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piecework

piecework

3 5.2
Work paid for each item a person makes
  • noun
  • /ˈpiːsˌwɜrk/
translation icon : trabajo a destajo
  • Moses, I'm so far out, I'm doing piecework for kids fresh out of school.
  • piecework rates
  • paid at piecework

Examples

  • In the piecework model, employees receive payment based on their productivity rather than hourly rates.

  • People are paid monthly salaries or hourly wages, but they are seldom measured on a detailed piecework basis.

    Blog text (23)
  • Even when the usual sorts of piecework jobs return to Haiti, few will be available for men.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Although some male workers were still paid at piecework rates, the artisans had skills to bargain with, while unskilled women workers did not.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The majority of the married women remained at home, though some worked in piecework and as board keepers, while the unmarried women worked in the cities' mills and laundry establishments.

    Academic text (2000)
  • David's mother, Esther Jacobs, 38, a fading Polish beauty, looks up from her piecework as the door opens and Jack carries Les inside.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Many garment workers prefer the piecework system because their earnings depend on the number of items they produce.

  • Freelancers often engage in piecework, allowing them to earn more by completing multiple tasks quickly.

Synonyms

piece rate
vspiecework
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Pay for each item a worker makes

refers to work arranged and paid according to units produced

Antonyms

642 1.3

A regular fixed payment from an employer to an employee, usually monthly

How Regular

salaried
12 3.4
timework
  • UK
7.5
piecework
3 5.2
to freelance
19 4.1

Surface Forms

piecework singular
pieceworks plural

Morphology

piecework = piece + work (transparent) = piece + work

A direct compound of 'piece' + 'work' meaning work measured or paid by pieces, which learners can readily infer from the components.

Etymology

Piecework is simply piece + work, where piece means 'a single item' and the name shows the idea of being paid for each item you make. So, piecework means you earn money for every piece you finish rather than 'by the hour'.