9 to 5 Workday on its brink!

The 9 to 5 workday is under siege.  61 percent of executives believe the 

traditional workday will disappear within the next decade. This makes sense since few executives currently get to clock in and out during normal working hours, although they are usually compensated accordingly.  And there are plenty of reasons why more workers down the ladder will witness the end of 9 to 5 soon too.  New information technology tools enable everyone to work from wherever and collaborate across time zones.  Plus, many companies will likely continue the trend of skirting labor laws whenever the recession ends by hiring “independent contractors” who work on a project basis, instead of investing in that pesky concept known as an employee.

There was a time when escaping the 9 to 5 grind seemed liberating.  Freed from cumbersome office traditions, the worker of tomorrow could show up in jeans whenever they wanted, since they could finish their proposal on the beach or navel-gaze over the next big idea on the golf course.

As more workers see their 9 to 5 routine vanish, they’ll see just how absurd this fantasy is.   Flexible hours are really just irregular shifts at odd hours.  Flexibility means your boss can call you whenever they want–and you’re obligated to respond if you plan on putting food on the table.

Time off should be your time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy the fruits of your labors–not time to catch up on emails.  And work should be time to hunker down and get things done.  Blurring the distinctions between working and living results in never really working or living life.

So while I see a shift away from 9 to 5 in the short-term, I think it will ultimately return with a vengeance.  It’s simply more productive to work a regular schedule in a sterile office environment and then leave it all behind at the end of the day. Don’t believe me?  Check out this podcast feauturing Leslie Perlow, a Harvard Business School professor, who has found that forcing employees to disconnect from the office on a regular basis makes them more creative and productive.

Pratik

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