The 40-hour workweek has its roots in labor movements dating back to the 19th century, but it was popularized and widely adopted in the 20th century largely due to Henry Ford.
- Early labor activists like Robert Owen in 1817 advocated for an eight-hour workday with his slogan "8 hours labor, 8 hours recreation, 8 hours rest," aiming to limit grueling work hours common during the Industrial Revolution
- The fight for shorter work hours gained momentum through strikes and legislation in the late 1800s, including laws for eight-hour days for federal employees in 1868 and President Ulysses S. Grant's 1869 proclamation supporting eight-hour workdays for government workers
- The major breakthrough came in 1926 when Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, implemented a five-day, 40-hour workweek without cutting pay after discovering that longer hours did not significantly increase productivity. This move set a precedent that many other companies followed
- The legal establishment of the 40-hour workweek happened with the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which initially limited the workweek to 44 hours and required overtime pay beyond that. It was amended in 1940 to reduce the standard workweek to 40 hours, making it law across the United States
In summary, while the concept of limiting work hours was championed by early labor activists, Henry Ford was instrumental in popularizing the 40-hour workweek in practice, and the U.S. government codified it into law with the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938-1940.
