Workweek
Encyclopedia
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week
devoted to labour and rest
respectively. The legal working week (British English
), or workweek (U.S. English
), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally non-working days in the seven-day week
. What constitutes the workweek is mandated either by law or custom. In Christian tradition, Sunday is the "Lord's Day
" and the day of rest and worship. The Jewish
or Biblical Sabbath
, known as Shabbat
, lasts from sunset on Friday
to the fall of full darkness on Saturday
. The French Revolutionary Calendar had ten-day weeks and allowed decadi, one out of the ten days, as a leisure day.
The present-day concept of the weekend first arose from the Dies Solis
(Day of the Sun) decreed by Constantine, and the Biblical Sabbath
. The weekend in Western countries comprises Saturday and Sunday, when most employees do not have to work. Whereas the Sabbath itself was just one day each week, the preceding day also came to be taken as a holiday, because it was considered necessary to do preparatory tasks at home that would permit proper Sabbath observance the next day. (Luke 23;54)
), Saturday (Jewish
), or Friday (Muslim
).
The American
concept of the weekend has its roots in labor union attempts to accommodate Jewish workers who took Saturday
instead of Sunday
as their Sabbath
. The first five-day work week was instituted by a New England
cotton mill
for this reason.
In 1926 Henry Ford
began shutting down his automotive factories for all of Saturday and Sunday. In 1929 the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
was the first union to demand a five-day work week and receive it. After that, the rest of the United States
slowly followed, but it wasn't until 1940 that the two-day weekend began nationwide.
Many businesses, particularly in the retail and service sectors, are regularly open for business on Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons.
Weekend begins on Friday after work at 5pm, and ends on Monday morning at 8am. Many businesses, particularly in the retail and service sectors, are regularly open for business on Saturday and Sunday.
Colombia has a 48 working-hours worweek running from Monday to Saturday.
, the standard full-time working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. Most retail shops are open for business on Saturday. In Ireland, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and the former communist states of Europe, large shopping centres open on Sunday, however in the Netherlands this is still somewhat controversial, as some political parties, especially the SGP
, tend to disagree with it.
In some European countries such as Germany and Denmark, there are laws regulating open hours for shops. Shops must, with exceptions, be closed from midnight until the early morning and on Sundays.
, the work week is usually from Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week as a full-time job.
Lots of shops and restaurants are open on Saturdays and Sundays, but employees still usually work 40 hours per week.
Most schools in France close on Wednesday, so it is common for students to attend school on Saturday.
has a working week from Monday to Friday with core working hours from 09:00 to 17:30. Retail stores usually open until 21:00 every Thursday. Many grocery stores, especially in urban areas, open till 21:00 or later, and some supermarkets and convenience stores may open 24/7. Shops are generally open all day Saturday and a shorter day Sunday (usually 10:00–12:00 to 17:00–19:00).
Shops are almost always open on Saturdays and often on Sundays, supermarkets and shopping centres, so that employees there have to work. Traditionally, restaurants were closed on Mondays if they were opened during the weekend, but this has in later years largely fallen out of practice. Many museums do however still remain closed on Mondays.
Laws for shop opening hours differ between Scotland and the rest of the UK. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland many shops and services are open on Saturdays and increasingly so on Sundays as well. In England and Wales the maximum opening times stores are allowed to open on Sundays are determined by the total floor space of a store. In Scotland however there is no restriction in law on shop opening hours on a Sunday.
The EU Working Time Directive
regulates that workers cannot be forced to work for more than 48 hours per week on average (although the UK allows individuals to opt out if they so choose). The minimum holiday entitlement is now 28 days per year but that includes Public Holidays. England & Wales have 8, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10 permanent Public Holiday days per year
, for some private enterprises, the standard full-time working week begins on Monday and ends on Saturday with half a day, making it a 5½-day work week, roughly 50 hours per week. The weekend is Sunday. However, government offices, newer institutions, IT & ITES companies follow the international 40 hour week starting Monday to Friday.
the week days are named after the 7 major visible planets which in ancient civilization they were well aware of and also understood their subtle effect on life on earth. Sun (Surya
) being the most visible and most powerful object in the sky got the deserved place of 1st day of the week or Sunday (in Sanskrit Suryavasara) this was followed by next visible object being the Moon (Chandra
) still in English Monday (from Maan-dag in Dutch) and in Sanskrit Soma-vasara which means day of the Moon. Next visible object is Mars (Mangala
) and hence it was the 3rd day of the week and called Mangala-vasara. This was followed by Mercury (Budha
) (Buddha-vasara) then Jupiter (Guru
) (Guru-vasara), Venus (Shukra
)(Shukra-vasara) and finally least visible object Saturn (Shani
)(Sani-vasara). The rest day for society was always Saturday in the Vedic calendar. Today only Nepal
still follows this calendar work week while India has switched to the one followed by most of the World.
follows the standard international 40 hour working week, from Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday being weekends. However, in many schools and enterprises, Friday is usually considered a half-day.
