work assignment term

How To Assign Tasks To Team Members Effectively? Our Full Guideline

How can I effectively assign tasks to people?

Why is it that despite assigning tasks, some groups reach peak productivity and project success, while others grapple with conflicts and burnout?

And how can I address and solve issues related to task assignment?

In this article, we’ll provide answers to all of these questions.

Ready to elevate your task assignment skills and boost your project success? Let’s dive right in!

I. Assigning Tasks: Quick Overview

1. What is task assigning?

Task assigning is the process of allocating specific duties to team members to achieve a common goal.

2. Why is assigning tasks to team members important?

Effective task assigning is crucial for achieving team goals and maintaining productivity because it improves:

• Fair workload distribution.
• Resource efficiency.
• Seamless team collaboration
• Simplifying project progress tracking.

There’s more.

As everyone knows their role, responsibilities, and how their work contributes to the bigger picture, they feel less confused and more accountable for their assigned task.

II. How to assign tasks effectively in a project?

Below are the best strategies, practices, and tips for assigning tasks to others effectively.

Stage 1: Before assigning tasks

• Understand the project & your team members

Ensure you get a clear understanding of:

• Project’s objectives, scope, desired outcomes, and any deadlines.
• Team members’ skills, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.

This step allows you to match the right tasks with the right team member, which helps allocate tasks efficiently, increase productivity, and maximize project success.

• Break down the project into individual tasks

Follow these steps:

• Identify major components of the project based on its goals.
• Break components into smaller tasks.

This makes it easier for managers to allocate responsibilities and track progress while helping team members better grasp the overall process.

• Prioritize tasks

Prioritize tasks based on 3 factors: 1) urgency, 2) importance, and 3) complexity. Here’s how:

• Identify time-sensitive tasks.
• Address tasks contribute to your long-term goals and should not be neglected.
• Categorize tasks based on difficulty levels, and time and resources required.
• Create a priority list of tasks based on the combination of all three criteria.

This valuable step helps managers make informed decisions on which tasks to tackle first and find the right people to work on each task.

Stage 2: While assigning employee tasks

• Match the right person to the right task

Assign tasks to the most qualified people.

Start by allocating high-priority tasks to the first available person with the matching expertise. Schedule low-priority tasks.

Straightforward tasks can be assigned to less experienced members, while complex tasks may be given to those with advanced skills.

• Be mindful of your team’s availability.
• Set realistic deadlines. Ensure to give members sufficient time to complete their assigned task.
• If someone shows interest in a particular task, consider assigning it to them.

If you know your employees well enough, then make a list of dependable people who are ready to take on a little more duties.

Give them low-priority yet important tasks with authority.

• Communication

To avoid disputes, constant clarification, or errors, it’s important to help your team members understand:

• Project’s goals, desired outcomes, and deadlines.
• Tasks’ requirements and priorities, plus how they contribute to the overall project’s success.
• Who is responsible for which task and what is expected of them.

Tips: Use clear and concise language when communicating. Encourage employees to ask questions and seek clarification on the project and their assigned tasks.

Stage 3: After assigning tasks

• Monitor Progress & Offer Help

Check-in with team members regularly to see how they are doing and if they need any help.

Encourage them to open up and transparently communicate their concerns and challenges.

On your side as a team leader or project manager, be available to offer assistance if they encounter challenges.

This helps resolve issues and improve the task assignment process.

• Provide Necessary Resources

Ensure that team members have the necessary resources, tools, and information for their task completion.

Stage 4: After the task/project is completed

• Reflect on Past Assignments

After each project or task, take time to reflect on what worked well, what didn’t, and where certain tasks weren’t up to par.

Address any issues and offer feedback on completed tasks. Use this feedback to refine your approach in future assignments.

Recognize and reward everyone’s efforts and contributions. This helps keep employees excited and motivated.

• Continuous Learning and Improvement

Invest in training and development opportunities for your team to enhance new skills and knowledge.

Extra tips for assigning tasks effectively:

• Use project management software to help you manage workload, make time estimates, performance reviews, etc.
• Be flexible. Things don’t always go according to plan, so be prepared to adjust your assignments as needed.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different approaches to see what works best for your team.

III. How to assign tasks in Upbase?

In this section, I’ll show you how a project management tool like Upbase helps simplify task assignments, improve morale, and increase outcomes.

Quick info:

• Upbase organizes and manages projects by lists.
• Members of a list can’t see and access other ones except those lists’ owners allow them to.
• Upbase offers unlimited free users and tasks.

Sign up for a free Upbase account here , follow this guide, and take your task assignment process to the next level.

1. Break down projects into smaller tasks

Create a new list:

• Hover over “Lists” on the left sidebar to open the dropdown menu.
• Select “List”
• Edit the list’s icon, color, name, and description. Then, add your employees.

Add new tasks to the list:

• Navigate to the Tasks module.
• Create and edit sections.
• Add tasks to sections by clicking “+” or “Add task”.

Add new tasks via emails : Open the dropdown menu next to the list name, select “add tasks via emails”, and follow the instructions.

Add task details:

You can add specific instructions, priorities, deadlines, and other attributes to individual tasks and subtasks.

