What is <workAmount> in a recipe exactly?

[Shabazza]

Like the title says.
Is this equivalent to energy or is it a time value or what?
What does <workAmount>1600</workAmount> translate to in the game?

Example:
Crafting a metal slag piece into steel witht he electical smelter needs 1600 "work".

[TLHeart]

Amount of time the colonist will spend working at the smelter in ticks... 60 ticks equals 1 sec.

For your example, smelt slag, on the bill it will say work amount 27... which is 1600/60=26.6  so rounded to 27.

[Shabazza]

Thanks!