In Pakistan there is motivation in people to start new businesses
prayers take place, and a number of countries have a Thursday–Friday weekend. Those countries are presently:
As of 2009, formal proposals are also being discussed in Yemen to change to a (single-day) Friday weekend.
is, the workweek begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday or Friday at noon to accommodate Jewish Sabbath, which begins Friday night.
The standard workweek is 43 hours per week, while a workday is 8 to 10 hours per day, depending on contract.
word "Zondag"), 45–48 hours per week. On Friday many people say "HanaKin," which means "flowery Friday."
Federal law defines a workweek duration of 5 or 6 days and not more than 40 hours.
In all cases Sunday is a holiday.
With a 5-day workweek the employer chooses which day of the week will be the second day off.
Usually this is a Saturday, but in some organizations (mostly government) such day is a Monday.
Through this they can serve people with a normal working schedule at Saturday.
There are non-working public holidays in Russia and all of them have a fixed day in the year.
By law if such holiday coincides with ordinary day off, the second takes the place of the next working day (an official public holiday can't replace a regular day off).
Each year the government can modify working weeks near public holidays for optimizing labor schedule.
For example, when the usual five-day week, Tuesday or Thursday will be a public holiday, Monday or Friday will be an uncomfortable one-day gap between holidays.
In the case with Tuesday, we can swap the Saturday day off and Monday working day, and get a reasonable week from Wednesday to Saturday.
In the case with Thursday, we can swap Friday with Saturday of the next week or Saturday and next week Monday or use any other solution.
There are exceptions for some specific occupations like transport workers, shop assistants, security guards, etc.
They usually use their own independent schemes without working weeks.
For example, for daily services often uses the X-after-Y scheme (Russian: X через Y) when every worker X days uses for working and next Y days uses for resting.
).
Week
A week is a time unit equal to seven days.The English word week continues an Old English wice, ultimately from a Common Germanic , from a root "turn, move, change"...
devoted to labour and rest
Rest
Rest may refer to:* Leisure* Human relaxation* SleepRest may also refer to:* Rest , a pause in a piece of music* Rest , the relation between two observers* Rest , a 2008 album by Gregor Samsa...
respectively. The legal working week (British English
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
), or workweek (U.S. English
U.S. English
U.S. English is the umbrella name for two American political advocacy groups founded in 1983 by Senator S. I. Hayakawa and Dr. John Tanton to advocate the adoption of the English language as the official language of the United States of America....
), is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally non-working days in the seven-day week
Seven-day week
The seven-day week is used by the majority of the world and is the international standard as specified in ISO 8601.- Origins :The origin of the seven-day week is the religious significance that was placed on the seventh day by ancient cultures, including the Babylonian civilization and the Jewish...
. What constitutes the workweek is mandated either by law or custom. In Christian tradition, Sunday is the "Lord's Day
Lord's Day
Lord's Day is a Christian name for Sunday, the day of communal worship. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said in the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament to have been witnessed alive from the dead early on the first day of...
" and the day of rest and worship. The Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
or Biblical Sabbath
Sabbath
Sabbath in Christianity is a weekly day of rest or religious observance, derived from the Biblical Sabbath.Seventh-day Sabbath observance, i.e. resting from labor from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset, is practiced by seventh-day Sabbatarians...
, known as Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, lasts from sunset on Friday
Friday
Friday is the day between Thursday and Saturday. In countries adopting Monday-first conventions as recommended by the international standard ISO 8601, it is the fifth day of the week. It is the sixth day in countries that adopt a Sunday-first convention as in Abrahamic tradition...
to the fall of full darkness on Saturday
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
. The French Revolutionary Calendar had ten-day weeks and allowed decadi, one out of the ten days, as a leisure day.
The present-day concept of the weekend first arose from the Dies Solis
Sol Invictus
Sol Invictus was the official sun god of the later Roman empire. In 274 Aurelian made it an official cult alongside the traditional Roman cults. Scholars disagree whether the new deity was a refoundation of the ancient Latin cult of Sol, a revival of the cult of Elagabalus or completely new...
