The Death of the 40-Hour Work Week

Hey there,

For 87 years, the 40-hour workweek has stubbornly remained the norm, much like Uncle Steve posting his Google searches as Facebook statuses.

Originally designed for factory workers in the 1930s, this rigid structure has persisted despite the fact that modern work looks nothing like an assembly line.

Think about it: the last few years have proven that productivity isn't about sitting at a desk for eight hours a day—it’s about what actually gets done. 

As remote work, flexible schedules, and time zones blur the old boundaries, it's clear that punching a clock is more about tradition than efficiency.

How did we even get here? 

Back in the Industrial Revolution, advances in technology allowed for mass production at unprecedented levels.

The catch is that it was fueled by cheap labor, brutal conditions, and workdays that stretched 12 to 16 hours.

Strikes and protests fought for something more humane, but it took Henry Ford—the guy who made the moving assembly line—to revolutionize the concept.

In 1926, he implemented the 40-hour workweek, realizing that shorter hours meant higher productivity and, conveniently, more people with time to buy his cars.

Congress made it official in 1938, and thus, the 40-hour model was cemented into history.

But here’s the problem: we’re still operating under rules designed for factory floors, not modern digital work.

We have high-speed internet, smartphones more powerful than the Apollo rockets, and yet we still cling to the idea that productivity is measured in hours rather than results.

Studies show most employees only spend about 45% of their time on actual job duties.

The rest is spent (or maybe wasted?) on meetings, emails, and interruptions. (And let’s be honest—some portion of that is scrolling in the bathroom.)

Worse, research confirms that working beyond 40 hours doesn’t just kill productivity—it literally kills people.

A 2016 WHO study linked long work hours to strokes and heart disease, with over 745,000 deaths annually attributed to overwork.

Japan even coined a term for it: "Karoshi"—death by overwork.

The good news is that alternatives are emerging.

Iceland’s four-day workweek trial (2015–2019) maintained productivity while boosting job satisfaction.

A New Zealand firm found employees were more energized and creative with fewer hours.

Tech CEO Ryan Breslow wants workers to operate like lions—short bursts of high-intensity effort, not endless grazing.

Monograph’s Robert Yen structured his company around output, not hours, letting employees take mid-week breaks while maintaining efficiency.

And flex time is already proving that performance matters more than showing up for arbitrary time slots.

Basically, the 40-hour workweek was a great starting point, but it was never meant to be the finish line.

It’s time to rethink work—not just for productivity’s sake, but for our health, happiness, and, you know, staying alive.

Let’s call time of death on the 40-hour workweek and build something that actually makes sense for the way we work today.

Have a wonderful week, all.
Over and out - Scott (@motivatedscott).

These cannabis gummies keep selling out in 2025

If you've ever struggled to enjoy cannabis due to the harshness of smoking or vaping, you're not alone. That’s why these new cannabis gummies caught our eye.

Mood is an online dispensary that has invented a “joint within a gummy” that’s extremely potent yet federally-legal. Their gummies are formulated to tap into the human body’s endocannabinoid system.

Although this system was discovered in the 1990’s, farmers and scientists at Mood were among the first to figure out how to tap into it with cannabis gummies. Just 1 of their rapid onset THC gummies can get you feeling right within 5 minutes!

Order Now

Love content like this? Then you’ll love my podcast…

Listen to my top 100 health podcast with over 6 million downloads on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Up next on the podcast:

• Habits that will Ruin Your Life