assignment of work means

What is Work Assignment? – Advanced Work Assignment (AWA)

Work assignment, a fundamental concept of professional realms, refers to allocating specific tasks or duties to individuals or teams within a certain timeframe.

These assignments, which can range from simple tasks to complex projects, serve as the backbone of productivity, facilitating the efficient functioning of an organization.

By clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and deadlines, work assignments ensure that each member is aware of their contribution towards the broader objectives.

This post will explain the work assignment, its scheduling, and its benefits. It will also discuss automated and advanced work assignments.

What is a Work Assignment?

A work assignment or job assignment refers to a task or set of tasks allocated to work centers , an individual, or a team within a specific timeframe. Depending on the context, it can be part of a larger project or an isolated task. 

It helps distribute the workload evenly among team members, ensuring everyone knows their responsibilities and keeping track of progress toward goals.

Automated Work Assignment

Automated assignment of work helps to reduce the stress on employees. It saves the project manager time because the auto-assignment manager does not need to remind his team about the work. The system only gives notifications to the team.

Automated work assignment is when a computer system assigns work to employees based on predefined criteria in an automatic workflow. This can include skills required for the task, availability of employees, and other factors.

The use of automated work assignments can help to improve efficiency and accuracy within an organization.

Managers can efficiently assign work to minimize downtime and maximize productivity by considering employees’ individual skills and availability.

Automated systems can also help to ensure that tasks are appropriately distributed among employees, thus avoiding potential conflicts.

The advantage of the automatic assignment is it helps to deliver the project faster by avoiding confusion and rework because the task is assigned when all the requirements are entirely available.

Advanced Work Assignment

Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) is a methodology organizations use to create and assign work tasks to employees based on their skills, abilities, and interests.

This approach can help improve employee productivity and satisfaction while reducing organizational costs. 

It can effectively engage employees in their work and maximize their potential when appropriately implemented.

One of the critical benefits of it is that it allows organizations to optimize their resources and assign work that is most suited to each employee’s skills, abilities, and interests.

This helps improve productivity by ensuring employees are matched with tasks they can complete while fostering engagement and satisfaction.

Additionally, it can help reduce organizational costs by ensuring that employees are assigned work within their abilities and do not require excessive training or support.

Despite these benefits, some potential challenges are associated with using AWA.

For example, employees may sometimes resist or feel uncomfortable with being assigned work outside their comfort zone or feel they are not allowed to develop new skills.

Additionally, accurately assessing each employee’s skills and interests can be challenging, leading to some employees being assigned work that is not well-suited.

Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider whether or not AWA is right for your organization before implementing it.

When appropriately used, Advanced Work Assignments can effectively improve employee productivity and satisfaction while reducing organizational costs.

Scheduling of Work Assignment

When you are using a computerized system to schedule work, it is essential to know that some factors affect employees’ performance before uploading the names of employees in the system.

This includes understanding how these applications operate and considering what kind of factor affects them most when deciding which option will be best suited for your business needs!

You can utilize manual assignment or auto-assignment for scheduling once you get it.

The following are some tips for scheduling the assignment.

1. Examine the type of work

It is crucial to find out the type of work. For example, some work has to be done in one department. However, some work must be divided between the different departments, and those departments must develop internal work procedures.

2. Analyze the skills of the employees

Each employee has their talent. So before scheduling the work, making one flowchart of the work process is better.

After analyzing employees’ skills, assign the work in the flowchart to the specified employees. Also, keep one backup person if the designated employee cannot perform the job.

3. Calculate the required time

Go through the flowchart and calculate the time required for each stage of the work or project to streamline the work process and complete the job efficiently.

4. Avoid the duplication of work

When you assign laborers to different fundamental processes, there will be a chance of duplicating work because all the laborers do jobs not mentioned in the flow chart.

Hence, carefully check the workflow across the organization and ensure there is no work duplication.

5. Provide a clear idea to the customer

Provide a clear idea to the customer about communication. That means informing him clearly to whom he should communicate to get information about the project and assigning a specified person.

Considering customers’ expectations is critical to set company standards. It helps to learn the market standards also. It will be achievable when you do a proper work assignment.

Important Information that Works Assignment Contains

Work assignment contains mainly these four essential pieces of information. They are

• Which task is to be done : Clearly explain to the employees which task to be taken based on priority.
• The reason for doing that task : When you assign new work to the employees before completing current work, you need to explain its reason.
• What standards should completed tasks meet: Let employees know about the evaluation of the completed job.
• All-motive directions: This means telling the employees to inform their managers about the completed task and the problems they face while doing the tasks.

