Why the 9 to 5 Work Day is dying slowly?

Enough discussion is going around the death of the 9 to 5 work day. I have been contemplating on the subject myself amidst all the hustle. Good or bad or maybe a hidden opportunity, flexible work schedule is becoming a priority for millennials today. In my search for some perspective, I stumbled upon an interesting case in point.

“Emerson didn’t want to just tweak the workweek. She wanted to bust it open. But when she pitched the idea of flexible hours, she was almost thrown out of the CEO’s office. A resignation letter from a rising star finally got her the green light. Now the firm measures results–not time. Some staffers work as little as 20 hours a week; some start at 7 a.m., others at 10 a.m.; some commute to the office only twice a week. Since the 2008 shift, revenue has grown 15 percent year over year, customer satisfaction is higher than ever before, and turnover has plummeted.”

Well, this back story definitely puts the spotlight on one important point – You can’t clock in everything at work. Maybe it’s time to reconsider the 5 day work week and the scheduled 40-hour grind.

Here’s why the 9 to 5 Work Day is dead

Nothing magical about 40 hours

Henry Ford introduced the 8-hour workday in the 1900s to attract talent. It was a welcome change for auto workers, most of whom were used to a 12-hour shift. This proved to be a great success for Ford and set the stage for a more balanced life. