The five-day workweek was made up. What if we changed it?

People are currently leaving the workforce by the millions, suggesting that they need a better balance between work and life. This animated explainer delves into a brief history of the invention of the 40-hour workweek during the Industrial Revolution, the burnout crisis and culture of overwork that was already unfolding before the Pandemic hit, and some alternative options like the four-day workweek, the five-hour workday, asynchronous work, and other ideas that companies are employing today to attract a workforce. Read more: wapo.st/3pK85Ma. Subscribe to The Washington Post on KZbin: wapo.st/2QOdcqK
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[@blkacdevl2517]

I'm all for changing the work week. It's scientifically proven that sleep is an important part of our health. We also have to change employers being able to make employees work OT. All extra work hours should be voluntary.

[@SaveOurDisabilityFund]

Corporate influencers would fight this too hard. Its difficult enough getting workers health care, fair wages, and vacation time. They prefer slaves they can wip and analysis of how to manage proper wiping of slaves.

[@trentmeredith2354]

Great video , 90% of the men at my work pride themselves on working their body’s into a heart attack mush 12 hours, 5 days a week doing hard labor construction.

[@vivekm7971]

In India, we corporate slaves (specifically banks) are made to work 13 hours for 6 days or even 7 days a week

[@jyip4436]

I work 10 hrs a day, 4 days a week. I’m loving it as I have long weekend every week 😊

[@Rave_believe]

This needs to changed now. Ppl are suffering from depression, suicide just because of moneyand jobs

[@dalemaegornez]

Greedy employers would not agree to this

[@kenster8270]

I used to work a company where everybody was on 80% contracts (=4 workdays per week). I was still making a living wage obviously, and the flexibility to spend my weekly day off to run errands, do chores, book doctor's appointments, do some home improvement, or even go to job interviews for other companies without having to request a day off gave each one of us such freedom! But of course, not everyone was allowed to take off Fridays or Mondays every single week, so we had a rotating schedule, otherwise there would've no one left to man the ship on those two weekdays. :)

[@kenster8270]

And yes, I am indeed European. I yes, I do realize that living in the US is a lot like living in Latin America in terms of politics and workers' conditions and work-life balance and housing conditions and health-related matters such as nutritional value of food.

[@wargaeri]

2 years and nothing change

[@thehickoryhutch5947]

People literally died for 40 hours per week. But sure, let’s oversimplify and say Henry Ford took the idea from Labor activist.

[@TheCommunicationCoach]

Well, of course it's 'made up.' Did you think we were born this way? It's also 5/7ths of one's week, not 40 hours. People should get 4-10s or 3-12s, they're much better.

[@SoftOceanBreeze]

I strongly disagree with 4 10s cause it takes away too much time, 4 8s or 3 10s is more reasonable, working for 12 hours straight is detrimental to your health and your productivity, ik because iv done 3 12s before at a warehouse throwing boxes on a conveyor or driving a forklift, it was better than 5 8s or 4 10s but still not very optimal, before I got on 3 12s I worked part time on weekends there doing 2 10s, I always felt, mannnn if I could do 3 10s it would be the most optimal work life balance, unfortunately we live in a sub-optimal world

[@radic888]

It's way overdue.

[@TheCommunicationCoach]

Go to Daylight Savings time and stay there. Enough of dark at 4p in winter.

[@christianchellis9057]

8 hours for lesiure? Yeah right.

[@mahjy]

If 4 days work a week, which one is better? Work on Mon~Thu then weekend.. or Mon~Tue, Thu~Fri work?

[@samanthahardy9903]

It depends on your personal circumstances as to which days to work and which days to not work. For some people having a long weekend is better, however other people would prefer to other days off. Personally I don't mind but would love to have a 4 day work week working less hours for the same pay.

[@ShrunkedDude]

Would rather have Wednesday off so you're only in 2 days at a time. Feel like 4 days at work in a row would still would drag on,

[@jakebarton3341]

Both sound like heaven compared to 5... But I'd say having every Wednesday and weekend would be best to keep energy levels high and stop the bipolar thinking and Sunday blues. Because you'll only ever have to work two days in a row as suppose to 4

[@claireblot5871]

i need the transcript? how do I get this please?

[@yongchen4158]

Blanched works and social life

[@aceryanprajinog1510]

mas gugustohin na lng nila mag negosyo pero papaano ang mga nasa baba ? sila ang gagawin ng mga muklo na katulong mga ijo

[@MegaMissfitz]

Im still available 7 days a week excluding thurs & sunday evenings due to deep trance meditations! & musical memory trigger therapy! Sweet dreams 😤🎧😘

[@misledyouth7613]

god i hope so

[@ultra_axe7812]

Hah, imagine working on land. Love my 4week on 4week of 84 hour weeks

[@ryanthepianoman27]

Wow your rich!

[@ultra_axe7812]

@@ryanthepianoman27 guess again bucko, deckhand sailing inland in Norway

[@aceryanprajinog1510]

darating ang panahon na wala ng gustong magtrabaho jan na papasok ang community ng mga robot kahit ngayon robot na ang gumagawa ng gawain para sa tao pero pag nalaman ng tao yan buong mundo magkakagulo kahit na alam ko iilan lang ang maliligtas nasa book of parang wala lng kasi wilab ako sa paningin nyo darating ang panahon na AI na lng ang magtatrabaho

[@christianchellis9057]

I thought if we eliminate the weekend and we all have different days off work/school, everything would be better

[@TheRealValus]

What if "we" didn't do anything, and "allowed" individuals to negotiate freely amongst themselves. We can call it Voluntary Exchange, or Free Enterprise, or The Free Market; something like that. Yes, it's radical, I know. Maybe still too far ahead of its time. I dunno. Any takers?

[@SpongebobsRippedPant]

Lol poverty would sky rocket. Many would be homeless.

[@Warrenmitchum]

@@SpongebobsRippedPantso we could weed out the week?

[@Warrenmitchum]

Weak*

[@erinmorash9334]

@@Warrenmitchum I define the 'weak' as anyone who cannibalizes fellow human beings by seeing them only as physical/mental cogs to be pushed through profit machines.

[@samanthahardy9903]

​@@SpongebobsRippedPant Poverty and homelessness is already increasing anyway.

[@isaacmathison6559]

Yes! Let’s move to a 6 day workweek, we only need a day to rest and rejuvenate before heading back to work. I don’t agree with weekends.

[@Drakemiser]

The five hour work week was created by God, not unions.

[@samanthahardy9903]

God worked 6 days and on the 7th day he rested to admire all that he created. According to the Bible anyway. That's why a lot of Christians don't work on Sundays and those of the Jewish faith don't work on Saturdays. It's supposed to be a day of reflection and reserved for attending church or a synagogue. However, the way I see it is this. As God isn't that busy on that 1 day of the week then maybe he is more likely to listen on his rest day. (Although I'm sure he listens regardless of whatever day of the week it is.)😂

[@Drakemiser]

@@samanthahardy9903 I think I was a victim of spell check. Yes Saturday is supposed to be a day of rest. Sunday was made up by the Catholic Church because it suited Romans better. I’m not a Seven Day Adventists; that’s just history. But the point I was trying to make is that God made the work week, and any time we drift away from that, things get harder.

[@azu5259]

2 years later and the companies pushed everyone back into their rat cages.

[@gerbilkill]

It's still to much