HR Lingo
This document outlines expectations, policies, and rules for employees
What is the employee handbook?
This federal law sets the minimum wage and overtime requirements
What is the Fair Standards Labor Act (FLSA)?
The real meaning of “We need this filled ASAP.
What is yesterday?
The process of finding and attracting candidates for open roles
What is recrutiing?
The phrase that usually means: “I should probably start documenting.”
What is "Let's circle back"?
The process of helping new hires feel welcomed and productive from Day One.
What is onboarding?
This law protects employees’ medical information.
What is HIPPA?
The HR email that starts calm and ends with panic: “Can you call me?”
What is a manager e-mail?
The type of interview conducted when someone leaves the company.
What is an exit interview?
The HR instinct triggered by “Can I run something by you…hypothetically?”
What is an HR red flag?
A formal plan created to address gaps in performance with clear expectations and timelines
What is a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP)?
The U.S. law that requires eligible employers to provide unpaid, job-protected leave for medical or family reasons
What is FMLA?
HR’s answer to “Can’t you just make an exception?”
What is Let me check the policy?
A structured conversation focused on growth, not discipline.
What is coaching?
The reaction HR has when someone says, “We don’t really need to document this, right?
What is "Yes, yes you do!"!
When an employee leaves and another fills the role at a higher pay rate—this budget issue is known as this.
What is salary compression?
The form employees complete to report workplace injuries
What is a worker's compensation claim form?
The phrase most likely to precede a compliance issue
What is "That's the way we have always done it"?
The term for preparing employees for future leadership roles.
What is succession planning?
The moment you know a “quick manager question” is about to become a policy review, a coaching plan, and a follow-up email.
What is "can you sanity check this for me"?
The acronym for a coaching framework that stands for Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward.
What is GROW Coaching
The document HR prays is completed before an investigation escalates
What is documentation?
This HR activity usually starts with “We need to talk."
What is an investigation?
The learning approach that includes mentoring, coaching, and stretch assignments.
What is development
The true meaning of “This will only take 5 minutes.”
What is " we are going to be here for awhile"