Definition

Paid Time Off, which is technically time away from work that you're paid for, except you'll spend half of it answering Slack messages and the other half feeling guilty for not answering them faster.

Example Usage

"I took PTO and my out-of-office said I'd respond when I return. I responded to 14 emails from the beach. My out-of-office auto-reply is a better boundary-setter than I am." - A vacationing workaholic

Related Terms

Intermediate

COBRA

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act—allows employees to continue health insurance after leaving, at eye-watering full cost. It's the law that proves your employer was subsidizing most of your healthcare all along.

👥 Human Resources
Beginner

job shadowing

Following an employee around during their workday to observe and learn about their role. Like being someone's awkward, silent companion for eight hours while pretending to absorb information.

👥 Human Resources
Intermediate

deadwood

Employees who contribute nothing but somehow haven't been fired yet, occupying desks and drawing salaries like workplace furniture. HR knows who they are; everyone knows who they are.

👥 Human Resources
Intermediate

retaliation

The legally prohibited but distressingly common practice of punishing employees who dare to complain about workplace issues, report violations, or otherwise make waves. What starts as someone raising a legitimate concern about safety or discrimination mysteriously transforms into performance reviews that suddenly go south, convenient budget cuts to their department, or being assigned to the office next to the server room. HR departments have entire training modules on how not to do this, which tells you everything about how often it happens.

👥 Human Resources
Advanced

red-circled

An employee whose salary exceeds the maximum of their pay range, usually protected but not eligible for raises until the range catches up. Congratulations, you've hit the salary ceiling!

👥 Human Resources
Beginner

toxic workplace

An environment where dysfunction, harassment, or terrible management makes every day feel like an endurance test. It's where people develop Sunday scaries on Monday and check job boards during lunch breaks.

👥 Human Resources

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