When the revolutionary five-day workweek was popularised by Henry T. Ford almost a century ago, it was seen as a significant win for the working masses. However, the model did not account for factors such as race, gender, disability, or social class in shaping the notion of a work-life balance. Thus, the eight-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week working model was created based on the time that the average white, heterosexual, cis-gendered, able-bodied, white-collar working man in the West could afford to commit to work.

This man had all his domestic tasks taken care of by a partner who often simultaneously played the roles of full-time parent, in-house chef, maid, launderer, gardener, and every other role required to keep the average nuclear household afloat, leaving him ample time to commute, work, and even enjoy leisure activities and downtime. Since its inception, we have failed to evaluate whether this model remains suitable for workforces that are becoming more diverse and, therefore, more complex.

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