employee, employer, staff, workforce, workers, labor

white collar workers:

office worker in professional, managerial, or administrative position

blue collar workers:

those working in factories or doing manual labor

pink collar workers:

female employees in women-dominated professions

apprentice:

works for a skilled or qualified person in order to learn a trade or profession

temp or temporary workers, part-times, to temp

self-employed

skilled worker:

trained worker

semi-skilled worker:

worker possessing limited skills

portfolio worker:

holds more than one position, either simultaneously or sequentially, and carries a unique set of skills and abilities to each employment situation

freelancer:

one who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to one employer

to moonlight:

to hold a second job in addition to a regular one

outsourcing:

the strategic use of outside resources to perform activities traditionally handled by internal staff and resources

insourcing:

the organisation carries out its functions internally and is thereofre not reliant on outside support

job-sharing (or
work-sharing):

the practice of dividing up a job normally performed by one person for two (or more) part-time employees

job-rotation:

moving an employee through several different specialized jobs

teleworking:

working for a company from home, using telephone, fax, or computer links

overtime:

time worked in excess of an agreed number of hours per day or week

flexitime:

employees can choose the time they start and finish work (with certain limits)

shift work:

a change of one group of workers for another in regular alternation

graveyard shift:

a work shift beginning late at night

salary:

fixed regular payment by employers, usually monthly, for professional or office work

wage:

money paid (per day or week; per hour is hourly wage) to manual workers

increment:

an automatic, usually annual increase in salary

fringe benefit:

advantages given to company employees in addition to their salary, such as a company car, health insurance, etc. (also: perks)

commission:

money paid to sales representatives, proportional to the total amount they sell

bonus:

something extra, usually a payment, often given as a reward for good work or high productivity

severance pay:

money given to a worker who is made redundant (also: golden handshake, usually for higher level management)

profit-sharing:

an arrangement in which an employer shares some the company profits with its employees. The compensation can be stocks, bonds, or cash, and can be immediate or deferred until retirement

performance-related
pay (PRP):

pay is linked to performance and competence

to be paid cash-in-hand

e-business:

stands for companies based on internet business

dot-coms:

individual internet companies, which usually involve the exploitation of the work mania of ambitious singles under 35 (now jokingly called dot-gones)

McJobs:

poorly paid jobs

open-collar workers:

workers who do not wear a tie

desk-sharing:

office organisation without fixed workplaces

flexplace-office:

office organisation with a maximum flexbility of space

pink-slip parties:

where people looking for a job meet potential employers