New working time and new temporalities

Weekly working hours in the Nordic countries are mostly in line with those of other European countries but at the lower end of the spectrum. In Denmark, the official number of hours spent working each week is 37 and has been so for 28 years. This does not mean that there have not been any changes, however; rather, any major changes have primarily occurred in relation to the provision of flexible working time. Fewer and fewer people work precisely 37 hours, and more workers now have more control over their working hours. Time spent as hours and minutes at certain times and places is crucial to working conditions. However, it is often overlooked that changes in working time also cause changes in other issues in the working environment and vice versa. This chapter has three main concepts: working time flexibility, influence on working time and temporality in work focusing on rhythms.