He started the Eight-Hour-Day movement in 1817, in the throes of the Industrial Revolution however, it was just at early 20th century his proposals were staged. The circumstances of the time have been different - that the working class, including kids as young as 8, were working up to 16 hours a day, also so what Owen proposed was believed radical (and not considered by the retailer class). "two hours work, eight hours and eight hours diversion" was that which he devised to function as the ideal work-life balance.  Higher than just a 100 years after, and most states of the entire globe go by the eight-hour guideline. Back in France and Belgium, the typical workweek is 30 hrs. And bunnings opening hours sunday in the Netherlands and Norway, the typical week is an incredible 27 hours) whereas many Asian countries and america work more than the suggested 40 hrs.  Research does encourage which eight-hour work days, and sometimes less, are perfect for productivity. Overtimes Can Lead to higher output but is simply good for short bursts and not for sustained periods  The Business Roundtable study discovered that after only eight 60-hour weeks, the fall-off in productivity is therefore indicated that the average team might have gotten just as much done and been better off if they had simply stuck to your 40-hour week all along. And at 70- or 80-hour weeks, the falloff happens quicker: at 80 hours, the most break-even point is reached within three weeks. Last but not least: All these death marches require a more moderate productivity toll also. Once the crisis has passed that 60-hour-a-week team gets to go back to its routine 40, it usually takes several more weeks before the burnout begins to lift enough for them to resume their typical productivity degree. Therefore, for a little while, you are going to become somewhat less than a whole 40 out of these. Research indicates that researchers actually have fewer good hours a day than direct laborers do - average, about six hours, as opposed to eight. It sounds strange, but if you are a knowledge worker, the fact of the may become clear if you consider your own typical work day. Odds are good that you probably turn out five or five good, productive hours of hard mental work; and spend the other a couple of hours on the occupation in meetings, calling email, which makes calls and so forth. You can stay more if your boss asks; but after six hours, all he has really got left is a butt in a chair. Your brain has already clocked out and gone home.   Knowledge workers may also be, she says,"dangerously sensitive to even slight sleep loss" with a hour or so less than the optimum (not cited ) for a week with the same effect on mental performance as 0.10 blood alcohol levels!  Evidence suggests that researchers work in rhythms, with early morning and hours right after lunch being one of the most productive. Eight hrs straight of job may be better for manual labourers, at which work is regular and easy, but the productivity of knowledge workers are not constant each daytime but progresses in peaks and troughs.  The Netherlands is in the Top Five European nations however, it's the least amount of hours worked, whereas Greeks work the longest but is one of the cheapest economies in Europe (productivity is calculated by dividing GDP by number of employees). Germans who work 40% less compared to the Greeks certainly are a whole good deal more productive. The outcome are exactly the same even after accounting for its self explanatory and part time workers. The Germans are only more efficient, especially within their manufacturing.  With technology enabling greater efficiencies than previously, telecommuting (28 percent of workers at this time ) might soon become common place, and the normal workday at the office may be reduced to six or less. Who knows?  With the changing requirements of earth, the new economy and new technologies, enough time has arrived, perhaps, for a review of eight-hour workday.