Benefits of work assignment

• It is easy to track who is responsible for which work.
• It contains some information like which task to be done as per the priority, what must be the standards of the completed task, etc. It helps the assigned person to do the job efficiently.
• By assigning work to a particular team or a person, they know which work to do as per the priority and do that work efficiently to increase customer satisfaction.

What are the components of Advanced Work Assignment (AWA)?

The components of Advanced Work Assignment (AWA) are: -Work Instructional Package (WIP) -Task Guide -Performers Instructions -Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) -Work Area Layout diagram.

What is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)?

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) , often shortened to “the SOP,” is a standardized plan adopted by an organization for the orderly and efficient carrying out of various activities such as work, production, or services.

The SOP is a company-wide standard that includes everything from greeting coworkers in the morning to what to do if there’s a fire.

While it may appear overly restrictive at times, its goal is to minimize variation and mistakes. Every business activity has at least one best practice that can lead to success and efficiency if adhered to deliberately and consistently.

What is a Work Instructional Package (WIP)?

A Work Instructional Package (WIP) is a document that provides step-by-step instructions for performing a specific job or task. It may also include diagrams, photographs, and illustrations to help clarify the steps involved.

WIPs are generally used in manufacturing and production settings but can also be helpful in other types of workplaces.

For example, if you work in an office and need to learn how to use a new software program, your company might provide a WIP outlining the steps to install and configure the software.

The proliferation of technology has led to an increased demand for automation. Companies have found a balance between humans and machines using automated work assignment software, or AWA. Automatic job assignments can be used in many industries, from IT support to sales call centers.

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NTEU Chapter 293

• Why Join the Union?
• London's Calling
• Article 1: Recognition and Coverage
• Article 2: Effect of Law and Regulation
• Article 3: Employee Rights
• Article 4: Union Rights
• Article 5: Employer Rights
• Article 6: Mid-Term Bargaining
• Article 7: Work Schedules
• Article 8: Part-Time Employment

Article 9: Assignment of Work

• Article 10: Overtime and Compensatory Time
• Article 11: Telework Program
• Article 12: Travel
• Article 13: Performance Appraisal System
• Article 14: Employee Recognition Program
• Article 15: Career Ladder Promotions
• Article 16: Merit Promotion Procedures
• Article 17: Reassignments
• Article 18: Details
• Article 19: Training
• Article 20: Employee Orientation
• Article 21: Equal Employment Opportunity
• Article 22: Health and Safety
• Article 23: Public Transportation Benefits
• Article 24: Child Care Subsidies
• Article 25: Student Loan Repayment Program
• Article 26: Attire
• Article 27: Annual Leave
• Article 28: Sick Leave
• Article 29: Family Leave
• Article 30: Excused Absences/Administrative Leave
• Article 31: Other Leave/Religious Compensatory Time
• Article 32: Grievance Procedure
• Article 33: Arbitration
• Article 34: Disciplinary Actions
• Article 35: Adverse Actions
• Article 36: Unacceptable Performance
• Article 37: Reduction-in-Force (RIF)
• Article 38: Union Access to Employer Space, Services and Bulletin Boards
• Article 39: Union Representatives and Official Time
• Article 40: Office Relocation, Openings and Space
• Article 41: Labor Management Relations Committees
• Article 42: Dues Withholding
• Article 43: Leave Sharing Program
• Article 44: Professional Dues Reimbursement Program
• Article 45: Extended Backup Childcare and Eldercare
• Article 46: Contracting Out
• Article 47: Waiver of Overpayments
• Article 48: Personnel Records and Access to Information
• Article 49: Retirement
• Article 50: Furlough Due to Lapse in Appropriations
• Article 51: Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility
• Article 52: Duration and Termination

Select any filter and click on Apply to see results

The Employer will assign work in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations and the Employer's needs and operational goals.

Work assignments will be consistent with an employee's position description, and if the Employer assigns other work, it normally shall have a reasonable relationship to the employee's official position description.  If it becomes necessary to assign work that is not reasonably related to the employee's official position description and it is of a recurring nature, the employee's position description shall be amended to reflect such work assignments.  The phrase "other duties as assigned" in a position description will not be used regularly to assign work where the work is not reasonably related to the employee's position description.

In assigning work to an employee, the Employer will consider such factors as workload, manageability of workload, employee qualifications and experience, relationship of the assignment to existing work assignments, time limits, emergencies, or any unique factors related to the task to be accomplished.

The Employer will not assign or deny work assignments to reward or penalize an employee, but in accordance with the factors described above.

If an employee is directed or required to work beyond normal duty hours to complete assigned work or meet deadlines, the Employer and the employee will comply with Article 10 (Overtime and Compensatory Time).

