7 arguments why the 8-hour working day has become obsolete

How the eight-hour workday came to be

The history of the emergence of a working day of exactly this length begins in 1817. Robert Owen, an English capitalist, first formulated the rule: “8 hours for work, 8 for rest and 8 for sleep.” In this case, work time is measured without taking into account rest breaks. This is exactly the duration he set for his workers.

At the World Working People's Congress, which took place in London in 1864, Marx and Engels called for the establishment of an 8-hour working day. In Chicago, on May 1, 1886, there was the first strike demanding such a length of work day. At this time the demand was progressive. Then it was not uncommon for the duration to be 12-15 hours.

For the first time in history, workers were able to take advantage of this. In 1888, the workers of this enterprise received such a working day. The widespread use of such a day began after Henry Ford in 1914 reduced the working day from 16 to 8 hours, while doubling wages. It is important to note that profits doubled after this. This was a convincing example, after which the use of an eight-hour working day became very widespread.

In 1917, almost immediately after the Great October Socialist Revolution, a Decree was issued to establish an eight-hour working day throughout Russia. However, since 1928, the transition to a 7-hour day began. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the previous length of the working day was restored. In 1956, the transition to a 7-hour day began again.

Currently, Article 91 of the Labor Code is in force, which states that the length of the working week should not exceed 40 hours per week. It's not specified there. How long should working days be? Currently, the Soviet Decree on the 8-hour working day has been abolished, but the length of the working day has not changed.

What is the reason for the introduction of an 8-hour working day?

The concept of “working time” is used in the norms of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

Working time is the time spent by a subordinate performing professional duties.

The length of the working day and week in any organization depends on the goals pursued by management.

Table: types of working time

When and why was the 8-hour working day introduced?

A working day of 8 hours was introduced in the USSR by a special decree (November 11, 1917). Back then we worked 48 hours a week with one day off. Later, daily and weekly labor standards changed several times until they were finally established in 1991. Then a law was passed that introduced a 40-hour work week. Subordinates could now work 5 or 6 days a week, 8 or 7 hours a day, respectively. This provision was enshrined in the Labor Code, and then in the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

The introduction of an 8-hour working day was determined by the fact that such a time is optimal from the point of view of human physiology. If a person works longer, his productivity decreases, which affects the quality of the work done. A shorter duration will affect the success of the enterprise. Forcing a subordinate to work more than 40 hours leads to penalties against the employer.

Video: Why 8 hours of work is considered the standard and how to use it effectively

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZLh3y_n3kRc

Types of working time

Although the considered length of the working day looks like a standard one, nevertheless, for some categories of workers the duration of the working day is determined differently.

For example, workers in the education sector have a 36-hour work week. In this case, the working day will be less than 8 hours. In the medical field, the workweek lasts 39 hours. When working 5 days a week, work days of less than 8 hours will be used.

For those who work part-time, working hours last 4 hours. Labor legislation prohibits increasing it.

Preferential categories of employees with adjustable working hours

The norms of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation establish a special working day (shift) for the following categories of workers:

• for minors aged 15 to 16 years - maximum 5 hours,
• for minors aged 16 to 18 years - maximum 7 hours;
• for persons undergoing training in secondary vocational educational organizations, aged 14 to 16 years - a maximum of 2.5 hours;
• similarly for students aged 16 to 18 years - a maximum of 4 hours;
• for disabled people - in accordance with medical recommendations;
• for workers with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions with a 36-hour work week - 8 hours;
• for workers with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions, if they have a 30-hour work week or less - 6 hours;
• for employees driving vehicles - according to a special schedule established by law for a specific type of transport.

How to arrange an 8-hour working day

Work on introducing such a working day is carried out in several stages:

1. In order to make a decision, you need to weigh its pros and cons. The boss must decide whether to introduce an eight-hour workday and why he needs it.
2. If a decision has been made, it is necessary to determine to whom it will apply. This arrangement may not be suitable for all categories of employees.
3. It is necessary to formulate a decision and determine the conditions that must be met.
4. An order is issued to introduce an eight-hour working day. Several versions of the document are possible. An order can be created for the entire enterprise, for certain categories of employees, or only for certain people. At the same time, changes are being introduced to local regulations.

This working time regime can be established by the following documents:

1. Labor contract. In this case, it refers to specific employees.
2. An additional agreement to such an agreement. It is convenient to make changes in this form, provided that they were adopted after the employee began working. Changes must be agreed upon and signed by both parties: employer and employee.
3. Labor schedule. It is a local regulatory act that is mandatory for employees to comply with.

