What is 79% Work Clock Project? Detailed Explanation and Its Impact on Work-Life Balance

"A symbol of time and fairness."

At first glance, the 79 Percent Clock looks like an ordinary rectangular desk clock, quietly ticking away the hours, minutes, and seconds. But there’s something unusual about it: a mark at 3:20 PM, labeled 79%.

What does that 79% really mean?

It’s not just a number. It’s a reflection of a global imbalance.

Studies show that, on average, women earn only 79 percent of what men do for the same work. For every 1,000,000 rupiah a man earns, a woman takes home only 790,000. This pay gap extends beyond offices, even in sport, film and television, female actors are still paid less than their male counterparts.

The 79 Percent Clock was created as a silent protest and a gentle reminder:

if women are paid only 79 percent of men’s wages, then perhaps they should be allowed to go home after completing 79 percent of the workday.

And that’s exactly what this clock does.

When the hands reach 3:20 PM, an alarm rings - a symbolic signal that says,

“Time’s up. Fairness matters.”

Because no one should be paid less simply for being a woman.

Pay and bonuses should be based on skill, not gender.

Some major companies, for example like Microsoft and Facebook, have already taken steps toward equal pay, and they deserve recognition for it. But the truth is, most businesses around the world still haven’t caught up.

That’s why the 79 Percent Clock Project, supported by MTV, was born.

To keep the conversation alive, to inspire equality, and to remind the world that gender should never define your worth.

Designed by a woman, for women everywhere, this clock has already found its way into the hands of celebrities, politicians, women’s groups, and changemakers.

Every tick of this clock is a call to action.

Every ring at 3:20 is a voice saying:

equal work deserves equal pay. 

The 79% Work Clock calls attention to the gender wage gap in America. Studies show that women who work full-time are paid only 79% of what men make annually, so the 79% Work Clock lets you know when 79% of the work day has passed. When a woman hears its chime, she might as well go home on his bike and put it at the garage bike rack. In the US, women who work full-time are paid only 79% of what men make per year. The wage gap for women of color is even greater. Want to find out why the wage gap exists, and what you can do about it?

"Gender equality and Gender balance are not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. Work-life balance crucial for gender equality and empowering women."

This project gave hundreds of these clocks to people in workplaces across the country, to serve as a daily reminder that at a certain point, the gender wage gap means women aren’t being paid for their work.

This article was also published on: Buzzfeed, Washington Post, The Cut