An employee may request a meeting with their immediate supervisor to discuss the employee's request for a workload adjustment.  If the immediate supervisor agrees that a change is appropriate, they will make a reasonable effort to adjust work assignments, prioritize work assignments, and/or adjust time frames.  The Employer also may consider whether overtime should be ordered and approved to meet the employee's workload.

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Definition of assignment noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• Students are required to complete all homework assignments.
• You will need to complete three written assignments per semester.
• a business/special assignment
• I had set myself a tough assignment.
• on an assignment She is in Greece on an assignment for one of the Sunday newspapers.
• on assignment one of our reporters on assignment in China
• The students handed in their assignments.
• The teacher gave us an assignment on pollution.
• Why did you take on this assignment if you're so busy?
• He refused to accept the assignment.
• assignment on

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

• his assignment to other duties in the same company
• on assignment

Nearby words

Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about.

The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.

Basic beginnings

Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well :

• Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
• Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.

Assignment formats

Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.

An Overview of Some Kind

The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:

“Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”

The Task of the Assignment

Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words guide your attention toward specific information. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)

“Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution”, or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”

Additional Material to Think about

Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.

“You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils, or Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”

These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:

“Be concise”, “Write effectively”, or “Argue furiously.”

Technical Details

These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.

“Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”

The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.

Interpreting the assignment

Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:

Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?

Who is your audience.

• What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?

What kind of writing style is acceptable?

• What are the absolute rules of the paper?

Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.

Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback .

Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.

Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs

Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:

Information words Ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.

• define —give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
• describe —provide details about the subject by answering question words (such as who, what, when, where, how, and why); you might also give details related to the five senses (what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell)
• explain —give reasons why or examples of how something happened
• illustrate —give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
• summarize —briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
• trace —outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
• research —gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found

Relation words Ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

• compare —show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
• contrast —show how two or more things are dissimilar
• apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
• cause —show how one event or series of events made something else happen
• relate —show or describe the connections between things

Interpretation words Ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

• assess —summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
• prove, justify —give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
• evaluate, respond —state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
• support —give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
• synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
• analyze —determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
• argue —take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side

More Clues to Your Purpose As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class:

• What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
• In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
• What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
• How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.

Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.

Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.

• Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
• The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.

You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience .

The Grim Truth

With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”

So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”

Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument .

What kind of evidence do you need?

There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.

Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly—see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.

Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.

No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style .

Technical details about the assignment

The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial ) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.

Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.

Tricks that don’t work

Your instructors are not fooled when you:

• spend more time on the cover page than the essay —graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
• use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length —these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
• use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material . Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than one course may constitute an Honor Code violation . Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
• get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question . Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.

Critical reading of assignments leads to skills in other types of reading and writing. If you get good at figuring out what the real goals of assignments are, you are going to be better at understanding the goals of all of your classes and fields of study.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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English Guide

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assignment Definition

• 1 a task or piece of work allocated to someone as part of a job or course of study
• 2 the allocation of a job or task to someone

Using assignment: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "assignment" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

The teacher gave us an assignment to write an essay.

I have a new assignment at work that starts next week.

The company's CEO made the assignment of tasks more efficient.

assignment Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for assignment, phrases with assignment, assignment of benefits.

a practice in which a patient signs over their insurance benefit to a healthcare provider

The hospital requires an assignment of benefits form to be signed before treatment can begin.

assignment of contract

the transfer of rights or property from one party to another

The assignment of contract was completed after the legal team reviewed and approved the terms.

assignment of lease

the transfer of a lease from one tenant to another

The landlord approved the assignment of lease to the new tenant.

Origins of assignment

from Old French 'assignement', from 'assigner' meaning 'to assign'

Summary: assignment in Brief

An 'assignment' [əˈsaɪnmənt] is a task or piece of work given to someone as part of a job or course of study. It can also refer to the allocation of a job or task to someone. Examples include 'The teacher gave us an assignment to write an essay' and 'I have a new assignment at work that starts next week.' Phrases like 'assignment of benefits' and 'assignment of lease' denote specific legal transfers of rights or property.

How do native speakers use this expression?

Definition of 'assignment'

Video: pronunciation of assignment

assignment in American English

Assignment in british english, examples of 'assignment' in a sentence assignment, related word partners assignment, trends of assignment.

