  We show that work distributions and non-equilibrium work fluctuation theorems
can be measured in optical spectra for a wide class of quantum systems. We
consider systems where the absorption or emission of a photon corresponds to
the sudden switch on or off of a local perturbation. For the particular case of
a weak local perturbation, the Crooks relation establishes a universal relation
in absorption as well as in emission spectra. Due to a direct relation between
the spectra and work distribution functions this is equivalent to universal
relations in work distributions for weak local quenches. As two concrete
examples we treat the X-ray edge problem and the Kondo exciton.
