Learn the most common phrasal verbs used in Human Resources in English:
‘close down’ = to shut
- We have closed down the small local branches and created bigger regional offices.
- The factory closed down in the 1970’s because it was too expensive to produce here.
‘fight against’ = to make an effort to stop something happening
- All the workers fought against the closure but the plant was no longer profitable.
- The unions have been fighting against the proposed changes as they think it will mean job losses.
‘go back on something’ = to change an agreement
- We had come to an agreement but now she has gone back on it.
- The company promised to review the situation but went back on its word and didn’t.
‘put back’ = to postpone, delay in time
- They promised to make a decision today but it has been put back until next week.
- My visit has been put back until a later date when it will be easier to plan.
‘fall behind’ = not risen as fast as, fail to do something as fast as required
- We have fallen behind schedule. It won’t be completed on time.
- Our salaries have fallen behind the national average with the small increase we have had.
‘turn down’ = to refuse, not accept
- We offered a two per cent increase but it was turned down.
- We offered him a much higher salary but he turned it down and didn’t join our team.
‘fill in for someone’ = to replace someone during an absence
- I need to brief the person who will be filling in for me while I am on maternity.
- I filled in for Jamie while he was on holiday.
‘back someone up’ = to support or to help
- Whenever there is a dispute with someone in my team, my manager always backs me up.
- Nobody backed him up when he said he had been discriminated against.
‘work out’ = to calculate
- I don’t know how much holiday I have left. I need to work it out.
- We need to work out how much this is really going to cost.
‘drag on’ = to last a long time, go on longer than anticipated
- The negotiations are dragging on. I think we’ll never reach an agreement.
- The meeting dragged on and on. I thought I’d never get home.