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Browse alphabetically assignment

• assigned randomly
• assigned risk
• assimilability
• assimilable
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'A'

Related terms of assignment

• seat assignment
• tough assignment
• writing assignment
• challenging assignment
• difficult assignment
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Synonyms of assignment

• as in lesson
• as in appointment
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Thesaurus Definition of assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words

• responsibility
• undertaking
• requirement
• designation
• appointment
• authorization
• installment
• installation
• destination
• emplacement
• investiture
• singling (out)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dethronement

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun assignment contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of assignment are chore , duty , job , stint , and task . While all these words mean "a piece of work to be done," assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

When is it sensible to use chore instead of assignment ?

While the synonyms chore and assignment are close in meaning, chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

When is duty a more appropriate choice than assignment ?

Although the words duty and assignment have much in common, duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

When might job be a better fit than assignment ?

The synonyms job and assignment are sometimes interchangeable, but job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

When could stint be used to replace assignment ?

In some situations, the words stint and assignment are roughly equivalent. However, stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

When can task be used instead of assignment ?

The meanings of task and assignment largely overlap; however, task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

Thesaurus Entries Near assignment

assignments

Cite this Entry

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/assignment. Accessed 24 Mar. 2024.

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Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Meaning of assign in English

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assign verb [T] ( CHOOSE )

• Every available officer will be assigned to the investigation .
• The textbooks were assigned by the course director .
• Part of the group was assigned to clear land mines .
• Each trainee is assigned a mentor who will help them learn more about the job .
• We were assigned an interpreter for the duration of our stay .
• accommodate
• accommodate someone with something
• administration
• arm someone with something
• hand something down
• hand something in
• hand something out
• hand something over
• reassignment

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

assign verb [T] ( SEND )

• She was assigned to the Paris office .
• All the team was assigned to Poland.
• advertisement
• employment agency
• equality, diversity and inclusion
• reinstatement
• relocation expenses
• testimonial

assign verb [T] ( COMPUTING )

• 3-D printing
• adaptive learning
• additive manufacturing
• hexadecimal
• hill climbing
• telerobotics
• word processing

assign verb [T] ( GIVE LEGALLY )

Phrasal verb, assign | intermediate english, assign | business english, examples of assign, translations of assign.

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Punch and Judy show

a traditional children's entertainment in which a man, Mr Punch, argues with his wife, Judy. It was especially popular in the past as entertainment in British towns by the sea in summer.

Paying attention and listening intently: talking about concentration

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Assignment of Contract

Jump to section, what is an assignment of contract.

An assignment of contract is a legal term that describes the process that occurs when the original party (assignor) transfers their rights and obligations under their contract to a third party (assignee). When an assignment of contract happens, the original party is relieved of their contractual duties, and their role is replaced by the approved incoming party.

How Does Assignment of Contract Work?

An assignment of contract is simpler than you might think.

The process starts with an existing contract party who wishes to transfer their contractual obligations to a new party.

When this occurs, the existing contract party must first confirm that an assignment of contract is permissible under the legally binding agreement . Some contracts prohibit assignments of contract altogether, and some require the other parties of the agreement to agree to the transfer. However, the general rule is that contracts are freely assignable unless there is an explicit provision that says otherwise.

In other cases, some contracts allow an assignment of contract without any formal notification to other contract parties. If this is the case, once the existing contract party decides to reassign his duties, he must create a “Letter of Assignment ” to notify any other contract signers of the change.

The Letter of Assignment must include details about who is to take over the contractual obligations of the exiting party and when the transfer will take place. If the assignment is valid, the assignor is not required to obtain the consent or signature of the other parties to the original contract for the valid assignment to take place.

Check out this article to learn more about how assigning a contract works.

Contract Assignment Examples

Contract assignments are great tools for contract parties to use when they wish to transfer their commitments to a third party. Here are some examples of contract assignments to help you better understand them:

Anna signs a contract with a local trash company that entitles her to have her trash picked up twice a week. A year later, the trash company transferred her contract to a new trash service provider. This contract assignment effectively makes Anna’s contract now with the new service provider.

Hasina enters a contract with a national phone company for cell phone service. The company goes into bankruptcy and needs to close its doors but decides to transfer all current contracts to another provider who agrees to honor the same rates and level of service. The contract assignment is completed, and Hasina now has a contract with the new phone company as a result.

Here is an article where you can find out more about contract assignments.

Assignment of Contract in Real Estate

Assignment of contract is also used in real estate to make money without going the well-known routes of buying and flipping houses. When real estate LLC investors use an assignment of contract, they can make money off properties without ever actually buying them by instead opting to transfer real estate contracts .

This process is called real estate wholesaling.

Real Estate Wholesaling

Real estate wholesaling consists of locating deals on houses that you don’t plan to buy but instead plan to enter a contract to reassign the house to another buyer and pocket the profit.

