Lay off
/ˈleɪ ɒf/
Lay off
/ˈleɪ ɒf/
To "Lay off" means to temporarily dismiss someone from their job, often due to economic reasons and not because of personal performance. It can be a difficult subject to talk about, but it's important in business and economic discussions. For example, a company may need to lay off employees during a financial downturn.
The company had to lay off several employees due to budget cuts.
The company had to dismiss several employees due to budget cuts.
Economic downturn forced many businesses to lay off workers.
Economic downturn forced many businesses to dismiss workers.
It's never easy when a company decides to lay off its staff because of financial problems.
It's never easy when a company decides to dismiss its staff because of financial problems.