on duty

Idioms and Phrases

At one's post, at work, as in The new nurse was on duty that evening , or The watchman was fired because he was drunk on duty . [Mid-1600s] The antonym, off duty , means “not engaged in one's work,” as in Captain Smith was much more amiable when he was off duty . [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

On-duty NYPD officers in upper Manhattan have been working to quell the motorbike menace for the past two years.

From The Daily Beast

Another on-duty officer was in the vehicle at the time of the incident.

From The Daily Beast

The young scout rose, for he was on-duty, but the long rollers on the lake forbade the going forth.

From Project Gutenberg

"A d——d ni-nice point to decide, when they're on-on duty," replied Phil.

From Project Gutenberg

You still have eleven hours and thirty minutes to go, out of your sixteen hours of actual on-duty trick.

From Project Gutenberg