The process is simple: real estate wholesalers negotiate purchase contracts with sellers. Then, they present these contracts to buyers who pay them an assignment fee for transferring the contract.

This process works because a real estate purchase agreement does not come with the obligation to buy a property. Instead, it sets forth certain purchasing parameters that must be fulfilled by the buyer of the property. In a nutshell, whoever signs the purchase contract has the right to buy the property, but those rights can usually be transferred by means of an assignment of contract.

This means that as long as the buyer who’s involved in the assignment of contract agrees with the purchasing terms, they can legally take over the contract.

But how do real estate wholesalers find these properties?

It is easier than you might think. Here are a few examples of ways that wholesalers find cheap houses to turn a profit on:

• Direct mailers
• Place newspaper ads
• Make posts in online forums
• Social media posts

The key to finding the perfect home for an assignment of contract is to locate sellers that are looking to get rid of their properties quickly. This might be a family who is looking to relocate for a job opportunity or someone who needs to make repairs on a home but can’t afford it. Either way, the quicker the wholesaler can close the deal, the better.

Once a property is located, wholesalers immediately go to work getting the details ironed out about how the sale will work. Transparency is key when it comes to wholesaling. This means that when a wholesaler intends to use an assignment of contract to transfer the rights to another person, they are always upfront about during the preliminary phases of the sale.

In addition to this practice just being good business, it makes sure the process goes as smoothly as possible later down the line. Wholesalers are clear in their intent and make sure buyers know that the contract could be transferred to another buyer before the closing date arrives.

After their offer is accepted and warranties are determined, wholesalers move to complete a title search . Title searches ensure that sellers have the right to enter into a purchase agreement on the property. They do this by searching for any outstanding tax payments, liens , or other roadblocks that could prevent the sale from going through.

Wholesalers also often work with experienced real estate lawyers who ensure that all of the legal paperwork is forthcoming and will stand up in court. Lawyers can also assist in the contract negotiation process if needed but often don’t come in until the final stages.

If the title search comes back clear and the real estate lawyer gives the green light, the wholesaler will immediately move to locate an entity to transfer the rights to buy.

One of the most attractive advantages of real estate wholesaling is that very little money is needed to get started. The process of finding a seller, negotiating a price, and performing a title search is an extremely cheap process that almost anyone can do.

On the other hand, it is not always a positive experience. It can be hard for wholesalers to find sellers who will agree to sell their homes for less than the market value. Even when they do, there is always a chance that the transferred buyer will back out of the sale, which leaves wholesalers obligated to either purchase the property themselves or scramble to find a new person to complete an assignment of contract with.

Learn more about assignment of contract in real estate by checking out this article .

Who Handles Assignment of Contract?

The best person to handle an assignment of contract is an attorney. Since these are detailed legal documents that deal with thousands of dollars, it is never a bad idea to have a professional on your side. If you need help with an assignment of contract or signing a business contract , post a project on ContractsCounsel. There, you can connect with attorneys who know everything there is to know about assignment of contract amendment and can walk you through the whole process.

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Tips for Allocating Work Assignments

It’s probably a no-brainer that improper delegation of tasks has obvious consequences, such as increased frustration, stress and workload. The quality of work and team morale may suffer while trust, productivity, efficiency and profitability dwindles. In such a situation, the organizational structure fails, clients’ trust dies, reports of unaccountability emerge, staff may underperform and project failure becomes imminent. This is why it’s vital to ensure that work assignments are delegated efficiently and to the appropriate team member.

Approximately 94% of companies lack exceptionally good management. The 6% of firms with excellent management culture and style tend to be dedicated to their workforce and team building rather than external stakeholders.

Achieving excellence in organizational operations is an enormous challenge for most organizations and begins with the manner and style of delegation of assignments.

Management has to choose the right team , build trust and accountability , develop its team through delegation, manage performances, have tough conversations and acknowledge and reward excellence to enhance employee engagement and lower turnover.

What exactly are work assignments?

Work assignments are remarkable tools for enhancing employee growth and must be managed deliberately; otherwise, they could limit efforts towards building a diverse workforce.

Evidence shows that experimental learning accounts for 70% of leadership development , particularly, effective delegation of work assignments.

Work assignments are tasks that are deliberately designed for organizational purposes. They are allocated to staff to achieve results. In the simplest terms, these assignments are activities or projects for a specific end. Work assignments should come with a task description, deadline and expected results.

Work assignments tips

Why delegate work assignments?

Employee empowerment.

Managers with great team building skills understand the importance of instilling trust in team members for enhanced morale and performance because they believe they are wired to drive organizational objectives.

