The Bench

Definition

A roster of employees or contractors who are between projects and waiting for their next assignment, like substitutes warming up on the sidelines.

Example Usage

We have three developers on the bench this month, so we're available to support urgent requests.

Origin

Sports terminology adapted to corporate resource management in the 1990s

Fun Fact

Keeping a bench costs companies money, leading many to eliminate it and suffer project delays

Source: Project and resource management terminology

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