off-cycle compensation adjustment

Definition

A surprise raise given outside the normal review period, usually because they realized you were about to quit or a competitor tried to poach you. It's the corporate equivalent of only fixing the relationship when your partner has one foot out the door.

Example Usage

After I got that job offer from their competitor, HR suddenly approved an off-cycle compensation adjustment.

Source: Compensation and benefits terminology

Related Terms

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total rewards package

HR speak for 'your salary is disappointing, but look at all these other things!' A combination of pay, benefits, and perks designed to distract you from the fact that your base compensation hasn't kept up with inflation.

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Intermediate

job enrichment

Expanding a role to include higher-level responsibilities and decision-making authority to increase motivation and satisfaction. Unlike job enlargement, this actually adds meaningful work rather than just more work.

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Termination

The clinical, robotic word for firing someone that makes it sound like deactivating a piece of equipment. HR uses it because saying "we ended a human's livelihood" doesn't fit neatly in a dropdown menu.

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toxic workplace

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Advanced

acculturation

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👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

knowledge transfer

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