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[pubby]

When I get up to around 100 dwarves, I usually have around 30 idle when not hauling/constructing.

Wouldn't it be nice if dwarves would have specially marked workshops to go to when idle, and then create things? The dwarves would choose a workshop based on distance and skill. I could tell my special idle workshops to produce stone blocks - leaving my "real" masons to construct more important things.

Dwarves would have a labor called "idle working" which could be toggled to determine what dwarves do when idle.
 

(sorry if this has been suggested)

[JohnLukeG]

I think there should be a lot more activities that dwarves do while idle in general.  As far as I can tell, all they do is loiter in the meeting hall (or their room, if they're lucky enough to own one).  I'd like to see them do more than wait for their next assignment.  Unfortunately, I have no ideas at all for that right now, and of course they should drop minor activities to do their jobs. 

[Silverionmox]

Hauling stuff to the trade depot, for instance.

[Joakim]

I think we'll get a more general priority based system with an integrated version of Dwarf Therapist or similar.
I'd also like to combine "on break" with "idle". Maybe call it "free time". Whenever a dwarf has free time he should do all those things needed to set be ready for work, including cleaning, stuffing yourself with food, fix your clothes, go to parties, mourn your crushed miner husband, pray and whatever stuff dwarves will be able to do in the future.
This is especially important for important people like the administrator. It's very frustrating when he decides to go on a break when you need an order. I guess it'll be even more frustrating when the Arsenal Dwarf starts to do the same thing.

[SaltatorMortis]

how about to get some help workers they transport and organize some materials for the next job.. that can lower the idlers and brings a very effectiv production from some goods... 

[Pilsu]

Break time should be accumulated by working, reset by sleeping. Idlers going on break is annoying but breaks themselves should be respected.

[Senacharim]

(Ah, I was going to suggest something similar, so I believe I'll add to this thread.)

Rather than a per-dwarf tasking, perhaps a per-workshop "job of opportunity" type setup is my suggestion.

Imagine you can set 1 'infinitely' repeatable task to a workshop--which takes lower priority than any normal assigned task, but it's not cancelable--merely delayable.

Now vs My Suggestion:
Today: I set a mason's shop to 'make stone blocks.'  The moment we're out of stone (quite temporarily) the task is canceled.  Later (after the stone's been piling up) I must re-assign and set repeat on the same task (for the 500th time).

Someday: I set a mason's shop's "opportunity job" (tertiary task(?)) to 'make stone blocks.'  (No stone, no blocks.  Stone?  Make blocks.)  If I assign a task (make table or something) the assigned task is carried out as normal (no stone, no table; canceled. OR stone;  Here's a table;  Job removed from queue.) and then if there's more stone, the opportunity task is carried out.

This seems to me to be greatly needed in order to set up a smoothly running base--especially for butcher, fishery, farmer's workshop and so on.