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When did governments begin limiting the working hours of adult workers?

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The Code of Hammurabi diorite stela, with carved figures at the top showing Hammurabi seated with cuneiform inscriptions below. — Labour law Diorite stela inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, 18th century bce.

In the context of labour law, the legal limitation of working hours for adult workers was historically considered highly questionable, as early protective legislation focused primarily on children, young persons, and women to mitigate the worst abuses of the Industrial Revolution.12

The first legal limitation of working hours for adults was adopted in 1848 by the Landsgemeinde (citizens' assembly) of the Swiss canton of Glarus. Prior to this, statutory restrictions on adult males were generally limited to specific safety-sensitive environments, such as mines.21

It was not until the 20th century that fixing maximum working hours by statute or collective agreement became a general practice. Following World War I, many countries moved toward the eight-hour day or 48-hour week, often influenced by conventions from the International Labour Organisation. By the latter half of the 20th century, the 40-hour workweek became the standard statutory maximum in many industrialized nations.13