Keyboard shortcuts : Hover over a task card and press:

• “S” to set high priority
• “D” to open the Due date picker
• “C” to open the Tag picker

Upbase Tip : Use task tags to categorize tasks by urgency, importance, and complexity. This makes it easier to match the right tasks to people for later.

2. Assign tasks

Check your employee availability:

Go to the Members page, and click on the team member you’d to assess their workload.

You’ll be driven to a separate page that shows that member’s assigned tasks, along with their due dates, priorities, etc. You can also filter tasks by one of these attributes.

Use this page to check each employee’s availability and identify who can complete additional tasks.

Assign tasks:

Open the desired task, click “Assignee”, and choose the right team member(s).

Keyboard shortcuts : Hover over the task and press “A” to open the Assignee picker. Press the space bar to assign yourself. This way makes assigning tasks easier and quicker!

If you want multiple people to work on a particular task, consider dividing it into subtasks, give time estimates for each, and then assign them to the right team member(s).

Communicate tasks:

Use the Messages and Chat modules to communicate with your team.

Messages is best suited to show the big picture, like project goals, desired outcomes, everyone’s duties, and how their work contributes to the whole.

Make use of the comment box to encourage everyone to ask questions and seek clarification about the project or their assigned tasks.

Chat supports both 1:1 chats and group chats. It’s perfect for quick discussions about issues, task deadlines, etc.

3. Track progress

Upbase offers an array of tools for project managers to track the workload of other employees.

To track a project’s progress:

From the Tasks module :

Here, you can view tasks in a List or Board format.

The List format provides an overview of tasks, deadlines, priorities, and employees working on them, while the Board visualizes the project’s progress.

Besides, you can group tasks by due date, priority, assignee, or section. View tasks filtered by one or multiple tags. Or create a custom filter.

From the Calendar module:

It shows all the scheduled tasks within a project by week or month. It also allows you to create a new task or reschedule overdue tasks.

To track the progress of all projects in a workspace :

Filters : In addition to filtering tasks within a project, you can create custom filters across multiple or all projects in a workspace.

Schedule : It functions similarly to the Calendar module. The two main differences are:

1) Schedule is to track the progress of tasks from all projects while Calendar is to track the progress of tasks within a project.

2) Schedule offers an additional view, named Daily Planner.

Other tools for progress tracking:

My Tasks : A private place where you can get an overview of all the tasks you create or tasks assigned to you.

4. Encourage collaboration and provide support

Use Upbase’s Docs, Files, and Links to provide employees with resources, information, and tools they need to complete tasks.

These modules are available in each list, making it easy to manage project data separately. Plus, they all provide collaboration features like watchers and comment boxes.

• Docs : You can create native documents, share a doc’s public link, embed Google Docs, and organize documents by folders.
• Files : It allows you to upload/download files, manage file versions, embed Google Drive folders, and show files by Grid or Board view.

• Links : You can save URLs as cards, and then add descriptions, watchers, and comments.

5. Providing feedback

On the Tasks module, you can create a section, named “Review”.

When a task is completed, the assignee will drag and drop it here. Then, you, as a project manager will leave feedback on it via the comment box.

So, why wait? Sign up for a free Upbase account now and experience it yourself.

IV. Common mistakes to avoid

For successful task assignment, remember to avoid these common mistakes:

1. Fear of Assigning Tasks

Some people, particularly new or inexperienced managers, may hesitate to allocate tasks to others due to concerns about:

• The quality of the work
• Fear of losing control
• Lack of trust in team members

This fear can hinder productivity and personal growth within a team or organization.

2. Lack of Clarity

This means that the instructions and details regarding a task are not transparent.

Team members may not have a clear understanding of what they are supposed to do, what the goals are, or what the expected outcomes should be.

This lack of clarity can lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

3. Poor Communication

Poor communication can contribute to misunderstandings and problems in task assignments, too.

However, it addresses different aspects of the overall process.

Poor communication means that there might be a lack of information sharing or ineffective communication methods. This could include:

• Not providing updates
• Failing to ask questions when something is unclear
• Not actively listening to others.

Even with clear instructions, if there’s poor communication, the information may not be conveyed effectively.

2. Overloading

Assigning too many tasks to a single person or team can overwhelm them and negatively impact the quality of their work. It’s crucial to distribute tasks evenly and consider each individual’s capacity.

3. Ignoring Skills and Strengths

Neglecting to match tasks with team members’ skills and strengths can result in subpar performance. Assign tasks based on individuals’ expertise and abilities to optimize results.

5. Micromanagement

Hovering over team members and scrutinizing every detail of their work can stifle creativity and motivation.

Trust your team to complete their tasks and provide support when needed.

6. Inflexibility

Being rigid in task assignments can prevent adaptation to changing circumstances or new information. It’s essential to remain open to adjustments and feedback.

8. Unrealistic Deadlines

Setting unattainable deadlines can put unnecessary pressure on your team and lead to a rushed and subpar outcome. Ensure that timelines are realistic and allow for unexpected delays.

10. Lack of Feedback

Forgetting to provide constructive feedback or failing to seek input from team members can hinder growth and improvement. Regularly discuss progress and provide guidance when necessary.

In summary:

Successful task assignment relies on clear communication, matching tasks to skills, flexibility, and a supportive, accountable, and feedback-driven environment.

Avoiding these common mistakes will help ensure that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively.

