How we labor and organize production
6 key moments across 5 eras
Work was done when needed, not by the clock. Farmers worked by seasons, craftspeople by orders. No concept of "employment" separate from life.
"For most of human history, people worked when the work required, not by scheduled hours."
Craftspeople organized into guilds that controlled training, quality, and market access. Learning a trade took 7+ years of apprenticeship.
"Skills were learned through years of practice, not credentials."
Manchester, England
Cotton mills introduced clock time, standardized hours, and the separation of work from home. Workers became "hands" - appendages to machines.
"The factory invented the modern concept of "employment" as we know it."
Detroit, USA
Henry Ford standardized the 40-hour week and weekend. Not from generosity - so workers could buy the cars they made. Consumption became tied to production.
"The "standard" work week was invented for mass consumption, not human flourishing."
Global
Peter Drucker's "knowledge workers" become dominant. Work shifts from physical production to information processing. Offices replace factories.
"We applied factory logic (hours, presence, supervision) to creative work."
Global
COVID proved knowledge work doesn't require offices. Gig platforms transformed employment. AI threatens to automate cognitive work. The employment contract frays.
"The foundations of industrial employment are dissolving - what comes next?"