Backstab

Definition

When a colleague pretends to be your friend while actively undermining your projects to leadership. The knife wound comes with a smile.

Example Usage

He threw me under the bus in the meeting after we'd been collaborating—total backstab.

Source: Common office terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

compensate

To provide payment, benefits, or other consideration in exchange for services rendered or losses incurred—the art of making someone feel better about their suffering through the universal language of money.

👥 Human Resources

Advanced

garden leave

A notice period where departing employees remain on payroll but are barred from working or accessing company resources, preventing them from sharing secrets with competitors. Paid time off for being too dangerous to keep around.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

reskilling

Training employees in entirely new skill sets to prepare them for different roles, usually because their current job is being automated or eliminated. It's the corporate way of saying 'your job is obsolete, but we like you enough to keep you around.'

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

talent

A natural aptitude or skill, or in HR and recruiting speak, any human being with a pulse and relevant keywords on their resume. Corporate talent acquisition teams have elevated the hunt for 'top talent' to an art form involving bizarre interview questions and salary ranges that mysteriously depend on 'experience level.' The term makes employees sound like performing artists, which is fitting given how much acting is required in open-plan offices.

👥 Human Resources

Intermediate

invisible promotion

When employees receive expanded responsibilities, fancier titles, or 'growth opportunities' without corresponding salary increases. It's all the work of a promotion with none of the compensation—essentially a scam with business cards.

👥 Human Resources

Beginner

probationary period

An initial employment phase, typically 30-90 days, during which both employer and employee evaluate fit with reduced job security. Corporate dating before commitment, except you're already living together.

👥 Human Resources

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