Strengthens trust

Assigning work means trusting the employee’s ability to achieve a particular result through task performance. Frequent delegation builds the trust needed to create collaborative skills within organizations.

Helps lower workload

Successful delegation of work assignments lessens the burden of tasks that pile up. It saves the time needed to focus on other important organizational tasks and goals.

Planning for fair distribution of work assignments

Most industries, such as hospitality, telecommunications and healthcare need to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. At the same time, they must consider the health of their employees, who need regular breaks and leave to stay productive and rested.

With the rise of flexi-workers , ensuring everyone gets a fair share of leave could become a logistics nightmare for business owners. This also applies to contractual staff who may feel overburdened.

When planning and distributing work assignments, managers must take into account employees’ vacation days, sick leave, emergency absences and so on. Things to consider include, but are not limited to:

• Employees should have their preferences fulfilled to avoid bias.
• Organizations should try to accommodate employees’ requests for rest days as much as possible.
• The duty roster should be planned in such a way as to allow enough time for deadlines and urgent tasks.
• There is also an allowance for fair leave/day swapping among employees.

The manager planning the duty roster should keep track of requests and demands in real time. This enables the planner to synchronize replacement leave and overtime pay calculations at the end of the roster period.

Delegating work assignments to employees

Create an effective work plan.

An effective work plan is the key to the success of every project. Approximately 58% of organisations don’t understand the value of project management, which explains why most projects fail as soon as they begin.

The planning phase determines either the failure or success of such project. Organizations must have a solid work plan, including a weekly action plan for greater efficiency and productivity. You can create a good work plan by following the steps below.

• Set specific goals that include actual numbers and quantifiable terms and scope.
• Lay out the objectives and deliverables, including the project schedule. Consider rewarding your team based on achievement. The incentives will boost productivity.
• Brainstorm and detail the key resources that your team needs. Brainstorming and planning will help colleagues become creative, forecast unforeseen obstacles and promote teamwork. Converse with your them about the resources that can help them achieve set objectives and give them available resources.
• Identify task sequencing . The schedule of a project outlines activity sequencing, tracks performance and calculates the duration of tasks sequences.

Delegate assignments based on aptitude

By assigning work to employees based on their areas of strength and skills, you set them up to excel. This means you need to understand your employees’ strengths, preferences and weaknesses. You may also allow your staff to choose their preferred tasks. This is important for building trust.

Give your team prior notice

No need to stress everyone out and kill their morale with endless impromptu and urgent work assignments. As far as is feasible, try to give your employees a couple of days’ notice at least.

Foster project ownership

Encourage your team to ask questions for clarity. Determine your availability and take the time to give them clear instructions, feedback and assistance. Giving them a sense of ownership allows your team members to see the big picture.

Real delegation is when you encourage your team to own the project. This gives them the authority to take initiative for the execution process.

Most companies spend hours and weeks planning and generating roasters manually when they can use TimeTrack Duty Roster to save time. TimeTrack Duty Roster creates a perfect overview of both employers and employees and allow managers to personalize shifts according to preferences.

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Monitoring work assignments

Monitoring work assignments helps your team complete their duties successfully and meet the desired outcomes. There’s no need to micromanage, but you can certainly help keep employees focused while tracking processes.

Ensure an effective project plan

• Compile a clear project outline, including a schedule. Collaborate with your team to create the plan and include the project scope, tasks, deadlines and resources. Creating a timeline is vital; use a flow chart to make things clearer. A clear work plan helps you understand the key performance indicators you can monitor.

Set SMART goals

• One of the key ways to monitor assigned work is to create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals. This SMART criteria helps you identify detailed and quantifiable goals with effective deadlines. You then have quantifiable items to monitor the performance of the assignments.

Steady check-ins

• Creating a schedule for progress check-ins is a key step in monitoring assignments. The regularity of the check-in depends on the project. For example, check-ins for long-term and short-term projects differ in intervals. Check-ins should be balanced to support effective monitoring of performance indicators.

Records and analysis of data

• For each of the scheduled check-ins, keep records and analyze data to understand the progress of projects. You can gather data through team meetings and input into spreadsheets or project management tools. The data will then be analyzed to determine the status of the assigned work.

Every organization wants to empower its workforce for enhanced morale, focus, accountability, efficiency and productivity. These achievements are only possible with effective delegation of work assignments and tasks.

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How to Write a Scope of Work (Examples & Templates Included)

What Is a Scope of Work?

A scope of work document is an agreement on the work you’re going to perform on the project. The scope of work in project management  includes deliverables, a timeline, milestones and reports. Let’s look closer at each of these elements below.

What Should Be Included in a Scope of Work Document?

