Why do we work 8 hours a day?

2024-07-23 2024-07-23T10:37:08Z

Arabia Weather - The work culture in the United States and the world depends on the work system of 8 hours a day , 5 days a week, which is the rule immortalized by the American singer Dolly Parton in her song “9 To 5” in 1980.

Evolution of the work system

Eight-hour work was not common before World War II and after the war, labor standards developed through a long and complex mix of labor action, advocacy, political compromises, pioneering employers, and economic competition.

The nineteenth century saw a gradual decline in the length of the working day, leading up to the period of World War II. In the mid-19th century, working more than 70 hours a week was common , i.e. about 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.

At the end of World War I, steelworkers typically worked 84 hours a week, which led to strikes and improvements in working hours.

In 1926, Henry Ford established the 8-hour day, 5-day week . During the Great Depression, Kellogg introduced 6-hour shifts, which allowed employees to be rehired and the unemployed employed. Kellogg achieved an increase in productivity and wages despite reducing working hours, but the idea of working for 6 hours did not last long.

Fair Labor Standards Act

In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which mandated overtime pay for employees who work more than 40 hours per week, laying the foundations for the modern 8-hour, 5-day workweek.

The 6-hour work system introduced by Kellogg was popular, but did not last. By the late 1950s, the majority of employees chose to return to the 8-hour workday in search of higher wages, citing a growing need for money.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Today, the time-money trade-off is relevant for working adults, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic has changed people's views about the consumption of work compared to other important parts of their lives such as time spent with family.