1. What’s the difference between assigning and delegating tasks?

Task delegation means you give someone the authority to make decisions and complete tasks independently without constant supervision.

Task allocation, on the other hand, means you assign specific duties to someone, often with clear instructions, while retaining overall control.

A delegated task gives the team member more freedom to make decisions and determine how to produce the desired results. An assigned task is more limited because it’s based on instructions and under supervision.

In short, delegating tasks typically involves a higher degree of trust and empowerment than allocating tasks.

2. What’s the difference between tasks and subtasks?

Tasks are generally larger, more significant activities that need to be completed, while subtasks are smaller, specific components or steps that contribute to the completion of a task.

Subtasks are often part of a broader task and help break it down into manageable pieces.

3. Who is the person assigned to a task?

The person assigned to a task is called an “assignee”. They’re responsible for completing that specific job or duty.

4. Who should you delegate a task to?

Delegate a task to the person best suited for it based on their skills, expertise, and availability.

Choose someone who can complete the task effectively and efficiently, taking into account their experience and workload.

5. What is the best way to assign tasks to team members?

The best way to assign tasks to others is by considering each member’s strengths, skills, and workload capacity, and aligning tasks with their expertise and availability.

6. Why is it important to assign tasks to your team members?

Assigning tasks to team members is crucial because it ensures clarity, accountability, and efficiency in achieving goals.

It helps prevent duplication of efforts, enables better time management, and allows team members to focus on their strengths, ultimately leading to successful project completion.

7. How do you politely assign a task?

To politely assign a task, you can follow these steps:

• Start with a friendly greeting.
• Clearly state the task and its importance.
• Ask if the person is available and willing to take on the task.
• Offer any necessary information or resources.
• Express appreciation for their help.

8. How do short-term goals differ from long-term goals?

Short-term goals are specific, achievable objectives that you aim to accomplish soon, typically within days, weeks, or months.

Long-term goals are broader, more substantial objectives that you work towards over an extended period, often spanning years.

Short-term goals are like stepping stones to reach long-term goals.

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  Managing Short-term Assignments  

Like all areas of the working world, global mobility is evolving. Businesses are providing employees with increased flexibility by offering different forms of international assignment. Where once expat assignments lasted three to five years, now assignments vary in range.

A short-term assignment can be a more cost effective way of achieving specific goals in another market without disrupting an employee’s life too much. 

What is a short-term assignment?

• A short-term assignment (STA) is an international project that usually lasts between 3 and 12 months. They allow organisations to transfer resources, knowledge and skills cost effectively and quickly providing fast response to business needs. For some companies short-term assignments are becoming more popular than their long-term equivalent due to changing workforce demographics, skills shortages and the need to provide more flexibility to employees. 
• Just because employees are away for less  time does not make STA’s easier. In fact, short-term assignments may be more difficult as there is a need to hit the ground running and accomplish a lot quickly.
• When it comes to short-term assignments, thorough preparation is more important. Potential pitfalls that can cause problems for professionals in an overseas office for a short period include:
• Failure to build key relationships
• Culture shock
• Alienating local colleagues
• When planning an STA pre-departure training is important but pre-departure preparation is essential.

Preparing short-term assignees before assignment

Preparing for a short-term assignment is challenging. It may need to go further than providing the soon to be expat with clear understanding of their role or overview of the local culture. Short-term assignees with aggressive deadlines may fall into a common expat error of trying to introduce initiatives without sufficient knowledge of local circumstances or alienating colleagues. 

For these kinds of assignments pre-departure preparation must go much further than training on what to expect, it should allow the soon to be expat to begin their assignment before they leave. 

Developing personal network in advance

Help employees prepare in advance for life in their temporary home by doing everything possible to acquire relevant information about life there:

• Arrange meetings with employees from the host country that are working in your current location
• Encourage the employee to join groups from that country in your city 
• Make the most of web-based platforms like LinkedIn or Meetup to enable future expats to become more aware of life and work etiquette before they leave

Virtual introductions to colleagues

Gauge local support and understand perspective, supporting short term assignees on assignment, are the team willing to participate, is their role clear.

At the outset of the assignment it is important for the expat to share:

• The assignment goals
• The expat’s role
• Expectations for employees

This does not have to be completed on day one but may be useful within a few weeks of the assignment starting. This way, any gaps in expectation or issues that arise can be ironed out quickly to provide the assignment with the best chance of success. 

Maintaining their personal support system

Even though short-term assignees are not going to be overseas for long, having a support network outside of work still matters. This is where the groundwork put in before the assignee arrived should pay dividends. Help expats find work life balance by continuing a hobby they have at home, locally, from yoga to rock climbing, hopefully there’ll be a group or venue where they can let off some steam after a busy day in the office. 

It is also important STA’s remain connected to colleagues in head office particularly if the medium term plan is they return to a role there. Arranging intermittent virtual check ins is a great way to ensure there are no surprises when they return to head office. 

Achieving Short term assignment goals 

Sufficient time for knowledge transfer, local owners of the initiative .

The last thing your business wants is to spend all that time and money on an STA only for everything to revert to how it was previously as soon as that person leaves. Key to long-term implementation is ensuring there are local owners of the initiative who will continue to grow the programme once the assignment is over. 

