ESL Podcast 380 - Hiring Temp Workers
replacement - a person or a thing that takes the place of another; a new employee after an old one no longer works there
Two of my co-workers quit last week, so my boss is looking for replacements.
permanent - lasting a long time; forever; not temporary
Tania is tired of jobs that only last a few months, so she's currently looking for a permanent position.
to make do - to do the best you can with what is available, which may not be enough; to get by
I don't have any money to buy groceries this week, so I'll just have to make do with the food in my refrigerator.
temp - short for temporary employee; a worker who is not permanent; an employee usually hired through an agency who will only work for a company for a set amount of time
We had so much work to do last month that my boss hired some temps to help.
perspective - point of view; opinion; way of seeing something
Yohanna grew up on a potato farm and Eve grew up in the city so they have two very different perspectives.
to staff - to hire; to employ
Jorge's new restaurant is almost ready to open, but he still needs to staff the restaurant for lunch and dinner.
to cover - to do the necessary work; to finish; to complete
The teacher covered the entire chapter last week in class.
to undervalue - to not appreciate someone or something; to think something is worth less than it is
His mother really undervalues the large amount of work he does around the house.
skilled - with the ability needed to complete a task or a job; good at doing something; talented; able
I discovered last week at the concert that Karl is a very skilled guitarist.
to land - to get; to win; to acquire
Inez couldn't believe that her sister actually landed a job as a fashion model.
to turn (something) down - to say "no" to an offer; to not accept
They offered me the job, but I turned it down because the pay was too low.
to test the waters - to try something before making a decision; to do something a little or for a short time to see the result before deciding whether to continue
I went to the gym a few times to test the waters before signing up for a one-year membership.
in retrospect - looking back at the past; another way to say "now I know something that I didn't know before"
In retrospect, I should have asked Jon out on a date when he was still single.
job security - knowledge that a person will not lose his or her job; knowledge that a company will not fire a person
His pay is not very high, but at least Kane has job security at the butcher shop because people will always need to buy meat.
perks - benefits; extra good things that are not part of one's salary; bonuses
One of the perks of my job at the café is that I get all the free coffee I can drink.
to get (one's) foot in the door - to get an opportunity to begin something, such as a job; to begin the first step in working toward a goal
I'm not a very well known singer yet. I've been singing at local clubs to get my foot in the door.
to get out of line - to misbehave; to behave badly; to not act appropriately; to not do one's job
Her teacher is very strict and does not allow the students to get out of line.
to set (someone) straight - to correct wrong behavior; to tell someone that he or she is mistaken
Jamie's mother set him straight after he kicked his younger brother in the leg.