Timework

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Labor compensated according to the amount of time spent working rather than the quantity of goods produced
2. Employment paid at an hourly or daily rate instead of per item completed or per task finished
3. Work for which wages are calculated by the hours worked, as opposed to output-based piece payment

Etymology: "Timework" is a plain compound of "time" and "work," formed in English from two words that were already in common use. Its meaning follows directly from the parts: work measured and paid by the hour (or by the time spent) rather than by the task completed or the piece produced. The contrast it draws is with piecework, where a worker is paid for each finished item, so the two terms sit side by side in discussions of how labour is compensated. Because the word is a transparent combination, there is no hidden story in its formation. Its interest lies in the economic distinction it names: the same effort can be valued by the clock or by the product, and this noun marks the first of those choices.

Synonyms: daywork

Antonyms: piecework