When a new employee is hired, he, in particular, undertakes to comply with internal labor regulations. All those issues that are not fully regulated by this document are formulated in detail in the employment contract or an additional agreement to it.

If an eight-hour working day has already been established at the company, then an order regarding it is not issued. This document is relevant in cases where the employee previously used a shortened working day.

This applies, for example, to women who have cared for a small child, or young people who have recently turned 18. In such cases, the employee must write an application for transfer to full-time work. This document must contain the following information:

• in the upper right part of the sheet indicate the exact name of the organization, position, surname, first name and patronymic of the boss;
• below write the position, surname, first name and patronymic of the applicant;
• in the middle of the page write the name of the document;
• in the main part they formulate a request to transfer the employee to an eight-hour working day;
• you need to put a date from which it should be installed;
• at the bottom of the document indicate the position, surname, initials of the employee, put a signature, and make a transcript of it.

This application is forwarded to the boss for consideration.

A lot of working time means a lot of work done

If an employee stays at the workplace longer, this does not always mean that he will do more. Quite the contrary: knowing that time is running short, an employee is more likely to take “smoking breaks” more often, be distracted by social networks, etc.

Practice proves that if time is limited, the employee will spend it more efficiently. Back during the Great Depression in the 1930s, entrepreneur W. K. Kellogg introduced a 6-hour workday in his factory and found that labor productivity increased significantly and the frequency of industrial accidents fell by 40%.

Order on an 8-hour working day

There is no special form required for this document. It can be compiled in any form. The order must include the following information:

1. The date from which the enterprise will introduce an eight-hour working day for certain categories of workers or for individuals.
2. Related changes in the text of the internal labor regulations should be given in this document.
3. The following must be indicated: the start and end time of the working day, information about when and how long the break for meals and rest will be set.
4. Must be signed by the manager.
5. The order must contain the signatures of the employees to whom it applies. Such a transition can only be made with the written consent of the employee.

Udaltsov: Abolishing the decree on an 8-hour working day is the logic of today’s Russia

September 12, 2021, 22:32 - Public news service - OSN The abolition of the decree establishing an 8-hour working day in Russia is a continuation of the policy that the Russian government has been following since 1991. This opinion was expressed to the Public News Service by politician, head of the Left Front Sergei Udaltsov.

On Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, speaking in the “Dialogue with the Prime Minister” program on the Russia-24 channel, announced the abolition of the decree on an 8-hour working day. This law, adopted in 1917 in the first days after the Great October Revolution, will cease to apply on January 1, 2021. The decree immediately repealing more than 20 thousand acts and regulations from the times of the USSR and the RSFSR was called the “regulatory guillotine.”

“This so-called “administrative-legislative guillotine” has been discussed for a long time,” Udaltsov said.

The leader of the Left Front explained that this decree is only a continuation of the previous trend:

“Since 1991, the Russian state has not expressed any particular enthusiasm for the Soviet Union. Therefore, over all these years, gradually the entire Soviet legacy was deliberately moved away. In the 90s this was perhaps done more aggressively. It's softer now. But, nevertheless, the vector of development remained unchanged.”

“Naturally, they are happy to get rid of the remnants of Soviet legislation”

“Therefore, naturally, they are happy to get rid of the remnants of Soviet legislation,” the interlocutor emphasized.

The expert noted that one should not be surprised at such steps: “Because over these 30 years a completely different legal system has been built. These remnants of Soviet laws would one way or another cease to exist.”

Udaltsov said that the length of the working day today is calculated according to the Labor Code:

“As for the 8-hour working day. Let's not make things up here either. Because we have a Labor Code adopted in 2002. It stipulates a 40-hour work week. That is, there is no need to fantasize that by canceling the decree of the Council of People’s Commissars, Medvedev abolished the 8-hour working day.”

The head of the Left Front reiterated that such a step is fully consistent with the logic of the current Russian government.

“Therefore, I say again, this is an absolutely formal moment. And there is no reason to ring the bells. The bells should have been rung in 1991. And now we have been building a different state for 30 years. Why should we even talk about this now?”

Other opinions

On the same occasion, Russian State Duma deputy and director Vladimir Bortko said that United Russia is a party of big capital. Therefore, the repeal of one of the first decrees of Soviet power is a natural move forward.

St. Petersburg State University professor and economist Mikhail Popov pointed out that the Council of People's Commissars' decree on an 8-hour working day was canceled under Stalin.

Moscow City Duma deputy Sergei Savostyanov noted that the standards of the USSR and the RSFSR are in many ways better than modern ones. Therefore, it was necessary, on the contrary, to return to the norms of those times.

