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>But everyone believes that 40 hours is the peak

False. The 40 hour work week in the US was won on the backs of a militant labor movement in the earlier 21st century. Plenty of bosses and company owners around the world believe more working hours would increase productivity, and laws around the world vary quite a bit too.

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If working hours would increase productivity, why don't they pay overtime? In most situations where there's a direct correlation between work hours and productivity, someone pays overtime. Why is overtime not offered?

Eastern companies often employ 996, where the expectations are roughly 72 hours/week, and compensation is paid accordingly.

The parent is not arguing anything about productivity.

The point is that the 40 hour work week has nothing to do with productivity.

I’m not taking any position on that. It’s irrelevant to my point.

What people believe is not necessarily what is measured.

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=no&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=work...

Not related to the parent's point. The 40 hour work week is not based on beliefs about productivity but is what organized labor was able to wrangle.

And what is measured is not what becomes law, hence why I don’t care. The fact is the laws are direct results of hard fought labor battles, not productivity data or theories.

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