Where did the 5 day work week come from?

In 1908, the first five-day workweek in the United States was instituted by a New England cotton mill so that Jewish workers would not have to work on the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. In 1926, Henry Ford began shutting down his automotive factories for all of Saturday and Sunday.

Who invented the 8 hour work day 5 days a week?

In 1926, as many history scholars know, Henry Ford — possibly influenced by US labor unions — instituted an eight-hour work day for some of his employees. Because of Ford’s stature, the move stimulated a national discussion.

When did the work week become 5 days?

1919
So, who exactly instituted the 5-day workweek? In 1919, four million workers decided they were fed up and went on strike. That was 20 percent of the industrial labor force at the time. About 19 years later, President FDR signed the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, creating the right to a minimum wage and OT.

How did 40-hour week start?

In 1938, Congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act, which required employers to pay overtime to all employees who worked more than 44 hours in a week. They amended the act two years later to reduce the workweek to 40 hours, and in 1940, the 40-hour workweek became U.S. law.

What was the impact of the introduction of the eight-hour day?

This brought the employers to the negotiating table and led to an agreement whereby stonemasons worked no more than an eight-hour day. It was the first of a long, hard-fought series of victories that led to Australia having one of the most progressive labour environments in the world by the early 20th century.

Did Henry Ford invent the 5 day work week?

Arguably the most influential business owner to institute this five-day workweek was none other than Henry Ford. Henry Ford, father of the Ford motor company, instituted a five-day, 40-hour workweek for his factory employees.

What caused the 8 hour work day?

With the Great Depression’s severe unemployment, the labor movement revived the idea of reducing work hours and pushed for passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act, establishing an eight-hour day and forty-hour week.