Definition
The elimination of a job position, making the employee redundant. British English for 'layoff' but somehow sounds more civilized.
Example Usage
After the merger, half the accounting department was declared redundant—a term that felt less hurtful than 'terminated' but equally effective.
Origin
From business process terminology; became standardized in UK and Commonwealth HR terminology.
Fun Fact
The job can be redundant, but the person never is—which is why this phrasing is linguistically accurate but emotionally devastating.
Source: International employment law and HR terminology
Related Terms
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See “Redundancy” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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