Spanish · B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Workplace in Spanish: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Spanish words for workplace are el juzgado de lo social (the labour court), el convenio colectivo (the collective agreement) and el ERTE (temporary layoff scheme (Expediente de Regulación Temporal de Empleo)). The full Spanish workplace phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Spanish vocabulary for workplace, with example sentences and English translations. This is B2 (Upper Intermediate) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Spanish to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key workplace vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el juzgado de lo social | the labour court |
| el convenio colectivo | the collective agreement |
| el ERTE | temporary layoff scheme (Expediente de Regulación Temporal de Empleo) |
| el paro / el desempleo | unemployment benefit |
| la jubilación | retirement / pension |
| el acoso laboral | workplace harassment / mobbing |
| el despido | dismissal |
| la baja por maternidad / paternidad | maternity / paternity leave |
| la indemnización por despido | severance pay |
| el estatuto de los trabajadores | the Workers' Statute (key labour law) |
Example sentences
Presento la demanda en el juzgado de lo social.
I file the claim in the labour court.
Mi salario está regulado por el convenio colectivo.
My salary is regulated by the collective agreement.
He recibido una carta de despido.
I have received a dismissal letter.
Tengo derecho a indemnización por despido.
I am entitled to severance pay.
Estoy de baja por maternidad.
I am on maternity leave.
Solicité el paro tras el despido.
I applied for unemployment benefit after the dismissal.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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