One of the most widely discussed issues in the field of industrial relations during the last decade has been the question of hours of work. Organized labor has been particularly interested in the problem, and many unions have pressed for a reduction not only in the length of the workweek but in the length of the workyear as well. Indeed, through their advocacy of earlier retirement for industrial workers, they have in addition sought a decrease in the length of the worklife. Employers too have been keenly interested in the hours question, and the matter has also attracted widespread attention among the members of the general public, including academicians. Economists, sociologists, and psychologists-to name but three groups-have probed increasingly into the problem and have contributed much to our understanding of it.
