Why the working week – and what we get out of it – has perplexed Australian governments for more than 100 years

By Sean Scalmer, Associate Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne

On August 19, a group of advocates and experts will converge on Canberra for an economic roundtable. “Productivity,” announced Treasurer Jim Chalmers, is to be the event’s “primary focus”.

What does this mean? The term “productivity” can intimidate the outsider, but its basic meaning is simple: the effectiveness of productive effort – the extent to which inputs lead to outputs. Greater productivity means we produce more with less. Rising productivity has been crucial to expanding living standards over time.

How we might increase productivity is more contentious. As the lobbying…

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