In the field of sociological research, the working time becomes a topic of common concern in different branches of science. This study, based on Western literature concerned, reviews the role of multiple forces in the establishment and change of the standard working time system and the transition to the non-standard working time, and analyzes the interaction between the non-standard working time and employment relationship. The study argues that the establishment and change of working time system is a complex process, and it is infl uenced by a number of factors, such as advances in production technology and management in the era of industrialization, the workers' movement and collective bargaining, national legislation and regulation, as well as globalization in the post-industrial era and the algorithmic revolution, etc. Working hours and employment relations, hence, make up a complex relationship of interaction, and the simple "dichotomy approach" should be abandoned. Instead, we should emphasize the non-standardization of working hours and employment relations, fl exibly seeking new ways of safeguarding workers' rights and interests.