(Day of the Sun) decreed by Constantine, and the Biblical Sabbath
Biblical Sabbath
Sabbath in the Bible is usually a weekly day of rest and time of worship. The Sabbath is first mentioned in the Genesis creation narrative. The seventh day is there set aside as a day of rest—the Sabbath. It is observed differently in Judaism and Christianity and informs a similar occasion in...
. The weekend in Western countries comprises Saturday and Sunday, when most employees do not have to work. Whereas the Sabbath itself was just one day each week, the preceding day also came to be taken as a holiday, because it was considered necessary to do preparatory tasks at home that would permit proper Sabbath observance the next day. (Luke 23;54)
History
In cultures with a seven-day week, the day of rest derives from the main religious tradition: Sunday (ChristianChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
), Saturday (Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
), or Friday (Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
).
The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
concept of the weekend has its roots in labor union attempts to accommodate Jewish workers who took Saturday
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week following Friday and preceding Sunday.Saturday is the last day of the week on many calendars and in conventions that consider the week as beginning on Sunday, or the sixth day of the week according to international standard ISO 8601 which was first published in...
instead of Sunday
Sunday
Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day for worship of God and rest, due to the belief that it is Lord's Day, the day of Christ's resurrection....
as their Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
. The first five-day work week was instituted by a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
for this reason.
In 1926 Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
began shutting down his automotive factories for all of Saturday and Sunday. In 1929 the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America was a United States labor union known for its support for "social unionism" and progressive political causes. Led by Sidney Hillman for its first thirty years, it helped found the Congress of Industrial Organizations...
was the first union to demand a five-day work week and receive it. After that, the rest of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
slowly followed, but it wasn't until 1940 that the two-day weekend began nationwide.
Around the world
(Countries are listed alphabetically, only some appear under the subsections for Islamic countries and the European Union.)Australia
In Australia, the working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. The official working week varies between 35 and 40 hours per week (not including breaks).Many businesses, particularly in the retail and service sectors, are regularly open for business on Saturday and Sunday mornings and afternoons.
Canada
The standard business office working week in Canada begins on Monday and ends on Friday, 40 hours per week.Weekend begins on Friday after work at 5pm, and ends on Monday morning at 8am. Many businesses, particularly in the retail and service sectors, are regularly open for business on Saturday and Sunday.
Chile
The law sets the legal workweek at six days or 45 hours; the maximum workday length is 10 hours. The law establishes occupational safety and health standards.China
In China, the working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. China began the two-day weekend in 1995. Most workers work 5 days a week (including officials and most industries). Normally, the Chinese consider the week beginning with Monday and ending with Sunday. However, most shops as well as the museums and cinemas are open on Saturday and Sunday. Commercial establishments including consumer banking and consumer telecommunication branches are generally open throughout the weekend and also on most public holidays.Colombia
Colombia, as practically all Latin American countries, has a 40 working-hours workweek running from Monday to Friday. Shops and retailers open Saturday and Sunday in most of the biggest cities.Colombia has a 48 working-hours worweek running from Monday to Saturday.
EU
In EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the standard full-time working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. Most retail shops are open for business on Saturday. In Ireland, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and the former communist states of Europe, large shopping centres open on Sunday, however in the Netherlands this is still somewhat controversial, as some political parties, especially the SGP
Reformed Political Party
The Reformed Political Party is an orthodox Protestant Dutch political party. The term Reformed is not a reference to political reform, but is a synonym for Calvinist. The SGP is the oldest political party in the Netherlands in its current form, and for its entire existence has been in opposition...
, tend to disagree with it.
In some European countries such as Germany and Denmark, there are laws regulating open hours for shops. Shops must, with exceptions, be closed from midnight until the early morning and on Sundays.
Austria
The work week is Monday through Friday, although Friday is usually a half-day. Shops are open on Saturdays. Almost no shops are open on Sundays, as this is not allowed by law. However, exceptions to this have been made in Vienna.Bulgaria
The work week is Monday through Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week. Some pharmacies, shops, bars, cafes and restaurants are open in Saturdays and Sundays.Czech Republic
In the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, the work week is usually from Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week as a full-time job.
Lots of shops and restaurants are open on Saturdays and Sundays, but employees still usually work 40 hours per week.
