Definition
Long-tenured employees who no longer contribute effectively but are difficult to remove due to organizational inertia or legal protections. They're the human equivalent of that clutter you keep meaning to throw out but never do.
Example Usage
The department is full of dead wood that's been coasting on the same job for twenty years without learning anything new.
Origin
Forestry metaphor used since the early 1900s, referring to dead branches that weigh down healthy trees
Fun Fact
In Japan, workers nearing retirement who are sidelined into meaningless roles are called 'madogiwa-zoku' or 'window-seat tribe,' a gentler version of the same concept.
Source: Traditional workplace slang
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See “dead wood” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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