Ultimately any global mobility practice should aim to create solutions that are employee centric while also being relevant and cost effective ways to achieve company goals. Although there is likely to always be place for longer term assignments, their short-term counterparts may be the right solution in certain scenarios.   

Managing short-term assignees may be challenging but looking after their health while they are away does not have to be. We have group international health insurance schemes tailored to the needs of your business.

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What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?

It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work

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President Biden's disappointing performance in his June 27 debate with Donald Trump has dragged his second-in-command, Vice President Kamala Harris, back into the spotlight. She was already struggling to prove her worth as a running mate despite her lackluster approval ratings and criticisms over how she has defined her role so far. Now, Harris is faced with defending her running mate while being floated as one of his possible replacements.

Harris has been "central to conversations among some Democrats about whether Biden should step aside," said The Hill , "a move that would likely move Harris to the top of the ticket in November." The situation has put Harris in a "tricky spot" as she tries to "reassure nervous Democrats about their chances in this year's election while positioning herself as a potential future leader of the party." 

What has Biden done as president? Is Kamala Harris an asset or liability for Democrats in 2024? Is a Biden-Harris ticket what Democrats want?

It is not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work. Harris' "critics and detractors alike acknowledge that the vice presidency is intended to be a supporting role," The New York Times said, and "many of her predecessors have labored to make themselves relevant, as well." Still, those wary of Biden's age are putting more intense scrutiny on what the vice president has been up to. She has taken the lead on several critical contentious issues while Biden focuses his efforts elsewhere.

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Abortion rights

Abortion has become a central issue for Democrats following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn federal abortion rights. Harris spent much of the 2022 midterms appealing to voters with promises to prioritize and protect reproductive rights. Since Roe fell, she has "been subtly making herself the voice with a megaphone no one can ignore," said Philip Elliott at Time , adding that Harris has met with lawmakers from at least 18 states to discuss the issue. As Biden announced his 2024 candidacy, Harris gave a fiery speech at a reproductive freedom rally at her alma mater, Howard University. She blasted "extremist so-called leaders" for passing restrictive abortion bans.

She needs a serious reputation boost, "which explains why Harris has made abortion rights a central piece of her political identity," Elliott continued. After all, outrage over Roe v. Wade "powered Democratic candidates to unexpectedly strong showings in the midterm elections," and many believe Harris "played no small role in that accomplishment," Elliott said.

This year, Harris continued to put abortion at the forefront of her work. In March 2024, she toured a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota that provides abortion services. The White House said it was the first time in U.S. history that a president or vice president has visited a clinic that provides abortion services. The tour was the sixth stop on her "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour, which she started in January to "push for more abortion access in the wake of the overruling of Roe v. Wade," said NBC News .

Immigration and the southern border

Biden tapped Harris in the early months of their term to spearhead efforts to address the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. It took her months to make her first and only visit to the area, and the delay elicited backlash from lawmakers on both sides . Her trip to Guatemala and Mexico was ultimately overshadowed by an interview with Lester Holt of NBC News where she "awkwardly downplayed the urgency" of the visit, The Washington Post said. Since then, Harris has borne the brunt of the criticism from Republicans as the border crisis worsens; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) sent multiple buses of asylum seekers from the border to the VP's home in protest.

After withstanding the intense backlash of her perceived inaction, Harris is still attempting to address the root causes of the immigration problem. Her Central America Forward initiative has "yielded more than $4.2 billion in private sector commitments" to support creating local jobs and other measures to slow the flow of mass migration, CNN said last year. Some experts have lauded Harris' ability to secure the investments "as her most visible action in the region to date but have cautioned about the durability of those investments over the long term," CNN said.

Harris still has an uphill battle ahead of her to reverse public opinion about her work, or lack thereof, on the border. In January 2023, the Border Patrol union lambasted her lack of progress. "If you were given a job two years ago with the explicit goal of reducing illegal immigration, and then you sit around and do nothing while illegal immigration explodes to levels never seen before, you should be fired and replaced," the union said on X .

Voting rights

Harris was also at the forefront of the administration's pursuit to codify voting rights protections. She pushed for Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act , which would have extended the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and required federal approval for some local election law changes. The VP "dove into" the "chance to make her mark on a hugely important issue," Eugene Daniels said in   Politico . To further that goal, Harris "helped craft political coalitions with civil rights leaders, built outside pressure on Congress, and engaged privately with lawmakers." Ultimately, her work "hit a brick wall" when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and now-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) rejected proposed changes to Senate procedures to stop a Republican filibuster.

Harris' work leading up to the stalled legislation became "a microcosm of her stint as vice president: one defined by sharp moments, mishaps, public drama, private work and a touch of bad political luck," Daniels said.

What's next for Harris?

The vice president's political skills "will be put to the test" as the president runs for reelection, said Chris Megerian at The Associated Press . While the second-in-command is "rarely decisive in reelection efforts, Harris is poised to be an exception," especially because she is already leading the charge on abortion, "Democrats' most potent issue." As Biden ages, she'll face heightened "scrutiny over whether she's ready to step into the top job if necessary," Megerian said.

With such high stakes, "Biden needs to make the case to his party — and, more important, to independents and moderate Republicans — why Harris is the best choice to succeed him," Thomas Friedman said in The New York Times . "At the same time, Harris has to make the case for herself, ideally by showing more forcefully what she can do."

