work rules

American  

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a set of rules, usually established by one or more unions in an agreement with management, specifying the tasks to be done by each employee.

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Etymology

Origin of work rules

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The work rules, which as I’ve reported do nothing to enhance employment, could be deferred for six years, preventing the loss of coverage for about 5.2 million Americans.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Up until this week, the dispute over sudden changes to employees’ healthcare plans and other work rules had dragged through federal court with no end in sight.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 13, 2025

“This contract is a big first step toward restoring the wages, benefits, and work rules that were lost during the past two decades while our profession was under continuous assault,” said union President Ed Sicher.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2023

Under current work rules, pilots said they can be forced to involuntarily accept assignments on days off and that trips can be changed or extended "on a whim."

From Reuters • Jul. 18, 2023

Underneath the clash over rights, laws, and work rules, there was a deeper truth that the planters were sensing: The Age of Sugar was ending.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson