* A glossary of workplace language from Challenger, Gray & Christmas
Are you up on the latest lingo regarding the workplace? Most of us know that “reduction in force” is a fancy euphemism for layoffs, but there are several other terms you might not be familiar with.
The folks at outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas offer a glossary to workplace language. Here are some of the highlights, many of which have to do with terms regarding recent graduates and older workers:
*20/20 Workforce: Workers who split time evenly between two part-time jobs.
*Age neutral: Dynamic mix of younger, older employees; age no issue.
*Boomerang workers: Retirees returning to former employers.
*Border crossers: Multi-skilled employees, comfortably crossing from job to job within company.
*Corporate Wake: Ritual sendoff given to retirees.
*Cyberboosting: Creating bogus, Web-generated technical credentials.
*Cyberseniors: Retirees returning to fill high-tech jobs.
*Earlybird mentors: younger workers imparting computer and Internet knowledge to older workers.
*Enroned: Reputation undermined due to questionable employer.
*Fresh-outs: New graduates who require job training.
*Graduate grandeur: Unrealistic salary expectations by new grads.
*Hideouts: Those enrolling in graduate schools to avoid the tight job market.
*No-faults: Job cuts resulting from closure of an entire company or department, where personal performance was not a factor.
*Permtemps: Forever part-time.
*Pinkslip perks: Benefits beyond the traditional severance package, such as company-paid technology training or tuition reimbursement.
*Re-Generation: Over 65 and working.
*Rung jumper: Someone who enters a new position at least two or three levels above his or her previous position.
*Sad-grad: Recent college graduate living with parents, with credit card and school loan debt, and no job prospects.
*Senior entry-level: Job seekers over 50 who earn a degree toward a second career vs. leisure-time pursuits upon retirement.
*Sitting bull: Retirement-age worker who, due to stock market and other savings losses, will not leave, thus blocking younger workers from advancing.
*SuperSeniors: People still working in their 70s, 80s and beyond.
*Up-titling: Giving employees a better job title in lieu of a pay raise.
