Here’s who invented the 9-5, 5-day workweek

Why do we have to wake up and spend all our waking hours at our place of work while we look forward to the weekends?

In 1926, Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, instituted a 40-hour workweek, or the 9-5, 5 days a week workweek as we know it, and the Great Depression’s high unemployment rates later popularised it.

Henry Ford conducted a study and found that productivity increased just slightly while working more than 40 hours.

Ford declared he would give each employee $5 for an eight-hour workday, which at the time was about twice the average rate for auto workers.

After observing how this new approach increased production and promoted loyalty and pride among Ford’s employees, manufacturers and businesses quickly followed Henry Ford’s example.

Before industrialization and colonialization, most Africans were farmers, fishermen, potters, weavers, and soldiers. Most of these jobs were seasonal and didn’t necessitate waking up every day to work.

However, in modern times, it’s being argued that we don’t need to work 9–5 jobs, 7 days a week.

First, we don’t do manual tasks that require time, effort, and physical presence, and the COVID pandemic taught us that people don’t need to assemble people in a physical office to get work done.

The advantages of remote/hybrid work were validated by two 2022 studies; Owl Labs found that remote workers were 22% happier and stayed longer at their jobs. They also mentioned feeling less stressed, being more focused, and producing more. Remote employment enhanced employees’ physical and mental well-being and work/life balance.

What of working less? New Zealand, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, Iceland, and Lithuania have introduced a 4-day work week, and other countries like the United Kingdom and France are considering it.

Perpetual Guardian, a New Zealand firm, tested a four-day week. According to the findings, 78% of workers were able to better manage their personal and professional lives. Staff were more focused and productive after the experiment and that led to New Zealand changing their laws.

Perhaps it’s time to ditch Henry Ford’s recommendations and embrace a new future of work.