French · B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Workplace in French: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful French words for workplace are le Conseil de prud'hommes (the labour tribunal), la convention collective (the collective agreement) and le chômage partiel (short-time working (chômage partiel)). The full French workplace phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential French 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 French to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key workplace vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le Conseil de prud'hommes | the labour tribunal |
| la convention collective | the collective agreement |
| le chômage partiel | short-time working (chômage partiel) |
| l'allocation chômage | unemployment benefit (ARE) |
| la retraite | retirement / pension |
| l'invalidité | disability / invalidity |
| le harcèlement | harassment (workplace) |
| le licenciement | dismissal / redundancy |
| le congé parental | parental leave |
| l'indemnité de licenciement | severance pay |
Example sentences
Je porte l'affaire devant les prud'hommes.
I am taking the case to the labour tribunal.
Mon salaire dépend de la convention collective.
My salary depends on the collective agreement.
J'ai reçu une lettre de licenciement.
I received a dismissal letter.
J'ai droit à une indemnité de licenciement.
I am entitled to severance pay.
Je prends un congé parental de six mois.
I am taking six months of parental leave.
Je touche l'allocation chômage (ARE).
I receive unemployment benefit (ARE).
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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