The basic concepts that define working hours can be considered a working week and a working day. This is the cumulative time that a worker spends in the workplace for a week or one day. These standards should be regulated by law on the basis of the production process and the natural needs of the person in rest.
Different countries have their own labor standards and legislative framework in this area. Consider the most "hardworking" countries and those in which the minimum norms of the working week.
Workweek in the Labor Code
Working time is the time that a worker spends fulfilling his immediate labor duties established by an employment contract. It is regulated by the routine of a particular enterprise.
The working week in days calculates the time that a person must spend at his workplace. But there is another principle of calculation. The hourly working week shows the total number of working hours in a calendar week. These two concepts are most often used in everyday life.
To calculate how many hours a working week is, you need to know:
- how many working days per week;
- how many hours in each working day.
The product of these two indicators will give the desired figure, but if one of the days is shortened, for example, Saturday, then you need to subtract these reduced hours. For example, 5 days of 8 working hours will be the standard 40-hour week.
The norms of the working week are prescribed in the law (Labor Code) and in labor contracts. So, in Art. 91 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation indicated that the working week should be no more than 40 hours. For those who are officially employed, under a collective labor agreement, this is the maximum number of working hours per week, which are paid at the normal rate. Overtime, in particular over 40 working hours per week, must be paid at other rates.
how many working days in the week
There is a standard five-day work week. With this schedule, Saturday and Sunday are the days off. There is also a six-day work week with a single day off - Sunday.
A six-day period is introduced where a five-day week is not suitable for the specifics of the work or for the maximum load standards. Many firms work six days a week, especially the service sector - Saturday is quite an active day to provide services. Many factory workers and other workers who work on a five-day day apply for certain services on their day off - Saturday. Not only commercial, but also some government agencies work on a six-day schedule.
Some countries practice a 4-day work week. Such a proposal was made in the State Duma, but did not find support, but only thundered in the news. In this case working days It would be about 10 hours, compensating for the extra day off.
Obviously, the duration of a shift is determined by the norms of the duration of the working week and the number of working days in it. If you start from the standard figure of 40 working hours per week, then the duration of the working day will be:
- 5-day - 8 working hours per day;
- 6 days - 7 working hours a day, Saturday - 5 working hours.
These are general rules for the Russian Federation based on the relevant provisions of the law.
Workdays calendar for 2015
In 2015, one working hour more than in 2014. With a 5-day week at 40 hours, 2015 contains:
- working days - 247;
- shortened pre-holiday days (for 1 hour) - 5;
- days off and non-working days - 118;
It is easy to calculate the total working time in 2015:
8 hours (working day at 5 days) * 247 - 5 (shortened hours) = 1971 hours
The number of working weeks in a year can be determined by dividing the received 1971 hours by a norm of 40 hours, we get 49 working weeks. There are special production calendars in which you can see which days of the week are working. 2015 as a whole practically does not differ from the previous one.
Custom Graphics
It is necessary to take into account enterprises where work is carried out in 2, 3 and 4 shifts, the duration of which is different - 10, 12 and 24 hours. The schedule is set by the employer, who is guided by the opinion of the union, as well as the conditions and specifics of the production process.
For example, some heavy industry enterprises often work in 3 shifts, each of them for 12 hours, seven days a week. Then for each employee their own schedule of shifts and days off is determined, which do not coincide with regular public holidays. However, the general norms of the maximum working time must be respected, and the hours of processing must be paid at an increased rate.
For those who work part-time, the working day is defined within 4 hours and the working week within 16 hours. True, the law provides for exceptions for cultural workers, doctors and teachers.
Standards for working hours are set both at the level of the Russian Federation and at local levels as part of the drafting of contracts both collectively and individually.
Weekend and religious traditions
The labor week standards in different countries differ; in some of them, days off may not be those days that are considered as such in Russia. In European countries, USA and most Asian countries the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. But in Muslim countries - Friday and Saturday. In this case, the working week begins on Sunday and lasts until Thursday - Egypt, Syria, Iraq, the UAE. In Iran, for example, the work schedule starts on Saturday and ends on Thursday.
The main day off in Israel is Saturday, while Friday is a shortened day - you can work only until lunch.
This is due to religious traditions and the need to give people a day off to perform the necessary religious rites. Christian Sunday tradition and Jewish “Shabbat” form the basis of the official weekend. However, in most developed countries this is a tradition that has been formed over many years and enshrined in law - an understandable and convenient working day schedule.
Work schedules of other countries
After the collapse of the USSR, a 40-hour work week was established in almost all CIS countries. And how is the situation in other countries of the world?
The European Parliament has set the maximum working hours, including overtime, at 48 hours a week. In addition, some European countries have introduced regulatory restrictions. For example, Finland set both a minimum time of 32 working hours per week and a maximum of 40 hours.
But the standard working week for most European countries is set at 35 working hours: Switzerland, France, Germany and Belgium. Private enterprises usually work more, but in production this norm is strictly observed.
Since the 40s of the 20th century, the United States has introduced a working week rate of 40 hours. This is relevant for government workers, while in private firms this figure is 35 hours. Such a reduction in working hours is caused by the economic crisis.
Interestingly, in the Netherlands they tend to have a shorter working week and a longer working day. With a standard of 40 working hours per week, Dutch enterprises are increasingly introducing a 4-day working week with a 10-hour working day.
Who works the most?
It is no secret that the most hardworking people are in China, where people work 10 hours a day. Given that there is a six-day work week in China, this leaves 60 working hours.A lunch break of just 20 minutes and a vacation of 10 days leaves no doubt about the leadership of this country in hard work.
You need to understand that the official workweek and actual data can be very different, and in any direction. In the CIS countries, especially in private enterprises, they tend to work more than 40 hours, while processing is far from always paid.
In addition, given all the breaks and shortened days, workers in many countries work less than standard standards. The largest gap with official hours and actually worked hours is observed in the USA, Germany and France, where the labor week counts in fact no more than 33–35 hours.
In France, for example, Friday is an official working day, but many make it so shortened that after lunch no one is at work.
But the British, known for their hard work, usually stay in the workplace, so that their week is delayed to 42.5 hours.
Statistics on the work week in different countries
Given all of the above, you can only average determine how many hours a week work in the following countries:
- USA - 40;
- England - 42.5;
- France - 35-39;
- Germany, Italy - 40;
- Japan - 40-44 (according to some reports 50);
- Sweden - 40;
- Netherlands - 40;
- Belgium - 38;
- Russia, Ukraine, Belarus (and other CIS countries) - 40;
- China - 60.
Although in some sources you can find slightly different data. For example, Italy is named one of the countries where people work the least. Probably, it is impossible to generalize these statistics to the end, but it is necessary to consider them from different angles of view: for private business, large enterprises, etc.
In most of these countries, a five-day working week, hours in the working day may be a different number.
4 days in Russia?
It turns out that not only in the Netherlands, but also in Russia, a working week of 4 days could be adopted. In 2014, the State Duma discussed the possibility of introducing a 4-day working week with the filing of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO's 4-day recommendations are based on the possibility of expanding the number of vacancies and jobs. Such a short week gives citizens the opportunity to relax more effectively and efficiently.
However, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation noted the impossibility for Russia of such innovations, calling the 4-day work week a luxury. On the other hand, the plight of some citizens would force them to find a second job on these 3 days off, which would negatively affect their health and ability to work.
