www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200117-the-modern-phenomenon-of-the-weekend
“The idea of reducing the working week from an average of five days to four is gaining traction around the world.
“There are a number of parallels between debates today and those that took place in the 19th century when the weekend as we now know it was first introduced. Having Saturdays as well as Sundays off work is actually a relatively modern phenomenon.
“the weekend did not simply arise from government legislation – it was shaped by a combination of campaigns
“Religious bodies argued that a break on Saturday would improve working class “mental and moral culture”…. and greater attendance at church on Sundays.
“In 1842 a campaign group called the Early Closing Association was formed. It lobbied government to keep Saturday afternoon free for worker leisure in return for a full day’s work on (Saint) Monday.
“a burgeoning leisure industry saw the new half-day Saturday as a business opportunity… Perhaps the most influential leisure activity to help forge the modern week was the decision to stage football matches on Saturday afternoon.
“The adoption of the modern weekend was neither swift nor uniform as, ultimately, the decision for a factory to adopt the half-day Saturday rested with the manufacturer. Campaigns for an established weekend had begun in the 1840s but it did not gain widespread adoption for another 50 years…. it was embraced by employers who found that the full Saturday and Sunday break reduced absenteeism and improved efficiency.