Pink Slips & P45s

Posted by Lewis on August 18, 2003

In Reply to: Pink Slip posted by James Briggs on August 17, 2003

: : : Once in awhile you hear someone say when they are fired from their job, "I got the Pink Slip."

: : : Does anyone know how " Pink Slip" came about?
: : : Thanks

: : From the Word Detective site:

: : "A "pink slip" is a notice of dismissal or termination from one's job, also known as one's "walking papers." The term "pink slip" dates from the early 20th century, and originally referred to the practice of including a pink-colored slip of paper in an employee's weekly pay envelope notifying the worker of his or her termination. There does not seem to be any particular significance to the use of the color pink aside from the fact that it made the notice stand out from any other papers that might be in the envelope."

:
: In Britain, if workers are dismissed from their job then they 'get the sack'. In the old days workers carried their own tools in a sack. This was deposited with their employer in order to look after the tools. When the worker was no longer needed or was dismissed he was given the sack back. The expression has now been partly replaced by to 'get one's cards' - the equivalent of the 'pink slip', I guess.

at school, if you got in trouble you had a "pink slip" to take to the duty disciplinary teacher - either head/deputy or senior teacher. even the bravest dare not rip up the pink slip, let alone a white slip (which I think was recommendation of the cane). The slips showed other teachers that the pupil was already in trouble and en route to punishment, rather than being supposed to be in class.

To have one's employment terminated can be to be "downsized" "rationalized" or get one's "P45" which is the employers' tax certificate for the employee on termination of employment.