What does 'work on' mean in a standup?

'Work on' means to spend time and effort on a task. In standups, engineers say 'I'm working on...' to explain their current focus. It's the most common way to describe what you're doing.

Can I say 'I'm working in' instead of 'I'm working on'?

No, use 'work on' for tasks and projects. 'Work in' describes your field or location (e.g., 'I work in fintech' or 'I work in Berlin'). For tasks, always use 'work on'.

How do I say I've been doing something for a while?

Use present perfect continuous: 'I've been working on this bug since Monday.' This shows the task started in the past and is still ongoing.

Is 'work on' too casual for formal emails?

'Work on' is neutral and works everywhere—standups, Slack, tickets, and emails. It's professional enough for any workplace context.

What's the difference between 'work on' and 'tackle'?

'Work on' is neutral and describes ongoing effort. 'Tackle' suggests the task is difficult or challenging. Use 'tackle' when you want to emphasize that something is hard.

How do I ask someone what they're doing?

Ask 'What are you working on?' This is friendly and natural. You can also ask 'What are you working on this sprint?' to ask about their current priorities.

What Does "Work On" Mean in Tech?

Commonness
Versatility
Formality	CasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ Written	SpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ Diplomatic	DirectDiplomaticNeutral
Region

Say it like this

✓I'm working on the login bug right now.

✓What are you working on this sprint?

✓She's been working on that feature for two weeks.

✓We need someone to work on the API integration.

✓I'll work on it after lunch.

Real examples

Standup

"Yesterday I worked on the payment flow, and today I'll continue working on the checkout page."

Slack message

"Hey team, I'm working on the database migration. Should be done by EOD."

GitHub PR

"This PR addresses the issue I've been working on for the past week."

Jira ticket

"Currently working on implementing the search functionality as described in the requirements."

Retrospective

"We spent too much time working on features that weren't prioritized."

Sprint planning

"I can work on the user authentication story this sprint."

Pair programming

"Let's work on this function together—I think we can simplify it."

Don't say this

✕I'm working in the new feature.

✓I'm working on the new feature.— Use 'on' not 'in' when you mean focusing effort on a task or project.

✕I work on it yesterday.

✓I worked on it yesterday.— Use past tense 'worked' for completed actions in the past.

✕I'm working on since Monday.

✓I've been working on it since Monday.— Use present perfect continuous for actions that started in the past and continue now.

Other forms

base form

work on

"I need to work on the bug fix."

present continuous

working on

"I'm working on the API endpoint."

past simple

worked on

"I worked on the documentation yesterday."

present perfect

have worked on

"I have worked on similar projects before."

present perfect continuous

have been working on

"I've been working on this issue all morning."

Often used with

work on a featureBuilding or improving a specific product feature

work on a bugTrying to fix a problem in the code

work on a ticketCompleting the task described in Jira/Linear

work on improvementsMaking something better over time

continue working onKeep doing something you started before

start working onBegin a new task or project

Similar words

focus onEmphasizes concentration and priority

tackleImplies dealing with something difficult or challenging

handleOften used for managing tasks or responsibilities

addressMore formal; often used for problems or issues

developSpecifically for building or creating something new

Opposites

finishcompletewrap upput asidedeprioritize

Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Standup update

1. How would you tell your team what you're doing today?

I'm working on the login page.I'm working in the login page.I work on login page now.

Grammar check

2. Find the error: 'I'm working on this feature since last week.'

'working' should be 'worked''on' should be 'in''I'm working' should be 'I've been working'

Complete the sentence

3. Yesterday I _____ on the database schema, and today I'll continue with the API.

Make it natural

4. Rewrite: 'I am making the new dashboard feature now.'

More words

pick up own take on wrap up ship scope blocker bandwidth

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "work on" in a standup this week?

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