20 Phrasal Verbs about Work (with Meanings & Examples)

Phrasal verbs are essential in everyday workplace English. In this lesson, you’ll learn 20 common phrasal verbs about work, from clock in and take on to lay off and get ahead, with clear meanings and practical examples.

If you’ve ever worked in an English-speaking environment — or plan to — you’ll quickly realise one thing:

Native speakers love phrasal verbs.

From starting a shift to quitting a job, from working under pressure to getting promoted, there’s a phrasal verb for almost every workplace situation.

In this lesson, you will learn 20 essential phrasal verbs about work that will help you sound more natural in conversations, understand colleagues more easily, improve your Business English and prepare for B2 First and C1 Advanced exams.

Grab your notebook — and let’s get to work.

Starting and Finishing Work

Clock in / Clock out

Meaning: to record the time you start or finish work

She clocked in at 9 a.m. and clocked out at 5 p.m.

Don’t forget to clock out before you leave

Knock off (work)

Meaning: to finish work (informal)

What time do you usually knock off?

Let’s knock off early today.

Call in sick

Meaning: to phone work to say you’re ill

She called in sick this morning.

He’s called in sick twice this month.

Taking Responsibility

Take on (work/responsibility)

Meaning: to accept a task or hire someone

The company is taking on new staff.

We can’t take on any more projects right now.

Fill in for (someone)

Meaning: to do someone’s job temporarily

Can you fill in for John while he’s away?

I’m filling in for the manager this week.

Take over

Meaning: to assume control

She took over as team leader last month.

The new company will take over operations next year.

Step down

Meaning: to resign from a position of authority

The CEO stepped down after ten years.

He decided to step down as chairman.

Hand in (your notice/resignation)

Meaning: to formally quit your job

She handed in her notice yesterday.

I’m thinking of handing in my resignation.

Working Hard (or Too Hard)

Knuckle down

Meaning: to start working seriously

If we want to meet the deadline, we need to knuckle down.

He knuckled down and finished the report.

Burn out

Meaning: to become exhausted from overwork

She burnt out after months of overtime.

Many employees burn out without proper rest.

Pull together

Meaning: to work as a team

We need to pull together to finish this project.

The team pulled together under pressure.

Career Progress

Get ahead

Meaning: to make progress in your career

She’s determined to get ahead.

You have to work hard to get ahead in this industry.

Lay off

Meaning: to dismiss employees (usually due to financial problems)

The company laid off 50 workers.

Many staff were laid off during the recession.

Reviewing and Discussing Work

Look over

Meaning: to review something

Can you look over this report?

I’ll look it over this afternoon.

Run by (someone)

Meaning: to ask someone for approval

Let me run this idea by the manager.

We should run it by HR first.

Carry out

Meaning: to perform or complete a task

The team carried out safety checks.

They carried out an internal investigation.

Zoom in on

Meaning: to focus closely on something

The report zooms in on staff morale.

Let’s zoom in on the key issues.

Managing Workload

Catch up on

Meaning: to complete work that was delayed

I need to catch up on emails.

She spent the morning catching up on paperwork.

Keep up with

Meaning: to stay at the same pace

It’s hard to keep up with new technology.

He struggled to keep up with the workload.

Put off

Meaning: to postpone

Let’s not put off the meeting again.

They keep putting off the launch date.

Exam & Workplace Tip

Phrasal verbs are common in workplace conversations, emails (semi-formal), speaking exams, job interviews and business meetings.

However:

✔ Use them naturally

✔ Don’t overuse them in formal reports

✔ Make sure you understand the context

For example:

• “Lay off” is neutral in business context.
• “Knock off” is informal.

Tone matters.

Final Thought

Mastering phrasal verbs about work will instantly make your English sound more natural and professional.

In real offices, people don’t usually say:

“I will review this document.”

They say:

“I’ll look it over.”

Small changes. Big difference.

Do the quiz to perfect your knowledge:

 

Related posts:

Phrasal verbs related to problems

Phrasal verbs related to cause and effect

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