The workweek most Americans still live by took effect on this day.

On October 24, 1940, the 40-hour workweek went into effect under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Congress had passed the law in 1938 with a 44-hour cap, then amended it in 1940 to bring the limit down to 40 hours.

The idea wasn't brand new: Ford Motor Company had adopted a five-day, 40-hour week back in 1926. But the law turned what a few employers had chosen to do into a national standard across a wide range of industries.

Why it still matters: more than 80 years later, the 40-hour week still shapes how we think about work, rest and overtime.

Would you trade a five-day week for a four-day one with longer hours?

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