In the status quo, we hear a lot about raising the minimum wage and the prevalence of corporate greed, which are both genuine issues that need to be addressed, but there’s another issue we don’t discuss near enough, the 40 hour work week.
During the Industrial Revolution, America’s economy dramatically shifted from a focus on agriculture to manufacturing and production. Many Americans moved to cities to work in factories and, with the availability of electrical light, were able to work much longer hours. During this time, 12 to 16 hour shifts, six days a week were common. People regularly worked anywhere from 72 to 96 hours in a week.
The long hours led to many feeling displeased with the system. In 1817 Robert Owen, a Scottish textile manufacturer, first coined the popular expression, “Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest,” advocating for a shorter work day, but the idea wouldn’t become commonplace in the United States for a few more decades.
In 1866 the National Labor Union petitioned Congress for a law that would enforce an eight-hour work day, but the movement ultimately got little traction and failed. It would be another 72 years before legislation would be passed mandating that worker’s would receive additional pay for overtime.
The modern 40 hour work week was first implemented by Henry Ford in 1926. In contrast to other major factories of the time which demanded 6 days of work, Ford’s factory ran on a system where employees were expected to...
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