HR glossary

HR and payroll terms, explained simply

Short definitions of the terms you meet when choosing and running an HR system in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Each term also says how it works in practice.

HR systems

HRMS (HR management system)

Software that keeps employee records, attendance, leave, payroll and hiring in one system.

HRIS (HR information system)

A system focused on storing and reporting employee data.

ERP (enterprise resource planning)

Business software that runs accounting, sales, inventory and HR on one shared database.

Organizational chart (org chart)

A diagram of departments and reporting lines.

Employee self-service (ESS)

A portal where employees handle their own requests instead of asking HR.

Pay and payroll

Payroll

Calculating what each employee is paid for a period, after allowances and deductions.

Payslip

The document that shows an employee how their pay was calculated.

Gross salary

Pay before any deductions.

Net salary

Take-home pay after all deductions.

Salary structure

The set of rules that builds a payslip from the basic wage.

Allowance

An amount added to the basic salary for a specific reason.

Deduction

An amount taken out of gross pay.

End-of-service gratuity

A payment due to an employee when employment ends, based on length of service.

Attendance and leave

Attendance management

Recording when employees arrive and leave, and turning it into payroll inputs.

Biometric attendance

Attendance recorded with fingerprint, face or card devices.

Shift management

Planning who works when, including rotating and night shifts.

Overtime

Hours worked beyond standard working hours.

Time off (leave management)

Defining leave types, balances, requests and approvals.

Leave balance

The days of a leave type an employee still has.

Hiring and performance

Applicant tracking system (ATS)

Software that manages job posts, candidates and the hiring pipeline.

Onboarding

Preparing and welcoming a new hire.

Performance appraisal

A structured review of how an employee is performing against goals.

Probation period

An initial period to assess whether the role fits.

Insurance and compliance

Social insurance

Mandatory contributions by employees and employers that fund pensions and other benefits.

GOSI

Saudi Arabia's General Organization for Social Insurance.

WPS (Wage Protection System)

A government system that checks salaries are paid on time and in full.

Iqama

The residence permit of foreign residents in Saudi Arabia.

MOHRE

The UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.