Factory Acts - Factory Act 1856

Factory Act 1856

This Act (citation 13 & 14 Vict c. 54) redefined the workday which had been established under the Factory Acts of 1844 and 1847. No longer could employers decide the hours of work. The workday was changed to correspond with the maximum number of hours that women and children could work. The act included the following provisions.

• Children and women could only work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the winter
• All work would end on Saturday at 2 p.m.
• The work week was extended from 58 hours to 60 hours

Hours of work for age 9 to 18 was changed to 10 hours night and day.