When you think of a standard workweek, do you think of the standard 9-5 40 hours? You probably do because that is the way things have been done for so long. However, we wanted to let you in one a secret, that this standard workweek may not be best for everyone involved. Let’s look at the origins and how change may bring along benefits.
A Brief History of Work and Labor
Beginning at the Industrial Revolution, morning to dusk hours for farmers and independent tradesmen were replaced by inhumane hours that factories demanded. President Roosevelt placed working hours within the New Deal and capped it at 40 hours not long afterward.
Once women surged into the workforce during World War II and remained afterward, and then the surge of African American employment after the ‘50s, the factory layout return to an office layout. Desks were crammed together tightly and it wasn’t until the 1960s that the cubicle was introduced.
With the creation of the cubicle, other technologies were introduced as well. IBM introduced the electric typewriter and a business computing system. Throughout the 1970s, technological innovations continued to be introduced like the laser printer, fax machine, and floppy disk.
In the 1980s, the 9-5 as we know it was incorporated. Since the New Deal, the 5-day/40 hour work week has stood strong.
A Four-Day Workweek Could Help Resolve These Issues
While technology had adjusted a ton in the past few decades, the line between home and work has become blurred. Reducing the time spent in the office can make life much easier for the rest of the household. It can also improve delineation between the office and the home. A four-day workweek could also benefit the environment by lessening the carbon burden because of the work commute.
Don’t worry about the shortening of the workweek and how it might affect productivity. Research has shown that a shorter workweek doesn’t have any negative ramifications on your team’s productivity. MyTek can also help equip you with the technology that can help boost your productivity, even if your business is currently using the 9-5/40 instead of the four-day workweek.