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What is a workweek?
A workweek is the total number of hours or days worked in a week for a company. A workweek can start on any day of the week, depending on the company. The length of a workweek may also vary depending on the country.
Why is a workweek needed?
Workweeks are needed so workers know when they are expected to work. The average workweek is 40 hours per week, but some employees may require more. There are laws requiring overtime pay in excess of 40 hours of work a week at 1.5x regular pay. For shift workers, their workweek may vary.
Workweek examples:
- North American 5 day workweek: The classic 40 hours hour workweek is 9 am-5 pm from Monday through Friday.
- Graveyard shift flexible workweek: A night shift worker works overnight and rests in the daytime. Their workdays may change depending on their type of work.
- Healthcare workers 3-day workweek: Nurses work 3 days a week but they often have 12-hour shifts. This gives them flexible time off and also limits travel costs. However, they are also very exhausting.
- Trucker 7-day workweek: Truckers are often fatigued, so they are limited to 70 hours of work in an 8 day period. Other limits include the 11-hour driving limit and 14 hours working limit a day.
- Israeli 5-day workweek: In Israel, the weekend is Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday in North America.
