<P> Working time is the period of time that a person spends at paid labor . Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week . </P> <P> Many countries regulate the work week by law, such as stipulating minimum daily rest periods, annual holidays, and a maximum number of working hours per week . Working time may vary from person to person, often depending on location, culture, lifestyle choice, and the profitability of the individual's livelihood . For example, someone who is supporting children and paying a large mortgage will need to work more hours to meet basic costs of living than someone of the same earning power without children . Because fewer people than ever are having children, choosing part time work is becoming more popular . </P> <P> Standard working hours (or normal working hours) refers to the legislation to limit the working hours per day, per week, per month or per year . If an employee needs to work overtime, the employer will need to pay overtime payments to employees as required in the law . Generally speaking, standard working hours of countries worldwide are around 40 to 44 hours per week (but not everywhere: from 35 hours per week in France to up to 112 hours per week in North Korean labor camps), and the additional overtime payments are around 25% to 50% above the normal hourly payments . Maximum working hours refers to the maximum working hours of an employee . The employee cannot work more than the level specified in the maximum working hours law . </P> <P> Since the 1960s, the consensus among anthropologists, historians, and sociologists has been that early hunter - gatherer societies enjoyed more leisure time than is permitted by capitalist and agrarian societies; for instance, one camp of! Kung Bushmen was estimated to work two - and - a-half days per week, at around 6 hours a day . Aggregated comparisons show that on average the working day was less than five hours . </P>

Standard working hours in most of the countries are