turnover rate

Definition

The percentage of employees who leave during a given period, the metric that determines whether HR gets bonuses or blame. It's gaming season when departments argue over whether layoffs count as 'voluntary attrition.'

Example Usage

Our turnover rate is only 15% if you don't count the 40 people we fired, the 12 who were managed out, or the entire offshore team we eliminated.

Origin

Basic workforce metric tracked since early industrial management, formalized in HR analytics

Fun Fact

Average turnover costs one-half to two times an employee's annual salary, yet companies often spend more on retention pizza parties than addressing root causes.

Source: Standard HR metrics and workforce analytics

Related Terms

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protected class

Groups of people protected from discrimination under federal and state laws based on characteristics like race, gender, age, disability, and religion. Being in a protected class doesn't guarantee a job, but it does guarantee you can't be rejected because of that characteristic.

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managing out

The art of making an employee's job so unpleasant they quit voluntarily, avoiding the legal and financial costs of termination. It's constructive dismissal with a euphemistic name and plausible deniability.

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broadbanding

A compensation strategy that consolidates multiple narrow pay grades into fewer, wider salary ranges. Gives companies more flexibility to pay people whatever they want while claiming they follow a structure.

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gig worker

An independent contractor or freelancer working on temporary, flexible arrangements rather than traditional employment. They enjoy freedom and flexibility but forfeit benefits, protections, and financial security—the great trade-off of the 21st century.

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disability

In HR-speak, a physical, mental, or cognitive condition that may require workplace accommodations, protected under various laws that employers pretend to understand fully. It's the reason your office now has ramps, adjustable desks, and a 47-page accommodation policy that no one has actually read. Modern workplaces treat this as both a legal minefield and an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to diversity via poorly-designed stock photos.

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worker misclassification

Illegally treating employees as independent contractors to avoid taxes, benefits, and labor protections. It's wage theft with extra steps and a business model for the gig economy.

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