reprisal

Definition

Corporate revenge served cold, usually in the form of passive-aggressive performance reviews or mysterious project reassignments. The art of professionally getting even without technically breaking any rules. Think of it as workplace karma with a paper trail.

Example Usage

After Sarah reported the expense fraud, she experienced subtle reprisals like being excluded from key meetings and losing her corner desk.

Source: Legal and HR terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

Benefits Package

The collection of non-salary perks a company offers to make you forget that the salary itself is underwhelming. It typically includes health insurance you can't afford to use, a 401k match that vests in 2047, and free coffee that tastes like regret.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

apprenticeship

A structured program where you learn a trade by actually doing it under an expert's guidance, as opposed to modern education where you rack up debt reading about it. The original learn-while-you-earn model that combines hands-on training with getting paid, proving our ancestors understood work-life balance before it was a buzzword. Historically how people became blacksmiths; today, how people become electricians without student loans.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

passive candidate

Someone currently employed and not actively job hunting, but potentially open to the right opportunity. Recruiters love them because they're harder to get and therefore must be better, like that restaurant with no reservations.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

PIPs

Performance Improvement Plan—often the final step before termination disguised as developmental support. Plural form emphasizes that these are being distributed liberally, usually during reorganizations.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

Boomerang Employee

Someone who quits dramatically, realizes the grass was just astroturf on the other side, and comes crawling back pretending the whole thing was a growth experience. Companies love them because re-hiring is cheaper than admitting the job posting was up for eight months.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

skip level meeting

A one-on-one conversation between an employee and their manager's manager, bypassing the direct supervisor. Designed to provide leadership visibility but often feels like your boss is being investigated.

👥 Human Resources

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