Daily and Weekly Hours of Work as a Subject of Regulations – the Main Directions of Changes

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the conditions which may contribute towards changes in normal daily and weekly working hours. It describes the background of the introduction of an eight-hour working day at the beginning of the 20^th century. Based on data provided by the World Bank and OECD, it presents the normal working hours and the real number of hours spent weekly at work in different countries around the world. It proves that even though, in recent decades, the real number of working hours has not decreased, it may be lowered in specific industries.