Changes

As more countries have begun to align to a single, unified system, the workweek is now beginning to look similar in many regions. Much of Asia, for instance, uses Saturday and Sunday as their weekend and workweek as the rest of the days. Islamic countries often still vary, as their holy day is Friday. Many Islamic countries use Friday and Saturday as their weekend rather, while Sunday is often a workday week. However, some Islamic countries with Christian minorities give Christians this day off or parts of the day off. International organizations have also supported the 40 hour workweek and bodies such as the International Labour Organization have stated that workers should not work more than 48 hours. The relatively equal amount of work time most countries have has helped to create more standardized and equal workweeks in many countries.<ref>For more on how the workweek became more standardized in countries, particularly due to the effects of globalization, see: Lee, S., Eyraud, F., & International Labour Office (Eds.). (2008). <i>Globalization, flexibilization and working conditions in Asia and the Pacific</i>. Geneva, Switzerland : Oxford: International Labour Office ; In association with Chandos.</ref>

More modern recommendations have even been developed to address problems such as carbon emissions, pollution, inequality, and free time available for childcare. The New Economics Foundation, for instance, has called for a 21 hour workweek. While technology could make this possible, there is little acceptance of this at management and government levels.In Europe, notably France, the workweek has been officially reduced to 35 hours as the standard week.<ref>For more on recent events around the concept of the workweek, see: Giele, J. Z., & Holst, E. (Eds.). (2003). <i>Changing life patterns in Western industrial societies</i>. Amsterdam ; London: JAI.</ref>