Estonia
In Estonia, the working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. Usually a working week is 40 hours.Finland
In Finland, the working week begins on Monday and ends on Friday. A full time job is defined by law as being at least 32 and at most 40 hours a week. For some professions, eg salespersons in retail shops and restaurants, the weekly hours may be calculated as an average in three to ten weeks depending on the employment contract.France
The standard working week is Monday through Friday. Shops are also opened on Saturdays. Small shops may close on a weekday (generally Monday) to compensate their workers for having worked Saturday. By law, Prefets are allowed to authorise a small number of specific shops to open on Sundays; such as bars, cafes, restaurants and bakeries (which are traditionally opened every day but only during the morning on Sunday). Workers cannot be obliged to work on Sundays.Most schools in France close on Wednesday, so it is common for students to attend school on Saturday.
Ireland
IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
has a working week from Monday to Friday with core working hours from 09:00 to 17:30. Retail stores usually open until 21:00 every Thursday. Many grocery stores, especially in urban areas, open till 21:00 or later, and some supermarkets and convenience stores may open 24/7. Shops are generally open all day Saturday and a shorter day Sunday (usually 10:00–12:00 to 17:00–19:00).
Latvia
Latvia has a Monday to Friday working week, with normal maximum time of 40 hours. Shops are mostly open also on weekends, many large retail chains having full working hours even on Sunday. Private enterprises usually work 9:00–18:00, however some other as well governmental institutions can have a shorter working day, ending at 17:00.Poland
The workweek is Monday through Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week. Large malls are open on Saturday and Sunday, many small shops close on Sunday.Portugal
The workweek is Monday through Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week. Shops are almost always open on Saturdays and often on Sundays, especially food shops and shopping centres.Romania
The workweek is Monday through Friday; 8 hours per day, 40 hours in total per week. Shops are open on Saturdays and Sundays.Sweden
In Sweden, the standard workweek is Monday through Friday, both for offices and industry workers. The standard workday is eight hours, although it may vary greatly between different fields and businesses. Most office-workers have flexible working hours, and can largely decide themselves on how to divide these over the week. The workweek is regulated by Arbetstidslagen (Work time law) to a maximum of 40 hours per week. The 40-hour-week is however easily bypassed by overtime. The law allows a maximum of 200 hours overtime per year. There is however no overseeing government agency, and the law is often cited as toothless.Shops are almost always open on Saturdays and often on Sundays, supermarkets and shopping centres, so that employees there have to work. Traditionally, restaurants were closed on Mondays if they were opened during the weekend, but this has in later years largely fallen out of practice. Many museums do however still remain closed on Mondays.
United Kingdom
The normal business working week is from Monday to Friday (35 to 40 hours depending on contract).Laws for shop opening hours differ between Scotland and the rest of the UK. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland many shops and services are open on Saturdays and increasingly so on Sundays as well. In England and Wales the maximum opening times stores are allowed to open on Sundays are determined by the total floor space of a store. In Scotland however there is no restriction in law on shop opening hours on a Sunday.
The EU Working Time Directive
Working Time Directive
The Working Time Directive is a European Union Directive, which creates the right for EU workers to a minimum number of holidays each year, paid breaks, and rest of at least 11 hours in any 24 hours; restricts excessive night work; and makes a default right to work no more than 48 hours per week....
regulates that workers cannot be forced to work for more than 48 hours per week on average (although the UK allows individuals to opt out if they so choose). The minimum holiday entitlement is now 28 days per year but that includes Public Holidays. England & Wales have 8, Scotland has 9 and Northern Ireland has 10 permanent Public Holiday days per year
Hong Kong
The standard working week in Hong Kong is Monday to Friday for most local and international companies. A handful still work Saturdays, but the old six day week largely was abandoned following governmental changes in 2006, under which various administrative and judicial bodies moved to a five day week. However, many civil services and banks remain open to consumers on Saturday mornings, and most shops and restaurants open early and shut late, seven days a week.India
In IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, for some private enterprises, the standard full-time working week begins on Monday and ends on Saturday with half a day, making it a 5½-day work week, roughly 50 hours per week. The weekend is Sunday. However, government offices, newer institutions, IT & ITES companies follow the international 40 hour week starting Monday to Friday.
India in ancient times
In the ancient Vedic calendar, which pre-dates Christian, Muslim and Jewish calendars, Sunday has always been the 1st day of the week with Saturday as the day of rest. In SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
the week days are named after the 7 major visible planets which in ancient civilization they were well aware of and also understood their subtle effect on life on earth. Sun (Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
) being the most visible and most powerful object in the sky got the deserved place of 1st day of the week or Sunday (in Sanskrit Suryavasara) this was followed by next visible object being the Moon (Chandra
Chandra
In Hinduism, Chandra is a lunar deity and a Graha. Chandra is also identified with the Vedic Lunar deity Soma . The Soma name refers particularly to the juice of sap in the plants and thus makes the Moon the lord of plants and vegetation. He is described as young, beautiful, fair; two-armed and...
