How to take proper breaks from work
The matinée test
![Businessman trying to reach for an off switch on his back.](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20240817_WBD020.jpg)
The year 1843 was a tremendous one for humanity. The Economist was founded. Almost as importantly, the modern weekend started to take shape. A campaign was launched in Manchester to give industrial workers half a day off on Saturdays, designed to ensure that more of them turned up ready to work on Monday morning. It succeeded, and the practice was eventually adopted into law; over time, a five-day week has become the norm in most countries.
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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “The matinée test”
Business August 17th 2024
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