outside of normal working hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "outside of normal working hours" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to times that are not within the standard hours of work, typically in a professional context. Example: "Please send me the report outside of normal working hours, as I will be unavailable during the day."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Eighty-three percent of workers say they're stressed about their jobs, nearly 50percentt say work-related stress is interfering with their sleep, and 60percentt use their smartphones to check in with work outside of normal working hours.

Huffington Post

The Gallup data, conducted on 4,475 adult U.S. workers, found that almost 50percentt of workers who frequently use work email outside of normal working hours reported feeling stressed "a lot of the day yesterday," as compared with around a third of those who don't check work email after-hours.

Huffington Post

Three job stress items did not aggregate to a main source of job stress: ' feeling poorly paid for the job you do'beinging required to provide routine clinical NHS services outside of normal working hours' and ' disruption to home-life due to on-call work'.

BMC Health Services Research

The vast majority of consultants already do at least some shifts outside of normal working hours.

The Guardian

It was evident that a passion for the job motivated several interviewees to engage in these extra duties outside of normal working hours.

Injury Epidemiology

However, longer working days also result in more opportunities for mechanical problems, fewer hours available for equipment maintenance outside of normal working hours, more passing of responsibility onto the next operator to fix any problems, and greater lost time.

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

"It's about having the more experienced staff in the hospital, looking after patients out of normal working hours.

BBC

Potential participants were telephoned out of normal working hours.

BMC Oral Health

Also difficulties arising out of normal working hours such as access to information or supplies.

BMJ Quality and Safety

If the stress management market is not large enough to provide you with full-time work, you can consult with individuals, companies or clinics outside of your normal working hours.

WikiHow

The average amount of "extra work" occurring outside normal working hours is seven extra hours per week – nearly another full day, says Good.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "outside of normal working hours", consider your audience. For formal settings, it's perfectly acceptable. For informal settings, simpler alternatives like "after hours" might be more suitable.

Common error

Avoid using "outside of normal working hours" when you simply mean 'after work' in a casual context. This phrase often implies a need for dedicated or urgent attention to work-related tasks beyond the regular schedule.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "outside of normal working hours" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause by specifying when an action takes place. As shown by Ludwig, it is used to indicate that something happens during periods that are not considered standard work times.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

3%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "outside of normal working hours" is a versatile phrase to indicate occurrences outside of a standard workday. Ludwig AI confirms that the phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used across various contexts, including science, news, and formal business settings. While ""after hours"" can be a suitable alternative in informal settings, "outside of normal working hours" is precise and widely accepted. Remember to consider your audience when choosing between this phrase and its alternatives. The phrase functions adverbially, specifying timing and contributing to clarity in communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

after hours

A more concise and common way to express the same idea, often implying a less formal context.

beyond regular working hours

Emphasizes exceeding the typical or expected work schedule.

outside of standard business hours

Focuses on the operational timeframe of a business, rather than an individual's work hours.

during off-peak hours

Suggests a period when activity or demand is lower than usual.

on weekends and evenings

Specifies the days and times outside of typical workdays.

during non-business days

Focuses on days that are not considered working days.

outside of office hours

Refers specifically to the times when an office is closed or not fully staffed.

in the late evening

Highlights the time of day.

during unscheduled time

Implies that the time is unplanned or not part of a regular routine.

during downtime

Refers to periods when activity is reduced or paused.

FAQs

What does "outside of normal working hours" mean?

The phrase "outside of normal working hours" refers to the time periods that fall outside of a standard workday, which is generally considered to be Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. It often implies that tasks or services are performed or available beyond this typical timeframe.

How can I use "outside of normal working hours" in a sentence?

You can use the phrase to indicate when certain activities occur. For instance: "The support team is available "after hours"" or "Making antenatal services available outside of normal working hours might increase the number of men who are able to accompany their partners to antenatal visits."

What are some alternatives to "outside of normal working hours"?

Several alternatives can be used, depending on the context. Common options include ""after hours"", "beyond regular working hours", or "outside of standard business hours". Choose the phrase that best fits the situation and maintains the desired tone.

Is it better to say "outside normal working hours" or "outside of normal working hours"?

Both phrases are acceptable, but "outside of normal working hours" is more common and flows more naturally in most contexts. The inclusion of "of" doesn't change the meaning, but it often improves readability.