After a special counsel's report intensified scrutiny over Biden's " age and cognitive decline ," Democrats need to discuss "the Kamala problem," said Mark Hemingway at The Federalist. Harris is "an almost complete nonentity" regarding policy but is still "actively disliked by voters." And while Democrats will not replace her, that would be "the smart political move," Hemingway said. A running mate "who's able to vigorously campaign could be the difference between Biden's reelection and Trump: The Revenging."

Biden hasn't shown interest in exiting the race following June's first presidential debate debacle , but if he did, the "likeliest alternative to the current ticket remains one led by Harris," The Wall Street Journal said. That path carries significant risk because "Harris' poll numbers are roughly as lackluster as Biden's," but she is "popular enough among Democrats — particularly among women and Black voters — that casting her aside could cause resentment and division within the party." If Biden chooses to stay on the ticket, Harris will be "under even more pressure to prove to voters she is ready to serve if needed." 

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Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news. 

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Meaning of assignment in English

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• It was a plum assignment - more of a vacation really.
• He took this award-winning photograph while on assignment in the Middle East .
• His two-year assignment to the Mexico office starts in September .
• She first visited Norway on assignment for the winter Olympics ten years ago.
• He fell in love with the area after being there on assignment for National Geographic in the 1950s.
• act as something
• all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy) idiom
• be at work idiom
• be in work idiom
• housekeeping
• in the line of duty idiom
• join duty idiom
• undertaking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

assignment | Intermediate English

Assignment | business english, examples of assignment, collocations with assignment.

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Word of the Day

accidentally on purpose

If you do something accidentally on purpose, you do it intentionally but pretend it happened by chance.

Fakes and forgeries (Things that are not what they seem to be)

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Temporary worker drop may be signaling slowing economy

Temporary workers were hit with 49,000 job losses in June, more than any other industry, and a possible sign the labor market is poised to cool significantly in the months ahead.

The decline, highlighted in the June employment report released Friday, caps a stunning two-year streak of job losses in a sector that traditionally has served as a bellwether for hiring across the U.S. Last month's drop was the largest since April 2021. Temporary staffing agencies serve a variety of industries but especially manufacturing, warehousing, retail, health care, technology and administrative office work.

Since peaking at a record 3.2 million jobs in April 2022, temporary help services have lost 515,000 positions, or 16% of the total, more than any other sector. They’ve shed jobs 26 of the past 27 months and total employment of 2.7 million last month was the lowest since November 2013.

The temp agencies place the workers, often in a series of positions, but the jobs are held or lost at the companies where they work.

Why do companies hire temp employees?

Traditionally, temp workers are the first hired as the economy emerges from a slowdown and the first let go as growth sputters or the nation slips into a downturn. That’s because contingent workers can be added or fired quickly without the need to pay benefits, or severance in the event of layoffs.

The pandemic turned that dynamic on its head. In 2021 and 2022, companies brought on several hundred thousand temporary employees as the economy bounced back strongly from the health crisis and companies struggled to find permanent workers.

Yet starting in spring 2022, with the economy and job market still going strong, businesses began cutting temp workers or hiring fewer of them. Some of the pullback could be traced to recession jitters as the Federal Reserve began aggressively hiking interest rates to fight inflation , says Timothy Landui, vice president of research for Staffing Industry Analysts, which conducts research on staffing companies.

Are companies still laying people off?

But much of the drop was due to companies’ preference for permanent workers as they faced unprecedented labor shortages . Employers were converting temporary workers to permanent ones at a historic clip and holding on to permanent employees rather than laying them off even if they faced a drop-off in sales, Landhui says.

Now, companies are turning even more temps into permanent staffers, officials say. Manpower North America, a top staffing firm, says its clients are converting 16% of the temps it places, up from an a typical 4% to 7%, says company Senior Vice President Rajesh Namboothiry. What’s more, they’re making those switches after the temp has been working an average three weeks or so, down from a typical three or four months, he says.

The trend underscores that many companies, still smarting from the COVID-induced labor crunch, continue to seek and retain skilled staffers for the long term, Namboothiry says. Also, as the pandemic has faded and immigration has surged, more permanent workers are available, reducing the need to hire temps, Landhui says.

How is the US economy right now?

But increasingly, firms are also bringing on fewer contingent workers as the economy slows because of high interest rates and easing but still-elevated inflation. Demand for temps at Manpower is down about 20% this year, Namboothiry says.

"Demand is down overall," he says. Companies are “not looking to hire (temp workers) at the pace they were."

'They were costing too much'

Neema Hospitality, which owns 11 hotel franchises in the mid-Atlantic region, hired lots of temporary housekeepers from staffing agencies as the company struggled to find long-term staffers after COVID, says company President Sandeep Thakrar. But he has dramatically scaled back his use of temps.

“Over time, we were able to find more permanent employees,” he says.

Plus, he says, “They were costing too much,” adding that their wages have risen and every time some temps quit, Neema would have to spend time training a new batch.

But another reason he has pared back temp hiring is that hotel occupancy is down 1% to 3% this year. Many low- to middle-income households are coping with near-record credit card debt and rising delinquencies.  

“People are running out of money,” he says.

Has hiring slowed down?

