40 hour work week

Today celebrates the anniversary that the the U.S. government created the 40 hour work week. The government would start to track workers hours for the first time in 1890. At this time the average work week for employees in the manufacturing world was a 100 hours. In 1940 the eight hour day and 40 hour work week was created. 

The great thinkers of this time period wanted to create an 8 hour work day to better the quality life of workers. Employers did not want to give into this thinking because there was nothing in it for them. It would be Henry Ford to implement the 40 hour work week. Ford moved the 48 hour 6 days to 5 day, 40 hour work week. Whether it was for workers motivation or to better the workers quality life is not really known but what we do know is that this changed the hours of work.