light duties

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Less demanding work given to someone who cannot do their usual job, often because of illness or injury.

   Grammar: Used in the plural; it usually follows on: She is on light duties. It is not used with an or an.

   Patterns

   • be on light duties
   • return to light duties
   • be put on light duties

   After his operation, he was on light duties for six weeks.

   The nurse returned to light duties while her back healed.

   Staff on light duties usually do paperwork instead of heavy lifting.

2. 2nounplural

   Tasks that are not physically hard or tiring.

   Grammar: Also plural and often used with on when describing a period of easier work.

   Patterns

   • do light duties
   • assign someone light duties
   • light duties around the house

   While the baby slept, she did light duties around the house.

   The manager assigned him light duties until his wrist healed.

Common combinations

on light duties

He is on light duties until his knee gets better.

return to light duties

She hopes to return to light duties next month.

be put on light duties

The doctor said he should be put on light duties.

light duties only

For the first week, light duties only.

Synonyms and how they differ

restricted duties

This is a more formal workplace term meaning tasks limited by medical or official advice, often used in reports.

easy work

Easy work is a general phrase for work that is not hard, but it is not the fixed workplace term used after an injury.

Opposites

Word family

duty noun

A task or responsibility that you must do.

dutiful adjective

Doing what you are expected to do.

Commonly confused: light duties or light duty?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “light duties”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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