For Russians, the forty-hour work week has become familiar since the days of the Soviet Union. In many countries of the world, the system is similar to the Russian one, but there are states that have a different approach to limiting the working week.
Working week in Europe
The European Union allows countries to determine the length of the working week themselves.
In France, some workers work 35 hours a week, from Monday to Friday. The lunch break is determined depending on the collective agreement at the enterprise. At the same time, in a number of professions, for example, in the service sector, contracts are often found that imply a 39-hour work week. Special conditions are provided for doctors and nursing staff - their working week, in case of shifts, can slightly exceed 40 hours per week.
In France, the introduction of the 35-hour work week was highly controversial in the nineties, and still some politicians want to revise working hours upwards.
In Denmark, the system is in many ways similar to the French one. By law, the working week is 37.5 hours. Many civil servants are in a privileged position, as half an hour of the daily lunch break is also included in the opening hours. Thus, employees in such positions work only 34.5 hours a week.
In the UK, the length of the working week depends on the contract - it can be 35 or 40 hours per week. For people working in shifts, the number of hours worked may vary from week to week, but should not exceed 48 hours.
Duration of work in Asian countries
A rather specific situation has developed in Japan. The standard work contract provides for 40 hours of activity per week. However, in reality, adjustments are made to this schedule. How much time a person spends at the workplace often depends on his career advancement. Therefore, even office workers work an additional half Saturday, and also stay at work during the week in the evenings. Thus, the working week in some cases can be up to 50 hours or more, and additional work is far from always paid.
The Japanese government regards too long working hours as a problem and is trying to combat this practice of companies.
In Thailand, a typical work week lasts 6 days with only Sunday off. Depending on the contract, people work 44 to 48 hours a week. At the same time, the offices of Western companies in this country most often work according to the standard in Europe and the United States of five days with a forty-hour work week.
In India, most workers work 48 hours a week with one day off. Employees, especially in government agencies, have a more relaxed work schedule - about 44 hours a week. There are also contracts under which work is carried out only 40 hours a week.
