---
title: Work Types Setup
description: Define the kinds of work an hour can be spent on, so labor can be analyzed by the kind of work.
url: "https://theasst.com/docs/work-types-setup/"
updated: "2026-10-14"
category: Setup / Company
---

# Work Types Setup

A **work type** is the kind of work an hour was spent on, such as Service / Labor, Installation, Travel, Administrative, Sales or Training. Work types let you see how much labor each kind of work really costs. Setup > Company > **Work Types** is where you manage the list.

The first time the page is opened, TBA adds Service / Labor, Installation, Travel, Administrative, Sales and Training. Change them to fit your business.

## The grid

- **Name** – what people see.
- **Description** – an optional note.
- **Comp class** – the workers' compensation class code for this kind of work. It is kept for the labor cost reporting to come.
- **Active** – a work type can be made inactive but not deleted.

Use the arrows to reorder; **Add a row** adds a new one; **Save Changes** saves the whole list.

![The Work Types grid with name, description, comp class, and active](https://theasst.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/work-types-setup.webp)

## How work types get onto hours

- **Manual time entries** have a Work type field. Leaving it on *(employee's default)* uses the employee's default work type.
- **Clocked time and service order time** take the employee's *Default work type* from the Payroll tab of their personnel record. Hours with no work type anywhere show as *(Unclassified)* in reports.
- When time from different sources overlaps, a manual entry wins over a service order, which wins over a clock punch – so the same hour is never counted twice.
- An employee can have a different hourly rate for each work type (see [Personnel](/docs/personnel-overview/)).

See the [Hours by Work Type](/docs/hours-by-work-type-report/) report to see hours split this way.