The gradual reduction in weekly working hours, culminating in widespread adoption of the “standard” working week by the 1960s, was grounded in a concern for health and safety and the preservation of time outside of paid labor. Over the last few decades, however, this progressive standardization of working time has given way to a diversification and individualization in working hours. Employers have responded to the competitive pressures of globalization by requiring that productivity be enhanced through changes in working-time schedules. Since the turn of the century, a common goal to remove or liberalize restrictions on working hours has emerged. This book draws together an international team of contributors to examine the process.
