An explicit focus on time challenges established social science traditions. As such, it changes the ontology, epistemology and methodology of the social study of work. It offers a new perspective on power relations, on past and current employment and production practices, and on the effect of the industrial way of life on the environment. This paper explores the impact of the commodification of time on work and wider socio-environmental relations and considers the valorisation of speed in work and production processes. It brings to the fore taken-for-granted incongruities between different time priorities. Finally, it investigates the implications of the non-stop work patterns associated with globalised information and trade
