So, why do we have a 40 hour standard work week?

Question

Why not 30 or 20? I've asked this question and similar ones on YA before, but don't feel I've received any satisfactory answers. Usually I get responses from economic experts who suggest I take an economics course and offer vague warnings of runaway inflation. But let's assume (because it's true) that I put in 11 hour days Mon thru Fri including commute time and I don't have the money, time, energy or inclination to enroll in a college course. Can you give me the title of a book, an author, a masters thesis, anything that would explain what's so magical about 40 hours? What if we started taxing the rich again, or taxed all sales items that weren't absolute necesities? There's got to be a way to crunch the numbers so we don't have to bust our butts all our lives. For those of you chuckling darkly at my rant because you work 60 or 80 hours a week, why do you do it? Because you like it? For toys? Retirement? Survival? Should we compete with Asian factory workers? 98 hrs per wk

Answer 1

Dav is really right: the unions fought to get hours reduced and stopped at 40. Now unions are done away with, but we still have this.

Most economists do know anything about unions. Ask someone who has studied unions and benefits and so on.

People in general cannot choose how many hours they work. It is usually 40 or 20 or less. And, most less than 40 an hour jobs get paid crap.

Interestingly, in Europe they get more vacations, so it is close to 32 hours in many places, I think definitely France.

Answer 2

Wasn't there a computer game called Larry Leisure once upon a time, like long ago? A friend of mine works 2 days a week at 17 hours each now that's puttin in some time. Me, I been retired for 2 years hahaha. That's why I'm on here so much. Before that it was 3-4 days a week though 8 hours each, I don't think I could take it any more, this is an old person here ...... too old for hard activity of any kind.....jeesh, I might have a heart attack or something. You just never know. Relax, that's the name of the game!

Answer 3

Back in the 19th century, it was widely believed that people should split their time equally between work, leisure activities, and sleep. Unions embraced this idea and began working towards limiting the length of the work day. Since there are 24 hours in a day, 8-hour work day eventually became the accepted norm...

Answer 4

Because unions fought to avoid 60 and 80 hour work weeks.

Answer 5

check out the Triangle Shirt Factory fire in the late 1900s