AUGUST 31, 2026

Legal English Vocabulary: Key Terms in Labor Law
This week on Ingleslegal we cover labor law, the field governing the relationship between employers and employees. These terms are especially important for bilingual professionals assisting Latin American workers in the United States, where workplace rights and obligations differ significantly from those in many home countries.
1. At-Will Employment
Meaning: An employment arrangement in which either the employer or employee may end the relationship at any time, for any lawful reason or no reason, without advance notice.
Equivalent English expressions: Employment at will, at-will relationship
Spanish equivalent: Empleo a voluntad / Empleo discrecional
Law branches: Labor Law, Employment Law, Contract Law
Example: "Because her job was at-will employment, the company could terminate her without providing a reason."
2. Collective Bargaining
Meaning: The process by which a union negotiates with an employer on behalf of employees regarding wages, hours, and working conditions.
Equivalent English expressions: Union negotiation, collective negotiation
Spanish equivalent: Negociación colectiva
Law branches: Labor Law
Example: "The union entered collective bargaining to negotiate better overtime pay for warehouse workers."
3. Wrongful Termination
Meaning: The illegal firing of an employee in violation of anti-discrimination laws, an employment contract, or public policy.
Equivalent English expressions: Unlawful dismissal, unjust termination
Spanish equivalent: Despido injustificado / Despido ilegal
Law branches: Labor Law, Employment Law
Example: "He sued the company for wrongful termination after being fired shortly after reporting safety violations."
4. Overtime Pay
Meaning: Additional compensation, typically one and a half times the regular rate, paid to eligible employees for hours worked beyond the standard workweek.
Equivalent English expressions: Time-and-a-half pay, overtime compensation
Spanish equivalent: Pago de horas extras
Law branches: Labor Law
Example: "She was owed overtime pay for the extra ten hours she worked each week during the holiday season."
5. Workers' Compensation
Meaning: A system of insurance that provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of their employment.
Equivalent English expressions: Workers' comp, occupational injury benefits
Spanish equivalent: Compensación laboral / Seguro de accidentes de trabajo
Law branches: Labor Law, Insurance Law
Example: "He filed a workers' compensation claim after injuring his back on the construction site."
6. Discrimination
Meaning: Unfair or unequal treatment of an employee or job applicant based on a protected characteristic such as race, sex, age, religion, or national origin.
Equivalent English expressions: Employment discrimination, unlawful bias
Spanish equivalent: Discriminación laboral
Law branches: Labor Law, Civil Rights Law
Example: "She filed a complaint alleging discrimination based on her national origin."
7. Non-Compete Agreement
Meaning: A contractual clause that restricts an employee from working for a competitor or starting a similar business for a specified time and location after leaving a job.
Equivalent English expressions: Non-competition clause, restrictive covenant
Spanish equivalent: Acuerdo de no competencia / Cláusula de no competencia
Law branches: Labor Law, Contract Law
Example: "The non-compete agreement prevented her from joining a rival firm for one year after resigning."
8. Minimum Wage
Meaning: The lowest hourly rate of pay that an employer is legally permitted to pay an employee, set by federal, state, or local law.
Equivalent English expressions: Base wage, statutory minimum pay
Spanish equivalent: Salario mínimo
Law branches: Labor Law
Example: "The state recently raised its minimum wage to fifteen dollars per hour."
9. Whistleblower
Meaning: An employee who reports illegal or unethical conduct by their employer, often protected by law from retaliation.
Equivalent English expressions: Reporter of wrongdoing, informant employee
Spanish equivalent: Denunciante / Informante
Law branches: Labor Law, Criminal Law
Example: "As a whistleblower, he was legally protected from being fired for reporting the safety violations."
10. Hostile Work Environment
Meaning: A workplace condition in which harassment or discriminatory conduct is so severe or pervasive that it creates an abusive or intimidating atmosphere for an employee.
Equivalent English expressions: Workplace harassment, abusive work environment
Spanish equivalent: Ambiente de trabajo hostil
Law branches: Labor Law, Civil Rights Law
Example: "The lawsuit claimed that the repeated comments created a hostile work environment for the employee."
A solid grasp of labor law vocabulary helps bilingual professionals protect workers' rights and advise employers accurately on both sides of the employment relationship. Join us again next week for another set of key legal English terms.

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