Despite June’s 206,000 payroll gains, the private sector added just 136,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.1%, from 3.9% in May and 3.7% in January. That’s the highest since November 2021.

Monthly payroll gains are projected to slow to about 125,000 by the fourth quarter as economic growth downshifts to about 1.6% annualized from a projected 2% in the second quarter, according to the National Association of Business Economics and Wolters Kluwer Blue Chip Economic Indicators.

Early this year, many businesses expected the Fed to reduce interest rates several times in 2024 as inflation eased, juicing the economy and temp hiring, says Noah Yosif, chief economist of the American Staffing association, which represents staffing firms.

But those hopes have been tempered by inflation that picked up in the first quarter and led the Fed to proclaim it will keep rates higher for longer. Companies, in turn, are adding fewer temporary employees, Yosif says.

Why do people work as temps?

A shrinking temporary staffing workforce limits a popular option for employees who like the flexibility and variety of learning experiences offered by contingent work through staffing agencies, Landhui says. Employees can work for several weeks or months and then take a break and often can work remotely. Many Americans also turn to temporary jobs when they get laid off from permanent positions.

Although many of the temps who lose their gigs snare permanent jobs, Landhui says, others may struggle, especially with the labor market softening.

“It is concerning,” he says. “To some extent, temporary work may provide a safety net. If temporary demand is down it may be more challenging for individuals” to replace their lost income.

In a recent report, Landhui cited other reasons temp employment has plunged:

A snap-back from record high

In the aftermath of the pandemic, temp staffing  reached “unsustainable levels,” fueled by both a shortage of permanent workers andtrillions of dollars in federal COVID rescue spending. Amid a dire need for nurses, the number of daily travel nurses swelled from about 50,000 to 160,000 in 2022, the study says. That figure is returning to its prepandemic level.

How much do you need to earn? The average American feels they need to earn over $180K to live comfortably, survey shows

Manufacturing is hurting

Manufacturing, trucking and warehousing make up about two-thirds of the jobs held by temporary workers but those industries have been hit hard by a shift in consumer purchases from goods to services since COVID lockdowns ended.

Higher costs

Hiring temp workers has become far pricier, with costs rising 30% from 2019 to 2022. Although U.S. wages have surged broadly, the cost advantage of temp services has narrowed. As a result, more companies are bringing on permanent staffers or replacing some temps with automation.

Gig work force still healthy

While temp jobs dispatched by staffing agencies have tumbled, the contingent workforce broadly is still growing. Many Americans are working as contractors, consultants, freelancers and gig workers and many companies are hiring them directly rather than going through staffing agencies. There are a total 19.4 million contingent workers in the U.S., comprising 12% of the U.S. work force,

Also, rather than hire employees themselves, businesses increasingly are contracting with tech companies for, say, computer services and relying on those firms to provide their own workers.

What is the outlook for temp jobs?

Michael Schultz, an SIA economist, thinks the big decline in temp jobs last month was overstated and could be revised up. Until June, the drop in temp jobs had eased notably this year compared to 2023.

With many young people preferring more flexible jobs and gig work, Landhui says he’s confident temp staffing employment will rebound.

Namboothiry also expects a comeback when the economic outlook brightens.

“Once demand bounces back, you will see a...spike in temp jobs,” he says.

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Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

see assign entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assignment

• self - assignment

Dictionary Entries Near assignment

Cite this entry.

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 8 Jul. 2024.

Legal Definition

Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Synonyms for Assignment of work

19 other terms for assignment of work - words and phrases with similar meaning.

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With a possible second Trump term looming, some DACA recipients are taking risks

Eric Whitney

Halle Zander

DACA recipients are legally allowed to live and work in the U.S. However, the possibility of a second Trump presidency brings a lot of uncertainty for the over half a million DACA permit holders.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

25th Amendment Talk Grows To Replace Biden As President Digs In His Heels

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As former President Joe Biden doubles down on his commitment to stay in the race as pundits and lawmakers increasingly call for the 81 year old to drop out of the campaign, more are openly wondering whether the 25th Amendment should be used to oust him.

Several Republicans have called for the 25th Amendment to oust President Joe Biden after his rocky ... [+] debate performance, as concerns mount over his mental acuity and advanced age.

The 25th Amendment states the vice president shall replace a president if they die in office or resign, or if members of the president’s cabinet declare the president unable to fulfill the duties of their office.

The New Yorker ’s Jeannie Suk Gersen argued after Biden’s poor debate against Donald Trump it “is really a good time for Democratic leaders to dust off their knowledge” about the amendment, saying Biden should resign from the office “as soon as possible,” a move that would make Vice President Kamala Harris president and allow her to run as incumbent.

Republicans, who had called for the amendment to oust Biden earlier this year, rekindled that effort over the past week: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters one day after CNN’s debate Biden’s cabinet should consider invoking the amendment, saying he “would be having that discussion” if he were in the cabinet.

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a staunch critic of Biden, filed a resolution one day after the debate urging Harris to invoke the amendment and declare Biden unable to fulfill the role of the presidency, with Higgins arguing Biden “has slipped into a rapid decline.”

“The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart also mentioned the 25th Amendment following the debate last week, saying Biden did not look “great,” and joking: “A lot of people have resting 25th Amendment face.”