) still in English Monday (from Maan-dag in Dutch) and in Sanskrit Soma-vasara which means day of the Moon. Next visible object is Mars (Mangala
Mangala
In Jyotish astrology, Mangala is the name for Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka In Jyotish astrology, Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the name for Mars, the red planet. Mars is also called Angaraka In Jyotish astrology, Mangala (Devanagari: मंगल) is the name for Mars, the red...
) and hence it was the 3rd day of the week and called Mangala-vasara. This was followed by Mercury (Budha
Budha
In Hindu mythology, Budha is the name for the planet Mercury, a son of Chandra with Tara or Rohini. He is also the god of merchandise and protector of Merchants....
) (Buddha-vasara) then Jupiter (Guru
Brihaspati
Bṛhaspati also known as Brahmanaspati and Deva-guru , is the name of a Vedic deity...
) (Guru-vasara), Venus (Shukra
Shukra
Shukra , the Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness", is the name of the son of Bhrigu, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas...
)(Shukra-vasara) and finally least visible object Saturn (Shani
Shani
Sanskrit Śhani शनि, Kannada Śhani ಶನಿ ದೇವರು,Shani/Sani , is one of the Navagraha or Jyotiṣa . Shani is embodied in the planet Saturn and is the Lord of Saturday....
)(Sani-vasara). The rest day for society was always Saturday in the Vedic calendar. Today only Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
still follows this calendar work week while India has switched to the one followed by most of the World.
Mexico
Mexico has a 48 working-hours workweek running from Monday to Friday. However, it is a custom in most industries and trades to work half day on Saturday, which is the day workers get paid. Shops and retailers open on Saturday and Sunday in most of the biggest cities.Nepal
Nepal follows the ancient Vedic calendar, which has the resting day on Saturday and the first day of the working week on Sunday.Pakistan
PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
follows the standard international 40 hour working week, from Monday to Friday, with Saturday and Sunday being weekends. However, in many schools and enterprises, Friday is usually considered a half-day.
In Pakistan there is motivation in people to start new businesses
Thursday–Friday Weekend
Friday is the Muslim holy day when Jumu'ahJumu'ah
Jumu'ah is a congregational prayer that Muslims hold every Friday, just after noon in lieu of dhuhr...
prayers take place, and a number of countries have a Thursday–Friday weekend. Those countries are presently:
- Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
- OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
- YemenYemenThe Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
As of 2009, formal proposals are also being discussed in Yemen to change to a (single-day) Friday weekend.
Friday–Saturday Weekend
Reform in a number of Persian Gulf countries in the 2000s led to a number of countries replacing the Thursday–Friday weekend with the Friday–Saturday weekend. This trend is to allow for respect of Fridays as the day for Jumu'ah prayers in Muslim countries while also having more working days to overlap with international financial markets.- AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
(2009) - BahrainBahrain' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
(2006) - BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
- EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
- IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
(2005–2006) - JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
(2000) - KuwaitKuwaitThe State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
(2007) - LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
(2005–2006) - Northern Malaysia (only in the states of KelantanKelantanKelantan is a state of Malaysia. The capital and royal seat is Kota Bharu. The Arabic honorific of the state is Darul Naim, ....
, TerengganuTerengganuTerengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
and KedahKedahKedah is a state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area of over 9,000 km², and it consists of the mainland and Langkawi. The mainland has a relatively flat terrain, which is used to grow rice...
) - MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
(2005–2006) - QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
(2003) - SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
(2008) - SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
(2005–2006) - United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
(2006)
Friday Weekend
Some Muslim-majority countries have Friday as the only weekend day and have a six day work week. Those countries are:- AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
Thursday is half a day of work. Government buildings close around 11:30AM (local). - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
For most of the jobs Thursday is weekend and for some others Thursday is half a day of work.In Tehran offices are off in Thursdays.
Saturday–Sunday Weekend
Other countries with Muslim-majority populations or significant Muslim populations nonetheless follow the Saturday–Sunday weekend. Those countries are:- IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
- LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
- Malaysia (except the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah)
- MoroccoMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
- PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
(Friday is usually a half-day) - TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Israel
For most IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
is, the workweek begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday or Friday at noon to accommodate Jewish Sabbath, which begins Friday night.
