Historical Background

The Right to be Lazy (chapter 1) and Appendix- by Paul LaFargue, 1893

The Right to be Lazy - by Poppy Dixon

The Tyranny of the Clock - by George Woodcock, 1944

Historical Context of the Work Ethic - by Roger B. Hill, Ph.D. 1992, 1996

Here is a comment (author unknown) to consider on Hill's article (from a Wiki):

"A strong word of caution about Roger Hill's paper: he does not limit himself to history but involves himself in prescribing ways for management to manipulate workers into performing more. When it comes down to it, Hill is a proponent of the work ethic, of the idea implicit in his paper that all satisfaction is to be derived from work. A corollary to this work ethic is that non-work activities are not worthwhile. One finds this in his association of unions with "dirt, noise and pollution" and in his rosy image of the modern workplace (free from the evil unions) where women are the equals of men."