The ensuing guarantee of a maximum eight-hour workday is one of the earliest examples of legal protection against too much work, which today we recognise as the right to rest and leisure.
Therefore, there is no universal agreement on the specific obligations of states in relation to the right to rest and leisure, and "no common conception of these terms that may be formally assumed".
The respect, protect and fulfil principle constitutes the core state obligation in relation to economic, cultural and social rights, including the right to leisure:[6] Governments and other duty bearers are under an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.Based on the definition of respect, protect and fulfil principle outlined in the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights' general comment No.
14,[7] the obligation to respect requires States to refrain from interfering directly or indirectly with the enjoyment of the right to leisure.
Finally, the obligation to fulfil requires States to adopt appropriate legislative, administrative, budgetary, judicial, promotional and other measures towards the realisation and enjoyment of the right to leisure.