Though it feels like the five-day, 40-hour work week has always been with us, it’s actually a relatively new invention.
As far back as 1866, Congress considered mandating a 40-hour work week, but the legislation stalled.
In 1926, Henry Ford instituted a 40-hour work week for his employees, believing that was the optimal amount of time for someone to work in a week.
But the 40-hour work week was – and is – routinely violated by salaried employees (and their bosses) who believe that working more is working better.
“If you think about it, your contract with your employee is not just buying time,” Charlotte Lockhart, an advocate for a four-day work week, told me.