Why did Henry Ford believe that giving workers a two-day weekend would actually benefit his company's sales?
Chapter 1

The origin of the five-day week

Chapter 2

The modern global trials

Chapter 3

The science of work and rest

Chapter 4

The hurdles and hard truths

YOUR GOAL

Master of The four-day workweek

Ch 1 · The origin of the five-day week
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futura Henry Ford makes it official

Jul 12

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futura Five-Day Work Week Origin

Ford Motor Company, in '26 you see, Gave the world five workdays, with productivity!

Jul 12

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futura How Sunday became the only day off

Jul 12

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Henry Ford makes it official

futura Henry Ford popularized the modern five-day workweek in 1926 to boost productivity and consumerism.

Jun 16

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The rise of Saint Monday

futura In 19th-century Britain, workers took an informal day off on Mondays to recover.

Jun 16

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The Pocket Workweek
BETA

futura Balance tasks on a four-day calendar to discover if shorter workweeks actually boost productivity.

Jul 12

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Fun Fact

Ford's weekend: Henry Ford adopted the five-day week in 1926 to give workers more time to buy and use cars.

Jun 16

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Glossary
workweek (noun)
The hours or days of a week during which work is done. Henry Ford introduced a five-day workweek at his automotive factories in 1926 to boost productivity.

Jun 16

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Gossip

Which weekend day is the absolute best?

Jun 16

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Quiz

Why did Henry Ford believe that giving workers a two-day weekend would actually benefit his company's sales?

Jun 16

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futura The rise of Saint Monday

Jul 12

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Quiz

What was the historical custom known as 'Saint Monday' in 19th-century British industrial cities?

Jun 16

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futura Global standards of 40 hours

Jul 12

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Quiz

Which US labor union led the massive 1886 strikes in Chicago demanding an eight-hour workday?

Jun 16

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Quiz

Which country became the first to legally mandate a 40-hour workweek for all industrial workers in 1936?

Jun 16

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Quiz

Before the labor movements of the 19th century, what was the typical work schedule for Western factory workers?

Jun 16

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Quiz

Which ancient civilization is widely credited with helping establish the concept of a seven-day week cycle?

Jun 16

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Quiz

Which year did Ford Motor Company officially adopt the five-day, 40-hour workweek for its factory workers?

Jun 16

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Quiz

In 1935, which international body approved the Forty-Hour Week Convention to promote shorter work hours globally?

Jun 16