piecework

nounC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,993 of 15,258neutral

Piecework is work paid by the number of items finished. Paid piecework, on piecework, piecework rates.

It shifts the risk of a slow day onto the worker, which is why it is heavily regulated and why minimum wage law still applies whatever the piece rate is. It survives in agriculture and in some garment work.

Definitions of piecework

1nounpieceworkWork paid by the number of items finished.C1
“The women sewed shirts at home on piecework, earning a few pennies for each one.”

piecework is a work.

Practised in Factory & Manufacturing

Practise this word

piecework in the wild

For projects that are produced in sections or piecework, blocking is normally done prior to final assembly, and may be repeated after final construction.
Blocking (textile arts)
Arrandale was a delegate to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for this first time in 1886, and gave speeches opposing overtime and piecework which gained national attention.
Matthew Arrandale
In 1846, the union's branches in Belfast, Rochdale and Newton-le-Willows began industrial action against piecework and systematic overtime.
Journeymen Steam Engine, Machine Makers' and Millwrights' Friendly Society

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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