Learn the vocabulary to talk about working hours in English

Working hours

Learn the vocabulary to talk about working hours in English:

to work overtime = to do more than the usual hours required by the contract

·         We aren't paid when we work overtime, we can take time off in lieu.

·         We had to work overtime to get the project finished on time.

to work shifts = to work in teams at different times of the day and night

·         In today's twenty-four hour society, more and more people work shifts.

·         We get paid more when we work shifts to compensate for the irregular times.

shift work = when groups of workers work at different times of the day and night

·         The irregular rhythm of shift work can be very hard on family life.

·         Production keeps going non-stop so we have a lot of people who do shift work.

to be on the night shift = to work with a group during the night, often from ten pm to six am

·         It's very hard on the night shift because I can't sleep very well during the day.

·         Some people prefer to be on the night shift because they are at home when the children come home from school.

flexitime = a system where people can vary the start and end times

·         As we work flexitime, I take the children to school and arrive at nine thirty.

·         With flexitime, as long as I have done my seven hours, I can leave at four thirty.

a roster = a list of who's working when and where

·         The weekly roster is put up on the board so that you can see who is working.

·         Look on the roster to see what job you are doing.

to have time off = to take vacation or leave

·         I'd like to have some time off next month. I need a break.

·         If you want to have time off, you have to fill out a request form and give it to your line manager.

to take a day off = to have an authorised absence from work for a day

·         I had two days off last week so I have a lot of work to catch up on.

·         I'd like a day off next week to deal with some family matters. Friday if that is convenient.

full-time = work a whole working week

·         At the moment I only work two days a week but I would like to work full-time.

·         After the birth of my son, I didn't want to go back full-time so do three days a week now.

Working hours 2

Learn more of the vocabulary to talk about working hours in English:

part-time = to work a part of the day or week

·         When I was a student, I had a part-time job in a bar.

·         We are looking for a part-time receptionist to work mornings.

to be punctual = to start or arrive at the specified time

·         She's very punctual, always here on time.

·         Please be punctual. I don’t want to have to wait for late arrivals.

home working = to work from home rather than going into the office

·         Home working misses the social element of going to work.

·         Modern technology means that home working has become a real possibility for many people.

time sheet = a record of the numbers of hours worked by an employee

·         Fill out this time sheet every day and hand it to your manager on Fridays.

·         We no longer have time sheets as this is done automatically by the electronic ID badges.

unsocial hours = hours outside of the normal working week

·         Although the hours are rather unsocial, I don’t want a nine to five job.

·         Lots of professions work very unsocial hours and don't necessarily get compensated for it.

to take a break = to stop work for a short time to relax

·         You can buy tea or coffee when you take a break.

·         Sometimes it's a good idea to take a break and come back to a job refreshed.

to clock in/out = to record the start or finish time of work on a special machine

·         The staff clock in when they arrive and clock out as they leave.

·         Flexitime means that everyone has to clock in and out to keep a check on the hours worked.

public holidays = national holidays that are not generally worked

·         Your holiday entitlement does not include public holidays like Christmas Day.

·         If a public holiday is on a Thursday, many people take the Friday off and have a long weekend.

hourly rate = the salary that is paid per hour of work

·         We are paid a considerably higher hourly rate for Sundays or evening work.

·         The part-time employees are paid an hourly rate but the permanent staff are paid a fixed salary.

fixed hours = the working hours of an employee do not change or cannot be varied

·         The admin staff work fixed hours; nine to five, five days a week.

·         As a freelancer, I don't have any fixed hours but work when the work is there.