Meaning & use
RIF
Last updated
To lay off or dismiss employees as part of a workforce reduction (short for "reduction in force").
See it in a sentence
Dozens of employees were riffed when the division was shut down.
The company had to RIF nearly a tenth of its staff after losing the contract.
A note on using this word
Originating in U.S. federal government and military personnel policy, "RIF" has become common workplace jargon, especially during tech industry layoffs.
Words with a similar meaning
lay offdownsize
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
hire
Another way to use it
2. noun
A reduction in force; a layoff carried out to cut staff.
He received a RIF notice on Friday afternoon.
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