åttimmars

Åttimmars is a Swedish term that literally means eight hours. It is commonly used to refer to an eight-hour time block and, in particular, to the eight-hour workday (åttimmarsdagen). The word can also denote any period of eight hours in scheduling, timekeeping, or everyday speech.

Historically, the concept is tied to the international eight-hour day movement, which campaigned for limiting work to eight hours per day to allow time for rest and leisure. The slogan eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will became widely associated with labor activism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Over the course of the 20th century, many countries enacted laws and established collective agreements that solidified the eight-hour day, though the exact adoption varied by country and sector. International organizations, including the International Labour Organization, promoted standards related to working hours during this period.

In the modern era, the eight-hour day remains a common standard in many industries, especially for traditional office jobs and full-time positions. However, work patterns have diversified to include longer shifts, overtime, compressed workweeks, and flexible scheduling. The concept of åttimmars continues to appear in discussions of labor rights, productivity, and work-life balance, as well as in everyday timekeeping and planning.