What are the differences between “laid off”, “fired”, “terminated” and “discharged”?
These words all mean the same thing in this instance. They all express that someone has lost their job.
However, they are subtly different:
- Laid off – The person has lost their job due to budget cuts or financial issues in the business. This means that the business probably didn’t want the person to leave them but had no choice. Therefore, when someone is laid off it is usually NOT their fault. This also can mean that the business will rehire the person when things get better, although this rarely happens.
She was laid off as the shop was closing.
- Fired – This means that the business has made the decision to let the person go. The person has lost their job due to incompetence or something else that is their fault.
He was fired because he stole money from the cash register.
- Terminated – The same as fired. If someone is terminated they have been let go for poor performance or something unacceptable to the organisation.
He missed all of his targets in February and was terminated in March.
- Discharged – Again, the same as fired and terminated.
Jon didn’t show up for work three weeks in a row and was discharged the week after.
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