One workweek is equal to the total amount of hours in one, seven-day calendar week an individual spends at employed (paid) occupational labor in a commercial environment. Some countries have enacted law that mandates the minimum daily rest periods and the maximum number of working hours per day and/or week.

The industrial revolution made it possible for workers to be employed year-round due to work no longer being tied to a season or the amount of available sunlight. But, employers looking to maximize their profits dramatically increased working hours. In some industrial areas, records indicate that schedules as grueling as 16 hours a day, seven days a week were mandatory.

With a strong supporting role from progressive legislation and trade unions, working hours steadily declined by the mid-20th century. In most of the industrialized world, the workweek dropped to about 40-hours per week after World War II. In modern Western society, most salaried employees work Monday through Friday, 8-hours per day.

With this schedule, the average American worker spends 2,080 hours per year on the clock. This means that Americans spend 137 more hours per year at work than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and a whopping 499 more hours per year than French workers.

This is due in part to the average vacation days allowed by employers. Italians enjoys 25 days, Canadians 26 days, while French workers enjoy 37 day’s worth of relaxation per year! In contrast, the average American takes 13 days off per year with 26 percent of workers taking no vacation at all.

Studies supporting a four-day workweek indicate that reducing work hours not only increases consumption and invigorates the economy, but also improves worker’s level of education and mental/physical health. While continuing a 40-hour workweek policy, some employers are experimenting with various workforce scheduling methods to maintain their throughput.

Short Weeks
Four 10-hour working days with three full days off.

Flextime
Workers change their schedule around rush-hour traffic which shortens the time away from home.

Telecommuting
Permits employees to work from home without commuting.

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