What's the difference between termination and layoff?

Termination is the general word for ending employment, for any reason, including misconduct. A layoff specifically means letting someone go for business reasons, not performance.

Can I practice HR conversations in class?

Yes, an English for work class can run mock performance reviews, difficult conversations or onboarding sessions using your real role.

HR vocabulary in English

The list

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HR vocabulary
Term	Meaning	Spanish	Example
onboarding	the process of integrating a new employee	proceso de inducción	Onboarding takes about two weeks here.
performance review	a formal evaluation of an employee's work	evaluación de desempeño	Your performance review is scheduled for next month.
headcount	the number of employees	dotación de personal	We're increasing headcount in the sales team.
turnover	the rate at which employees leave	rotación de personal	Turnover has dropped since we improved benefits.
benefits	non-salary compensation like insurance or time off	beneficios	Our benefits package includes health insurance.
payroll	the process of paying employees	nómina, liquidación de sueldos	Payroll runs on the last day of the month.
severance	payment given when someone leaves a job	indemnización por despido	She received severance after the layoff.
probation period	a trial period for a new employee	período de prueba	The probation period lasts three months.
termination	ending someone's employment	despido, terminación del contrato	The termination was due to restructuring.
job description	a document outlining a role's duties	descripción del puesto	Please update the job description before posting it.
recruitment	the process of hiring new employees	reclutamiento	Recruitment for this role starts next week.
candidate	a person applying for a job	candidato	We have three strong candidates for the role.
exit interview	a meeting held when an employee leaves	entrevista de salida	We learned a lot from her exit interview.
compensation	salary and related pay	compensación, remuneración	We benchmarked compensation against the market.
employee engagement	how connected and motivated staff feel	compromiso de los empleados	We run a survey to measure employee engagement.
work culture	the shared values and behavior of a workplace	cultura laboral	We're known for a collaborative work culture.
remote work policy	rules about working outside the office	política de trabajo remoto	Our remote work policy allows two days from home.
grievance	a formal complaint by an employee	queja formal, reclamo	The grievance was reviewed by HR within a week.
disciplinary action	a formal response to misconduct	medida disciplinaria	Repeated lateness can lead to disciplinary action.
diversity and inclusion	efforts to support a varied, fair workplace	diversidad e inclusión	Diversity and inclusion is part of our hiring process.
succession planning	preparing future replacements for key roles	planificación de sucesión	Succession planning protects us if a leader leaves.
promotion	moving an employee to a higher role	ascenso	She got a promotion after two years.
leave of absence	approved time away from work	licencia	He's on a leave of absence for medical reasons.
workplace policy	a formal rule for the organization	política interna, reglamento	Check the workplace policy before booking travel.
talent acquisition	finding and hiring skilled people	adquisición de talento	Talent acquisition is a top priority this quarter.

How to use these at work

Licencia can mean several different English words depending on context: leave of absence (time off work), license (a permit), or a driver's license. Check which one fits before translating it directly.
Actually doesn't mean actualmente. Use currently for current state: she is currently on a leave of absence.
HR communication in English favors neutral, procedural language, even for difficult topics like termination. Avoid overly emotional or apologetic phrasing in formal documents.

Practice

Questions

What's the difference between termination and layoff?: Termination is the general word for ending employment, for any reason, including misconduct. A layoff specifically means letting someone go for business reasons, not performance.
Can I practice HR conversations in class?: Yes, an English for work class can run mock performance reviews, difficult conversations or onboarding sessions using your real role.

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