featherbedding

indénombrable

A noun referring to the practice, typically by a labor union, of requiring an employer to hire more workers than are actually needed for a job.

• 🇫🇷Nom désignant une pratique, souvent imposée par un syndicat, qui exige que l'employeur embauche plus de travailleurs que nécessaire pour accomplir un travail donné, ou maintienne des emplois superflus.

1. Excessive hiring practice C2 formal

   The practice, often by labor unions, of requiring an employer to hire more workers than are actually needed for a job.

   • The union was accused of featherbedding by insisting on three stagehands for a simple setup.
   • Featherbedding can lead to inefficiency and higher costs for companies.
   • The contract included a clause that critics called featherbedding.

   🇫🇷Suralimentation en effectifs

   Synonymes: make-work

• featherbeddings plural form
• featherbeddings' possessive plural form
• featherbedding's possessive singular form

A verb meaning to provide someone with excessively comfortable or favorable conditions, often in a workplace or political context, or to pamper.

• 🇫🇷Verbe signifiant accorder à quelqu'un des conditions excessivement confortables ou favorables, souvent dans un contexte professionnel ou politique, ou dorloter.

1. Treat with excessive indulgence C1 informal british

   To pamper or coddle someone, providing them with more comfort or luxury than necessary.

   • The hotel staff featherbedded the VIP guests with extra pillows and champagne.
   • Parents sometimes featherbed their children, making them unprepared for real life.
   • He was featherbedded by his assistants, who did all the difficult work for him.

   🇫🇷Dorloter excessivement

   Synonymes: babycoddlecossetindulgemollycoddlepamperspoil

   Antonymes: abusedisciplinehardenignoremistreatneglecttoughen

2. Hire more workers than necessary C1 formal british

   To employ an excessive number of workers, often due to union agreements or to avoid layoffs, resulting in inefficiency.

   • The factory was featherbedded, with three workers doing a job that one could handle.
   • The union insisted on featherbedding, requiring extra staff on every shift.
   • The company's featherbedding practices led to high operational costs.

   🇫🇷surreffectif

• featherbedded past participle
• featherbedded past simple
• featherbedding present participle
• featherbeds third person singular