At least one Biden cabinet member—who would need to invoke the 25th Amendment—acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, called the idea “absurd” when asked about it by Fox News.

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Trump, along with many Republicans, seem to prefer his chances against Biden—and are unlikely to press for the 25th Amendment. He posted Saturday that “Biden should ignore his many critics and move forward, with alacrity and strength, with his powerful and far reaching campaign. He should be sharp, precise, and energetic, just like he was in The Debate, in selling his policies…”

How Does The 25th Amendment Work?

Under the amendment , a majority of the vice president and 15 principal officers of the president’s cabinet can give “their written declaration” finding the president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of” the presidency. That declaration would then be sent to the House speaker and the Senate president, at which point the vice president would “immediately assume” the powers of the presidency, according to Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. The president could then veto the cabinet’s declaration and resume their position as president. Then the cabinet and vice president would have a four-day window to decide whether or not to effectively override the president’s objection, at which point Congress would have 48 hours to meet, and both the House and Senate need to vote on whether the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties” of the office. Both votes require a two-thirds majority.

What Happens If Biden Drops His Campaign Bid On His Own?

If Biden drops out before the Aug. 19 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party could hold an open convention , in which the Democratic nominee would be chosen on the floor of the convention. That process has not been used since 1968. Some Democrats have suggested holding debates or polling to determine who could defeat Trump in November, with Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., suggesting a “mini primary.”

Surprising Fact

Republicans floated the 25th Amendment as a means to remove Biden from office in February, after Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Hur’s scathing report stemming from allegations Biden mishandled White House documents after his time as vice president. While Hur did not recommend felony charges against Biden, he did lay out a picture of Biden’s failing memory. A group of right-wing pundits and GOP lawmakers —including Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia and Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois—called on Biden’s cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment at the time, though his cabinet did not take steps to invoke the amendment.

Key Background

Biden performed poorly at the first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign last week, a 90-minute ordeal largely seen as a failure on Biden’s end to assuage Democrats and swing voters he is not too old for four more years in the White House. In that debate, Biden spoke with a hoarse voice—which he later blamed on a cold—and stumbled on some answers, reigniting months-long concerns about the president’s advanced age and mental acuity. Several Democrats in Congress have since called for Biden to drop out of the race, as have multiple of Biden’s billionaire backers . Since the debate, Biden has taken to the campaign trail, speaking at rallies and fundraisers, rejecting calls to step down. In ABC’s interview Friday night, Biden argued the debate was simply a “ bad episode ,” downplaying concerns about his mental fitness and refusing to take a cognitive test.

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Social Security

Disability benefits | how you qualify ( en español ), how you qualify.

To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, you must:

• Have worked in jobs covered by Social Security.
• Have a medical condition that meets Social Security's strict definition of disability .

In general, we pay monthly benefits to people who are unable to work for a year or more because of a disability. Generally, there is a 5-month waiting period and we’ll pay your 1st benefit the 6th full month after the date we find your disability began.

We may pay Social Security disability benefits for as many as 12 months before you apply if we find you had a disability during that time and you meet all other requirements.

Benefits usually continue until you can work again on a regular basis. There are also several special rules, called work incentives, that provide continued benefits and health care coverage to help you make the transition back to work.

If you are receiving SSDI benefits when you reach full retirement age , your disability benefits automatically convert to retirement benefits, but the amount remains the same.

How Much Work Do You Need?

In addition to meeting our definition of disability , you must have worked long enough — and recently enough — under Social Security to qualify for disability benefits.

Social Security work credits are based on your total yearly wages or self-employment income. You can earn up to 4 credits each year.

The amount needed for a work credit changes from year to year . In 2024, for example, you earn 1 credit for each $1,730 in wages or self-employment income. When you've earned $6,920 you've earned your 4 credits for the year.

The number of work credits you need to qualify for disability benefits depends on your age when your disability begins. Generally, you need 40 credits, 20 of which were earned in the last 10 years ending with the year your disability begins. However, younger workers may qualify with fewer credits .

For more information on whether you qualify, refer to How You Earn Credits .

What We Mean by Disability

The definition of disability under Social Security is different than other programs. We pay only for total disability. No benefits are payable for partial disability or for short-term disability .

We consider you to have a qualifying disability under our rules if all the following are true:

• You cannot do work at the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level because of your medical condition.
• You cannot do work you did previously or adjust to other work because of your medical condition.
• Your condition has lasted or is expected to last for at least 1 year or to result in death.

This is a strict definition of disability. Social Security program rules assume that working families have access to other resources to provide support during periods of short-term disabilities. These include workers' compensation, insurance, savings, and investments.

How We Decide If You Have a Qualifying Disability

If you have enough work to qualify for disability benefits, we use a step-by-step process involving 5 questions to determine if you have a qualifying disability. The 5 questions are:

1. Are you working?

We generally use earnings guidelines to evaluate whether your work activity is SGA. If you are working in 2024 and your earnings average more than $1,550 ($2,590 if you’re blind) a month, you generally cannot be considered to have a disability.

If you are not working or are working but not performing SGA, we will send your application to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) office. This office will make the decision about your medical condition. The DDS uses Steps 2-5 below to make the decision.

2. Is your condition "severe"?

Your condition must significantly limit your ability to do basic work-related activities, such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting, or remembering – for at least 12 months. If it does not, we will find that you do not have a qualifying disability.

