第1个回答 2012-09-08
The main difference between being "laid off" and "being fired" is that a layoff can sometimes be temporary, and often involves many employees rather than just one. Also, being laid off almost always means a person who has lost their job NOT because of something they did (e.g., poor work, being late, etc) but because of economic or business reasons (e.g., not making enough money to be able to pay all the employees).
To "be made redundant" is pretty much identical to a layoff. A layoff is called "redundancy" in the U.K. That term is pretty clear -- when one or more positions/jobs are no longer necessary, so the company downsizes.
To be "dismissed," at least by the dictionary, is closer in definition to being "discharged" -- "removed from a position or service."
There's no real difference between "dismissed" and "fired," although "dismissed" has a bit less of a negative feel to it. Some sources say that clans or villages that wanted to get rid of unwanted residents (without killing them) would burn those people's houses down -- hence "fired", or 'no longer welcome here.'
To "be sacked" means the same thing as to "be fired," though "be sacked" is more slangy. "Sacked" also usually suggests being fired summarily / quickly. "Sacked" is an old expression from days when workmen used sacks to carry their tools. When the person employing them no longer wanted/needed them, they were "given the sack" (basically, "take it with you and leave").