And the head of the Union of Trade Unions of Russia, Evgeny Kulikov, recalled that the length of the working day has long been regulated by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the standard for an 8-hour working day is invalid.

Part time

Changing the working hours can only occur on the basis of agreement of the parties. If an employee wants this, then he needs to submit a corresponding application. In the following cases, he cannot be refused:

• when a pregnant woman applies;
• if this person is caring for a sick family member;
• this opportunity is given to one of the parents who has a child under the age of 14;
• A parent or guardian who is responsible for a child with a disability under the age of 18 can count on part-time work.

In other cases, it is also permitted to make such an application. This can be done with the consent of both parties. It is important to note that labor legislation regulates the length of the working week. At the same time, the length of the working day can be regulated by the internal documents of the enterprise.

Working too much is bad for your health

Australian scientists conducted a study and found that men can work no more than 47 hours a week without harm to their health, and women - no more than 34 hours. The fact is that women often also carry household chores. In general, scientists say that the work week should not last more than 39 hours.

In addition, Canadian scientists state that those who work 40 hours a week (a standard five-day work week of 8 hours a day) have a 50% higher risk of developing hypertension than those who work 35 hours a week.

Breaks

While performing work, everyone has the right to a rest break. With an 8-hour day, the total duration of breaks during the working day cannot exceed two hours. However, the law also provides for a minimum duration. It is half an hour.

This can be clarified using the following example. If an employee comes to work at 8 a.m. and leaves at 5 p.m., then he works for 8 hours, including an hour break for rest and meals. If an employee wants to work without such a break, this will be a violation of labor laws.

The exact duration of the break is usually fixed in the employment contract or formulated in the labor regulations of the enterprise. The wording may include both the exact time of the break and the period during which it can be used. For example, it may be stipulated that from 12 to 15 hours the employee can take an hour break.

Such rest can only be used at the time specified by the employer. It is not allowed to spontaneously reschedule it for another time.

Life today is radically different from what it was a century ago

The concept of an 8-hour working day was first proposed by the English entrepreneur Robert Owen back in 1817 in the form of the slogan: “Eight hours is work. Eight hours - rest. Eight hours is sleep.” In the second half of the 19th century, workers who were forced to work 12 or even 15 hours a day began to actively advocate for shorter working hours. Against the backdrop of mass strikes, employers in different countries began to make concessions, improve working conditions and increase social guarantees. Ordinary hard workers now have more time to rest and get enough sleep.

However, today many people complain precisely about lack of sleep and lack of time for proper rest. You need to understand that in the past, residential areas for workers were built mainly near enterprises, and people did not spend much time on the road. Today, especially in big cities, it takes 1-2 hours to get to work and the same amount in the opposite direction. As a result, a person, returning home in the evening, barely has time to cook food and sleep.

In addition, a century ago, women mostly did not work and did household chores, so men were freed from household chores. Today, most women work equally with men, and it is a great success if a married couple can effectively share household chores among themselves.

Advantages and disadvantages of an 8-hour workday

Over the decades, the 8-hour workday has become accepted as standard. For example, when it comes to running a government office, the expectation is that the opening hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the other hand, the question arises of how productive such a routine is.

It originated in the 19th century and was implied, and at the time it was progressive. The work of the workers was monotonous and did not require intellectual effort. Since then, a lot has changed, including the nature of the work of most employees of various companies and organizations.

Some people believe that an employee's peak productivity time is only a few hours, and that the rest of the workday will not be productive enough. However, those who work in accordance with such a routine have certain advantages:

1. Employees working according to such a schedule can organize a rhythmic and intense work process. During the day they manage to complete their work.
2. The salary is usually fixed. Employees go on vacation on time and take sick leave if necessary.
3. With a consistent schedule, you can expect to receive rest and meal breaks of a set duration.

Why do we work 8 hours a day?

At the end of the 18th century, in order to bring maximum benefit, factories had to work almost non-stop.
Therefore, people worked 10–16 hours a day. But a man named Robert Owen started a movement for the 8-hour work day. His motto was: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of recovery, 8 hours of rest.

It wasn't long before Henry Ford actually introduced an 8-hour workday and changed standards.

Ford Motor Company in 1914 not only cut the working day in half (to 8 hours), but also doubled wages. And, oddly enough, Ford Motor Company's profits also doubled in two years. Therefore, other companies decided to follow the example of the car manufacturer. This is how we got an 8-hour working day.

In general, it's not about scientific facts and experiments, but about benefits.