Employment Law Vocabulary

verb to order or allow someone to leave; to decide that something is not important or worth considering

• The judge decided to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence.
• I told my boss I needed the day off, but he just dismissed my request.
• She totally dismissed him when he tried to ask her out.
• Don't dismiss his ideas right away, they might actually be worth considering.

verb to officially remove someone from their job or position

adjective used to describe someone who has been removed from their job or position

• The judge dismissed the case due to lack of evidence.
• The teacher dismissed the class early for good behavior.
• I dismissed his apology because it wasn't sincere.
• She dismissed his advances, not wanting to get involved in a relationship.

noun a legal process that allows a creditor to take money directly from a debtor's wages or bank account to settle a debt

• The court issued a garnishment order to collect the unpaid debt.
• They're taking money out of my paycheck for garnishment.
• I can't believe they're hitting me with a garnishment for that old bill.
• His constant negativity was like a garnishment on my happiness.

noun the act or state of not performing or failing to carry out a duty or obligation

• The contract clearly outlines the consequences of nonperformance by either party.
• If there's any nonperformance, we're all in trouble.
• Dude, don't even think about nonperformance on this project.
• His nonperformance in the game was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

adjective describing something that is not part of a labor union

• Nonunion workers do not have the same protections and benefits as unionized workers.
• My cousin is a nonunion employee at the factory.
• I heard that company is trying to bust up the nonunion workers.
• The team's lack of cohesion was like a nonunion of different parts.

noun the act of restoring someone or something to a previous position or condition

verb to restore to a previous position or condition

• The board has decided to reinstate the employee after reviewing the appeal.
• They finally agreed to reinstate her back to her position.
• They're gonna bring him back, reinstate him, you know?
• Sometimes, we need to reinstate our focus on what truly matters in life.

noun the action of restoring someone or something to a previous position or condition

• The board approved the reinstatement of the employee after a thorough review of the case.
• They finally decided to give her job back after looking into everything.
• They brought him back on the team after sorting out the issue.
• The return of her position symbolized a fresh start for the company.

adjective describing something that is done secretly or unofficially

adverb used to describe something done secretly or unofficially

preposition indicating the location or position below something

• The company was accused of engaging in under-the-table payments to avoid taxes.
• I heard they're paying their employees under-the-table to save money.
• I can hook you up with an under-the-table job if you need some extra cash.
• Their agreement was kept under-the-table, away from public scrutiny.

noun a person who practices or studies law; attorney

verb to hire or consult with a lawyer in preparation for legal action or defense

• It is always advisable to lawyer up before signing any legal documents.
• Dude, you better lawyer up before you go talk to the cops.
• If you're in trouble, you gotta lawyer up, no questions asked.
• When facing a tough situation, sometimes you just need to lawyer up and defend yourself.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

article a word that specifies a noun as definite or indefinite

• The supervisor put the employee on notice for repeatedly violating company policies.
• I had to put my roommate on notice about cleaning up after themselves.
• The coach put the player on notice for not giving their best effort during practice.
• The sudden drop in sales numbers put the entire team on notice about the company's financial situation.

verb to leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest

• The suspect absconds from the scene of the crime before the police arrive.
• I heard that he absconds with the money every time he gets a chance.
• She absconds with her boyfriend whenever she wants to skip school.
• When faced with a difficult situation, he tends to abscond from his responsibilities.

noun a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or gives more information about a noun

• The court allowed the introduction of after-acquired evidence in the trial.
• They brought up some after-acquired evidence during the hearing.
• They dropped some new evidence after the fact.
• Just when we thought we had all the information, the after-acquired evidence changed everything.