1

I can say that I plan to work 7 hours today, but how do I say I plan to "not work" for 2 hours?

"Be on a break/pause for 2 hours" or "Rest for 2 hours" doesn't work because I might take several smaller breaks.

"Not work for 2 hours" sounds too vague because I am referring to periods of rest during the workday.

Maybe, "I plan to take breaks that add up to 2 hours".

Any ideas?

Improve this question

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
2

You could pluralise break, or be a bit more specific:

  • Take two hours of breaks
  • Be on breaks for two hours
  • I shall take various breaks for two hours (or totalling two hours)

Or

  • I shall do seven hours’ work between 0900 and 1800 hours.
Improve this answer
2
  • 1
    "Two hours of breaks" or "Breaks totaling two hours" is pretty standard job lingo in the US. Well, two hours is unusual, but you get the idea.
    – Kit Z. Fox ♦
    Jan 1, 2013 at 13:20
  • Voted by mistake and could not undo. So sorry.
    – Elliot
    Aug 4 at 3:48
3

Downtime is used at lot of workplaces to denote the time when a worker is expected to work but is instead not working due to his choice or otherwise (system down or other unforeseen circumstances).

Improve this answer
1
  • 2
    That was my first thought: downtime. When I'm not working, I'm down (unhappy). That's what happens when you're a workaholic.
    – user21497
    Jan 1, 2013 at 13:45
2

WordNet 3.0 cited in the Free Dictionary:

Noun 1. time off - a time period when you are not required to work; "he requested time off to attend his grandmother's funeral"

You would say:
"I plan to take two hours' time off."

Wikipedia notes time off and Paid time off (PTO) in AmE:

In the USA, Paid time off (PTO) is a feature in some employee agreements that provides a "resource" of hours that an employee can draw from to take time off from work, without having to specify a reason.

Note that the phrase is also used in a broader sense or in various contextual meanings, such as time when you are not at work or at school (Macmillan), a period when one is absent from work for a holiday, through sickness, etc (Collins), A break from one's employment or school, as in I need some time off from teaching to work on my dissertation , or He took time off to make some phone calls (dictionary.reference.com), and such other.

Improve this answer
1

Take two hours of rest will cover a single extended period or multiple short breaks that total 120 minutes.

Improve this answer
0

"I plan to spend two hours at leisure."

Definitions of "at leisure" from CollinsDictionary.com:

at leisure in American English

  1. having free or spare time
  2. with no hurry
  3. not occupied or engaged

Please note: "At leisure" might sound a little old-fashioned, or carry a whiff of the military. I investigated using Google and found no particular military association. "At ease" is similar and is most assuredly a military-associated term.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.