For full-time workers in Australia, two days of rest per week is a sacred right, but the right to a weekend wasn’t always a guaranteed privilege.
On this day, 77 years ago, a landmark court ruling introduced the 40-hour work week.
The 1947 decision led to the five-day working week and two-day weekend we know today.
Before that, employees were typically expected to work six days a week.
Here’s what you need to know about the history of the weekend.
The weekend
Prior to World War II, many Australians were expected to work up to twelve-hour days, with one day off per week.
Sundays were the common “day of rest” for the predominately Anglo-Christian population.
When WWII ended in 1945, workers and unions began pushing for better working conditions and a 40-hour work week.
Businesses
Some employers argued the reforms could devastate businesses and lead to decreased productivity, goods shortages and price increases.
They also argued that Australian industries would suffer from reduced hours compared to overseas competitors.
Court documents from the time show some employer advocates believed workers were already “enjoying” fair benefits.
Landmark ruling
On 8 September 1947, the Commonwealth Court of Arbitration ruled that the 40-hour should become law.
The decision took effect from 1 January 1948.
In the unanimous ruling, the court’s three Judges said: “the future will be watched with concern and
interest.”
The five-day week and the right to a weekend was born!
Today
While it wasn’t a commonly used phrase in the 1940s, the ‘weekend’ is now embedded in the English vocabulary.
Speaking to TDA, Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Sally McManus said: “You would not want to get in between an ordinary person and their right to a weekend.”
Four-day week?
McManus told TDA that “winning the weekend” took around 50 years and “wasn’t easy”.
However, an increasing number of workplaces are now experimenting with four-day work weeks.
A 2022 pilot across 26 companies in Australia recorded a 64% drop in burnout among staff.
More than a third of workers also said they felt less stressed with the reduced work week.
