or
to buy stocks in a company.
• dividends: the money that stockholders receive from a
company's profits.
• liabilities: money that someone owes to others. For example,
a mortgage, a loan, or credit card [Link] worth: the value of
someone's assets minus their liabilities. In other words, how
much someone would have if they sold everything they owned
and paid off all their debts to
• embezzle: to illegally take money that someone has
Advanced Vocabulary
• gross pay: the total amount of money that someone earns in
a pay period, before taxes or other deductions are taken out.
• net pay: the amount of money that someone receives in their
paycheck after taxes and other deductions have been taken
out.
• deductions: money that is taken out of someone's paycheck
for taxes, retirement savings etc.
• a salary: a fixed amount of money that someone is paid for
their work, usually paid once a month.
• savings: money that someone has set aside, to use for a
specific purpose later For example, to buy a house, or to pay
for retirement.
Advanced Vocabulary
• a paycheck: the money that someone is paid for their work,
usually paid once a week or once a month.
• severance pay: money that an employer gives to an
employee who is fired, as a way of helping them to find a new
job.
• severance package: a combination of severance pay and
other benefits, such as health insurance, that an employer
gives to an employee who is fired.
• debt: money that someone owes to others. For example, a
mortgage, a loan, or credit card debt.
• pay off: to give someone the money that you owe them. For
example, to pay off a debt, or to pay someone for goods or
services that they have provided.
Let’s Practice
A Short Story to Practice Workplace Vocabulary
It is 9:00 a.m. on Monday. Emily arrives at her office to meet
with her boss, Ms. James.
"Emily, we are very happy with your work. You are a valuable
member of our team"
"Thank you, Ms. James." Emily is pleased with the compliment.
"I am sorry to say that we are forced to lay off two employees
and unfortunately, we are going to have to let you go."
Emily is shocked. "What? Why?"
"I'm sorry, Emily. It's nothing personal. We are just downsizing
and we need to reduce our expenses."
Let’s Practice
Emily is heartbroken. She has been working at the company
for two years and she loves her job.
"I'm so sorry, Emily. We will do everything we can to help you
transition to a new job."
Emily is grateful for the support. Ms. James gives her a
severance package that includes two months' salary and
health insurance.
Emily starts to look for a new job, but it is not easy. The
economy is in a recession and there are not many jobs
available.
Luckily for Emily, she has some savings and some profitable
stocks that pay her dividends
Let’s Practice
Emily's net worth is:
- $2,000 in savings
- $10,000 in severance pay
- $8,000 in net pay from her old job
- $10,000 in dividends from stocks she owns
- $12,000 in assets (her car and her furniture)
-$14,000 in liabilities (her mortgage and her credit card debt)
Emily's net worth is $28,000.
After six months, Emily is still unemployed. She has run out of
savings and she is starting to worry about how she will pay her
bills.
Let’s Practice
If she sells her car and furniture, she will have $12,000 that
she could use to pay off her debt or save for her future. But
Emily needs her car to get to her job interviews, and she
needs her furniture to live comfortably.
Emily decides to start her own business. She is not sure if it
will be successful, but she is willing to take the risk. She
names her business "Emily's Cleaning Service".
After a few months, Emily's business is doing well. She has
five regular clients and she is making a profit.
Now Emily is not sure what to do. Should she invest her
money in her business or should she use it to buy some
bonds? Or maybe she should hire employees? She is
definitely going to be a great boss!
Let’s Practice
However, then she will pay even more taxes! Emily decides
to consult with a financial advisor to get some advice.
The financial advisor tells her that she should invest her
money in her business and in some bonds. She also advises
Emily to start saving for retirement.
Emily is glad she consulted with the financial advisor. She is
now on her way to a bright future!
The End!
Workplace Vocabulary Fill in the Blanks Exercise
Fill in the Blanks, Part 1
• It is 9:00 a.m. on Monday. Emily arrives at her ________ to
meet with her ________ Ms. James.
• "Emily, we are very happy with your ________. You are a
valuable
• member of our ________."
"Thank you, Ms. James." Emily is pleased with the
compliment.
• "I am sorry to say that we are forced to ____________ two
____________ and unfortunately, we are going to have to
let you go.“
Emily is shocked. “What? Why?”
Workplace Vocabulary Fill in the Blanks Exercise
Fill in the Blanks, Part 2
• Emily is heartbroken. She has been working at the
_________________ for two years and she loves her job.“
• I’m so sorry, Emily. We will do everything we can to help
you transition to a new _______________.”
• Emily is grateful for the support. Ms. James gives her a
_______________ package that includes two months’
______________ and health __________ .
• Emily starts to look for a new job, but it is not easy. The
_____________ is in a _______________ and there are not
many _______________ available.
• Luckily for Emily, she has some ______________ and some
profitable ______________ that pay her ________________.
Workplace Vocabulary Fill in the Blanks Exercise
Fill in the Blanks, Part 3
• After six months, Emily is still ______________. She has run
out of __________ and she is starting to worry about how
she will pay her bills.
• If she sells her car and furniture, she will have $12,000
that she could use to _____________ her debt or save for
her future. But Emily needs her car to get to her job
interviews, and she needs her furniture to live
comfortably.
• Emily decides to start her own _______________. She is not
sure if it will be successful, but she is willing to take the
risk. She names her business “Emily’s Cleaning Service”.
• After a few months, Emily’s business is doing well. She
has five regular clients and she is making a profit.
• Now Emily is not sure what to do. Should she
______________ her money in her business or should she
use it to buy some ________________? Or maybe she should
hire _______________? She is definitely going to be a great
________________!
• However, then she will pay even more ________________!
Emily decides to consult with a financial advisor to get
some advice.
Conclusions
In conclusion, mastering workplace
vocabulary and effective communication
techniques is vital for professional success.
Understanding common terms, enhancing
verbal and non-verbal communication skills,
and achieving writing proficiency leads to
improved collaboration and career
advancement.
Thank you!
Do you have any questions?
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