What does workhours mean?
Workhours means the part of the day or the total span during which a person is expected to be on the job. It is most often used in workplace, scheduling, and workplace-software contexts: a manager may adjust an employee’s workhours, while an organization may publish its workhours for support or emergency services. The term is a closed compound and is grammatically plural, even when it refers to a single scheduled period. It differs from hours worked, which can mean the number of hours someone has actually completed, including unpaid or voluntary extra time. In ordinary prose, “working hours” or “work hours” is often more familiar, but “workhours” is established usage, especially in business, human-resources, and time-tracking language. Its practical focus is the boundary between expected activity and the rest of the day, making it useful when discussing schedules, availability, and time away from work.
plural nounThe scheduled periods during which a person is expected to work, or the total amount of time worked in a given period.
- The scheduled periods during which a person is expected to be working, or the total amount of time worked in a given period.
"Employees may contact the help desk outside normal workhours."
"Flexible workhours allow some employees to begin later in the morning."
"The office remains open during holiday workhours."
The standard form is already plural and refers collectively to scheduled or completed working time.
"The policy allows remote work during designated workhours."
Workhours marks the boundary between being available for work and being free of it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of workhours
Workhours is a modern English compound formed from “work” and “hours.” “Work” descends from Old English weorc, while “hours” comes through Old French from Latin hora, a term for an hour or period of time. The closed compound has become especially common in modern workplace, scheduling, and technology terminology.
How workhours is actually used
“Workhours” is a closed compound and a plural noun, even when it denotes one continuous scheduled period. It is common in workplace, scheduling, human-resources, and software contexts; in more formal or traditional prose, “working hours” or “work hours” may sound more familiar.
Easily confused with workhours
The terms have essentially the same meaning, but “working hours” is the more conventional open compound, whereas “workhours” is a closed compound common in workplace and software terminology.