The standard workweek is 43 hours per week, while a workday is 8 to 10 hours per day, depending on contract.
Japan
The standard business office workweek in Japan begins on Monday and ends on Friday, 40 hours per week. This system became common between the years of 1980 and 2000. Before then, most workers in Japan worked full time from Monday to Friday, and half time on Saturday (called "Han don", means half-holiday. "don" from the DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word "Zondag"), 45–48 hours per week. On Friday many people say "HanaKin," which means "flowery Friday."
New Zealand
In New Zealand the working week is typically Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm or 9am to 5pm, however it is not uncommon for many industries (especially construction) to work half day Saturdays normally 8/9am to about 1pm. Supermarkets, malls, independant retailers, and increasingly, banks, remain open seven days a week.Russia
In Russia the common workweek begins on Monday and ends on Friday with 8 hours per day.Federal law defines a workweek duration of 5 or 6 days and not more than 40 hours.
In all cases Sunday is a holiday.
With a 5-day workweek the employer chooses which day of the week will be the second day off.
Usually this is a Saturday, but in some organizations (mostly government) such day is a Monday.
Through this they can serve people with a normal working schedule at Saturday.
There are non-working public holidays in Russia and all of them have a fixed day in the year.
By law if such holiday coincides with ordinary day off, the second takes the place of the next working day (an official public holiday can't replace a regular day off).
Each year the government can modify working weeks near public holidays for optimizing labor schedule.
For example, when the usual five-day week, Tuesday or Thursday will be a public holiday, Monday or Friday will be an uncomfortable one-day gap between holidays.
In the case with Tuesday, we can swap the Saturday day off and Monday working day, and get a reasonable week from Wednesday to Saturday.
In the case with Thursday, we can swap Friday with Saturday of the next week or Saturday and next week Monday or use any other solution.
There are exceptions for some specific occupations like transport workers, shop assistants, security guards, etc.
They usually use their own independent schemes without working weeks.
For example, for daily services often uses the X-after-Y scheme (Russian: X через Y) when every worker X days uses for working and next Y days uses for resting.
Thailand
In Thailand, the workweek is Monday through Friday for approximately 40 hours per week (8 hours per day), as in European countries. However, most shops and some private companies also work and are open on Saturday and Sunday.United States
The standard business office workweek in the United States is from Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week. However, many businesses, particularly in the retail and service sectors, are open for business on Saturday, and half day on Sunday as well (except where prohibited by lawBlue law
A blue law is a type of law, typically found in the United States and, formerly, in Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping...
).
Weekends for students
Some US colleges and universities afford students the opportunity to choose classes scheduled Monday–Wednesday and Tuesday–Thursday, giving the students a day off on Friday. Some college students take advantage of this trend and go out to bars and nightclubs on Thursday nights, leading to the phrases "Thursday is the new Friday" and "Thirsty Thursday."See also
- Working timeWorking timeWorking time is the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labor. Unpaid labors such as personal housework are not considered part of the working week...
– how much time people spend working in a day, week, or year - FeriaFeriaA feria was a day on which the people, especially the slaves, were not obliged to work, and on which there were no court sessions...
- Labour and employment lawLabour and employment lawLabour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
- Long weekendLong weekendLong weekend is a term used in Western countries to denote a weekend that is at least three days long , due to a holiday falling on either the Friday or Monday....
- Waiting for the WeekendWaiting for the WeekendWaiting for the Weekend is a book published in 1991 by Canadian architect, professor and writer Witold Rybczynski.In Waiting for the Weekend, Rybczynski recounts the evolution of the seven-day week, which came into being with the Babylonian calendar, and the later, more modern, development of the...
- Weekend warrior
- Work-life balanceWork-life balanceWork–life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between "work" on the one hand and "life" on the other. Related, though broader, terms include "lifestyle balance" and "life balance".-History:The work-leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid 1800s...
- TGIFTGIFTGIF is an initialism for the phrase "Thank God It's Friday", celebrating the last day of the work/school week before the weekend. Its origin dates to the 1960s. It was first popularized by the restaurant T.G.I. Friday's which was founded in 1965. However, it became mainstream by the late 1970s,...
- Shopping hoursShopping hoursCustoms and regulations for shopping hours vary from country to country.-Shopping days and impact of holidays:Some countries do not allow Sunday shopping. In Islamic countries some shops are closed on Fridays during noon...