There are a lot of nervous employees looking over their shoulders these days. And they’re hypersensitive to everything said by anyone who is even one rung higher on the corporate ladder.

Who can blame them?

So, what are the Top 10 words or phrases employees don’t want to hear right now? The following list is a pretty good start.

1. “Can I see you in the conference room?” Just as bad: “Can we talk?” and “Gotta minute?” In all cases, initiating contact with a tap on the shoulder makes things even worse.

2. “Isn’t your performance review coming up soon?” Particularly if it isn’t due for another two months.

3. “We don’t look at this as a problem – but as an opportunity.” Generally delivered with an insincere Pollyannaish lilt.

4. “I’ve always thought of us as family around here, but … ” Given the choice of laying off you or his mother, guess which he will choose?

5. You’re a great contributor, but … ” A compliment followed by a “but” is never a good thing.

6. “Maintaining the status quo is no longer an option.” Generally, the next sentence contains really bad news for someone.

7. “We’re going to refocus and concentrate on our core business.” That generally means refocusing on the business the company was in before it hired you.

8. “We’re not planning to have layoffs, but there will be some restructuring.” Hmmmmm.

9. “Due to the ongoing turmoil in the capital markets …” Any sentence that has “turmoil” and “capital” in it can’t be good.

10. “They’ve asked everyone to come to the Employee Appreciation Room for a 4 p.m. meeting.”

ProcurementAlert thanks www.buzzwhack.com (De-mystifying buzzwords).

Tags: employees, layoffs