the dress code

A "dress code" is a set of rules about how people are supposed to dress. For example, a dress code might require all men to wear a necktie, or might forbid people from wearing a hat.

Schools sometimes have dress codes for their students; businesses have a dress code for their employees. Some places like clubs and golf courses also have a dress code.

(an organization's) policy on (a topic)

Companies and other organizations have "policies". A "policy" is like a rule. The difference is that the word "rule" sounds a little more strict and unbreakable.

You can talk about an organization's different policies using the phrase "policy on __":

What's our policy on customer complaints?

You can also talk about a "___ policy":

They have a strict cancellation policy.

Policies can apply to the members of an organization, as well as to other people, like customers.

vacation leave

"Leave" is a term for days that you take off of work. Some kinds of leave include:

• sick leave
• vacation leave
• maternity leave

Some companies have different numbers of days that you're allowed to take off based on the type. For example:

We get fifteen days' vacation leave, national holidays, and five sick days per year.

a conflict of interest

A "conflict of interest" is a situation in which someone might have a reason to make a decision that's not good for the group that they work for. Here are some examples of "conflicts of interest":

• An employee of your company also has a part-time job at a competitor's company.
• A politician awards a big contract to a company that she used to be the CEO of.
• A teacher's own child is one of the students in her class.

You use the phrase "conflict of interest" like this:

I think that there's a conflict of interest here that we need to discuss.

If you have a conflict of interest, that might get in the way of you making the best decision for the company.

a booklet

A "booklet" is a small book. It has fewer pages than a normal book, and it's often stapled together instead of bound like a normal book.

A company might print up a booklet to give its employees information about their policies. Or a health organization might create a booklet to warn the public about a health risk.

things like that

You can say "things like that" at the end of a list to communicate that there are other examples of what you're talking about:

I love rafting and hiking and climbing and things like that.

outline (something)

To "outline" something means to describe it without going into too much detail. In other words, it means to talk about something generally. Here are some example of how to use "outline":

First, let me outline what the program is, and then I'll go into how to get signed up for it.

I haven't read the book, but I've read a few articles that outline what it's all about.