Here’s an overview of the main components of a scope of work. You can add or remove some of these elements to better adjust to your project stakeholders’ requirements.

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Scope Of Work Template

Use this free Scope Of Work Template for Word to manage your projects better.

Project Deliverables

This is what your project delivers. Whether it’s a product or a service, it’s the reason you’re executing the project for your customer, stakeholder or sponsor. Whatever that deliverable is, and it can be some sort of document or report, software, product, build (or all of the above), you need to clearly identify each item here. Creating a work breakdown structure can help with this step. Also, make sure there’s an acceptance criterion for the project deliverables, such as quality standards or functional requirements.

Project Timeline

Think of a timeline as a road leading from the start of a project to its end. It’s a section of the document that delineates the major phases across the schedule of the project’s duration. It should also mark the points in the project when your deliverables are ready. As you can guess, it’s essential to scope out the overall plan of any project. This is best presented visually, like a rolled-up Gantt chart plan, so the stakeholders can see the high-level timeline.

Project Milestones

Projects can be long and complex, which is why they’re laid out over a timeline and broken down into more manageable parts called tasks. Larger phases of the project are marked by what’s called a milestone . It’s a way to help you monitor the progress of the project to ensure it’s adhering to your planned schedule. Define your key milestones on a timeline in the scope of work document, including project kickoffs, meetings, hand-offs, etc.

Project Reports

You’ll be generating reports throughout the project, delivered to either your team or customer, stakeholder or sponsor. These can include status reports , progress reports, variance reports and more. They’re a formal record of the progress of your project, but they’re also a means of communication beyond whether the project’s on schedule or not.

Depending on how you customize reports , there’s a wealth of data that can serve a number of different audiences. Define how you’ll be reporting on the project and when the stakeholders can be expecting them and from whom.

How to Write a Scope of Work

Now that we’ve listed the elements of a scope of work document, let’s go through the step-by-step process of writing one. These steps can help you create a scope of work for different industries such as construction or manufacturing.

• Define the project goals: Before writing a scope of work, you should define what project goals will be accomplished through the execution of the project tasks that’ll be included in your scope of work.
• Use a work breakdown structure to identify project tasks: The first step when writing a scope of work is to identify all your project tasks. This is done by using a work breakdown structure (WBS), a project management tool that lets you break down projects and work packages into individual tasks, so you can better plan and schedule them.
• Determine your project deliverables: A project deliverable is a tangible or intangible output from tasks. They’re an important part of a scope of work as they’re the outcomes of the project.
• Establish acceptance criteria for your project deliverables: Project deliverables must meet the acceptance criteria established by the project client, such as quality standards or functionality requirements.
• Use the CPM method to create a project timeline: The critical path method is a project scheduling technique that allows project managers to create a project timeline and estimate project duration by identifying the longest sequence of tasks. It’s important that you use this or other project scheduling techniques to create a realistic schedule for your scope of work.
• Establish payment terms for the project: You may include payment terms as a section of your scope of work.
• Establish project reporting procedures: Communication between the project team and project stakeholders is very important, so your scope of work document should include a section that explains how reporting will take place.

Scope of Work Template

Now that you know how to write a scope of work, as well as what’s included in this all important document, download our free scope of work template for Word . It has everything you need to make a scope of work document for your own project, so your stakeholders know exactly what to expect in terms of schedule, deliverables and effort.

Scope of Work Example

To understand the purpose and importance of a scope of work in project management, let’s start with a simple scope of work example, planning a wedding. A wedding is a project, and depending on the bridezilla (or groomzilla), it could be bigger and more complicated than building a highway or an airport.

Let’s take one aspect of that larger project, the wedding invitations, and break this down into a scope of work. We’ll outline the deliverables, timeline, milestones and reports in this scope of work example.

Deliverables

• Invite list
• Addresses of attendees
• Addressed envelopes
• Jan. 1: Decide on the invite list
• Feb. 1: Have addresses collected of attendees
• March 1: Pick invitation style and have printed
• April 1: Address and mail invites
• May 1: Get the final count of guests
• June 1: Wedding
• Selection of guests and collection of addresses
• Mailing of invitations
• The final count of attendees
• Check on the status of address collection
• Stay in touch with the printer for progress on invitations
• Check RSVPs against the invitation list

With ProjectManager , you can build a project timeline in seconds with our online Gantt chart maker. Map your scope of work, create a budget, assign tasks, add dependencies and more. Then present to your team and stakeholders to get the project moving on the right foot. Try it free today.

Construction Scope of Work Example

Now, let’s create a scope of work for a small construction project , building a house. This project involves many steps, but for practical purposes, this construction scope of work example will only focus on some of the main deliverables, timelines, milestones and reports.