If your condition does interfere with basic work-related activities, we go to Step 3.

3. Is your condition found in the list of disabling conditions?

For each of the major body systems, we maintain a list of medical conditions we consider severe enough to prevent a person from doing SGA. If your condition is not on the list, we must decide if it is as severe as a medical condition that is on the list. If it is, we will find that you have a qualifying disability. If it is not, we then go to Step 4.

We have 2 initiatives designed to expedite our processing of new disability claims:

• Compassionate Allowances : Certain cases that usually qualify for disability can be allowed as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. Examples include acute leukemia, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), and pancreatic cancer.
• Quick Disability Determinations : We use computer screening to identify cases with a high probability of allowance.

For more information about our disability claims process, visit our Benefits for People with Disabilities website.

4. Can you do the work you did previously?

At this step, we decide if your medical impairment(s) prevents you from performing any of your past work. If it doesn’t, we’ll decide you don’t have a qualifying disability. If it does, we proceed to Step 5.

5. Can you do any other type of work?

If you can’t do the work you did in the past, we look to see if there is other work you could do despite your medical impairment(s).

We consider your medical conditions, age, education, past work experience, and any transferable skills you may have. If you can’t do other work, we’ll decide you qualify for disability benefits. If you can do other work, we’ll decide that you don’t have a qualifying disability and your claim will be denied.

Special Situations

Most people who receive disability benefits are workers who qualify on their own records and meet the work and disability requirements we have just described. However, there are some situations you may not know about:

• If You're Blind or Have Low Vision - How We Can Help
• If You Are the Survivor
• Benefits for Children with Disabilities
• Benefits for Wounded Warriors & Veterans

Special Rules for People Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision

We consider you to be legally blind under our rules if your vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye. We will also consider you legally blind if your visual field is 20 degrees or less, even with a corrective lens. Many people who meet the legal definition of blindness still have some sight and may be able to read large print and get around without a cane or a guide dog.

If you do not meet the legal definition of blindness, you may still qualify for disability benefits. This may be the case if your vision problems alone or combined with other health problems prevent you from working.

There are several special rules for people who are blind that recognize the severe impact of blindness on a person's ability to work. For example, the monthly earnings limit for people who are blind is generally higher than the limit that applies to non-blind workers with disabilities.

In 2024, the monthly earnings limit is $2,590.

Benefits for Surviving Spouses with Disabilities

When a worker dies, their surviving spouse or surviving divorced spouse may be eligible for benefits if they:

• Are between ages 50 and 60.
• Have a medical condition that meets our definition of disability for adults and the disability started before or within 7 years of the worker's death.

Surviving spouses and surviving divorced spouses cannot apply online for survivors benefits. If they want to apply for these benefits, they should contact Social Security immediately at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778 ) to request an appointment.

To speed up the application process, they should complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of their appointment.

For these benefits, we use the same definition of disability as we do for workers.

A child under age 18 may have a disability, but we don't need to consider the child's disability when deciding if they qualify for benefits as a dependent. The child's benefits normally stop at age 18 unless they are a full-time elementary or high school student until age 19 or have a qualifying disability.

Children who were receiving benefits as a minor child on a parent’s Social Security record may be eligible to continue receiving benefits on that parent’s record upon reaching age 18 if they have a qualifying disability.

Adults with a Disability that Began Before Age 22

An adult who has a disability that began before age 22 may be eligible for benefits if their parent is deceased or starts receiving retirement or disability benefits. We consider this a "child's" benefit because it is paid on a parent's Social Security earnings record.

The Disabled Adult Child (DAC) — who may be an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild, grandchild, or step grandchild — must be unmarried, age 18 or older, have a qualified disability that started before age 22, and meet the definition of disability for adults.

It is not necessary that the DAC ever worked. Benefits are paid based on the parent's earnings record.

• A DAC must not have substantial earnings. The amount of earnings we consider substantial increases each year. In 2024, this means working and earning more than $1,550 (or $2,590 if you’re blind) a month.

What if the child is already receiving SSI or disability benefits on their own record and turns 18?

A child already receiving SSI benefits or disability benefits on his or her own record should check to see if DAC benefits may be payable on a parent's earnings record when they reach age 18. Higher benefits might be payable and entitlement to Medicare may be possible.

How do we decide if a child over age 18 qualifies for SSDI benefits?

If a child is age 18 or older, we will evaluate their disability the same way we would evaluate the disability for any adult. We send the application to the Disability Determination Services (DDS) in your state that completes the disability decision for us.

What happens if the DAC gets married?

In most cases, DAC benefits end if the child gets married. There are exceptions, such as marriage to another DAC, when the benefits are allowed to continue. The rules vary depending on the situation.

Contact a Social Security representative at 1-800-772-1213 to report changes in marital status and to find out if the benefits can continue. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TTY number at 1-800-325-0778 .

To speed up the application process, complete an Adult Disability Report and have it available at the time of your appointment.

Related Information

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Children
• Family Benefits

Publications

• Disability Benefits
• Disability Starter Kits
• If You Are Blind or Have Low Vision—How We Can Help
• SSI Child Disability Starter Kit (for children under age 18)
• Other Disability Publications