Employee Termination Idioms Survey Reveals Common Expressions

Here are the results of our poll concerning common idioms used to express employee termination.

A week ago, I launched a poll on LinkedIn asking: How does your workplace typically express the act of termination to an employee? As a copy editor, I was especially curious about how different employers use various idioms to communicate this action.

I also noted some of the more common employee termination idioms used by employers. These included: axed, canned, sacked, booted, pink-slipped, separated, and released.

Overall, the poll has attracted 128 participants. Although it’s a small sample, here are the results:

1. Fired – 12%
2. Terminated (or “termed”) – 40%
3. Let go – 37%
4. Dismissed – 11%

Admittedly, I was a bit surprised that “Let go” did not receive the most votes. However, I was even more astonished that “fired” polled at a distant third place.

I also received comments and messages suggesting the following employee termination idioms I had not considered:

1. Cut
2. Departing
3. Discharged
4. It just didn’t work out
5. Made Redundant
6. Out the window
7. Outplaced
8. Parting ways
9. Pursuing other interests
10. Relieved of duty
11. Removed
12. Rightsized
13. Separated
14. Tarred and feathered
15. Transitioned
16. Unconditionally released
17. Waived

If you would like to participate in polls like the one above, we will occasionally run others from my LinkedIn page. I invite you to follow or connect with me by clicking here.