Project deliverables: These project deliverables are individual, tangible outputs from different construction activities.

• Land clearing
• Ground leveling
• Sewer Lines
• Wood Framing
• Sheathing Installation
• HVAC system installation
• Electrical panels and wiring installation
• Roof installation
• Insulation installation
• Drywall installation
• Interior painting, appliances, cabinets and other final details

Project Timeline: The scope of work timeline depends on the complexity of the construction design and the agreement that the project owner reaches with the general contractor, who will hire subcontractors to accomplish different types of construction work.

Project Milestones: The scope of work milestones marks important achievements during the project as tasks are executed . Instead of referring to individual project deliverables, they describe project phases that have been completed successfully. As a project manager, you might choose the milestones that are significant for your project.

• The building envelope has been completed
• Foundation, framing, plumbing and electrical inspections have been passed
• Exterior work has been completed
• Interior work has been completed
• Project has been delivered successfully

Project Reports: The reports that you use to track the scope of work might vary, but these are essential construction project reports.

• Project status reports
• Daily construction logs
• Construction punch list

Why Is It Important to Write a Scope of Work?

Here are some of the reasons why writing a scope of work is beneficial for projects.

Defines the Project Scope

The main purpose of a scope of work is to define the scope of a project . This means defining the work that’ll be done as well as project exclusions, activities or deliverables which aren’t part of a project.

Prevents Scope Creep

Scope creep is a risk that can affect any project. It occurs when additional project tasks are added to the initial project scope during the execution of a project. These unplanned additions of work cause extra costs and derail the project schedule. Scope creep can be avoided by having a clear scope of work that establishes what will and what won’t be executed. However, changes might be made to the project scope by using a change request, another important project management document.

Sets Clear Expectations for Project Stakeholders

Without a scope of work document, project stakeholders might have unrealistic expectations about a project , such as assuming certain tasks and deliverables will be done. Therefore, it’s important for project managers and project teams to make sure there’s a scope of work that lets stakeholders know what to expect.

Scope of Work Tips

But before you get to writing, you need to make sure you follow these tips.

• Be specific : explain the terms used clearly
• Use visuals : a picture is worth a thousand words
• Get sign-offs : make sure everyone who needs to okay the work, does

It’s not that difficult, but it needs to be thorough because you don’t want to have to play catch-up with paperwork when you’re in the heat of the project.

Pro tip: The SOW is essential to the project plan and is often included as part of the overall project plan, but it can be time-consuming to write. We’ve created dozens of project management templates to help you create all your project documents. 

How to Manage Your Scope of Work With Project Management Software

It can feel overwhelming with so many tasks to keep track of, but project management software can simplify the process. In ProjectManager , you can import your spreadsheet or use one of our industry-specific templates to get you started.

A list of tasks is only a start. To bring order to that chaos, you’ll want to estimate duration by adding start and finish dates. We then automatically put your tasks on a timeline in our Gantt chart project view , so you can see the whole project in one place. Further reign in the tasks by prioritizing them, linking dependencies to prevent bottlenecks later in the project and setting milestones to break up the larger project into more manageable phases.

Collaborate at the Task Level

Tasks need people to execute them and move your project forward. You have your schedule, so onboard your team and start assigning them tasks. You can do this from any of our multiple project views. We offer collaborative tools that make teams more productive and help them work together. You can direct them with task descriptions and by attaching files to the task. Then, they can work together, commenting at the task level with other team members, who are notified by email. This is great for remote teams and even those working in the same room.

Track Progress to Stay On Time and Under Budget

Speaking of distributed teams, how can you keep track of their progress if you can’t check in on them? We solve that problem with great monitoring features, such as a real-time dashboard that shows you task progress, costs and other high-level views of the project. Our software takes status updates and automatically displays them in easy-to-read charts and graphs. You can even share them at stakeholder meetings to keep them in the loop.

For more in-depth data, we feature one-click reports that can be filtered to show just the data you’re looking for. Reports track project variance, workload and more. You’ll catch issues and resolve them quickly before they become problems that threaten to derail your project.

If you want that scope of work to be the beginning of a beautiful project, then try ProjectManager for free with our 30-day trial offer.

Video: Scope of Work Best Practices

In this video, Jennifer Bridges, PMP, shows you how to write a scope of work for project management . Follow her steps to get started or use our project plan and scope document template!

Here’s a shot of the whiteboard for your reference!

If you need a tool that can help you manage and track your scope of work document, then sign up for our software now at ProjectManager .

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The Importance of Giving Complete Work Assignments

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