lay-off

A factory announced a temporary lay-off due to reduced orders.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A temporary suspension or termination of employment: "lay-off" refers to a period during which workers are temporarily or permanently dismissed from their jobs, typically due to a lack of work, economic downturn, or company restructuring.
   • A period of inactivity or idleness: "lay-off" can also mean a time when someone is not working or is idle, such as between jobs or during a seasonal break.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The company announced a lay-off of 200 employees due to declining sales. (A temporary or permanent dismissal of workers because of economic reasons.)
  • After the project ended, he had a six-month lay-off before finding new work. (A period of unemployment or idleness.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be on lay-off": to be temporarily dismissed from work.

  • Many factory workers are on lay-off while the plant undergoes renovations. (They are not working but may be rehired later.)

• "a lay-off notice": a formal notification given to an employee that their job is being terminated temporarily.

  • She received a lay-off notice with a promise of recall in three months. (A document stating the dismissal is temporary.)

• "lay-off pay": compensation provided to workers during a lay-off period.

  • The union negotiated lay-off pay for employees affected by the shutdown. (Financial support while not working.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lay off (phrasal verb): to dismiss workers temporarily or permanently.

  • The company had to lay off 50 staff members to cut costs. (To terminate employment.)

• Layoff (noun, alternative spelling): same meaning as "lay-off".

  • The layoff affected the entire department. (The dismissal of workers.)

Synonyms

• Dismissal: the act of removing someone from a job.
• Furlough: a temporary leave of absence from employment.
• Redundancy: a situation where a job is no longer needed (common in British English).

Related Idioms

• Get the axe: to be dismissed from a job.

  • He got the axe during the recent lay-off. (He was fired or laid off.)

• Be let go: to be dismissed from employment.

  • She was let go in the company's lay-off. (Her employment was terminated.)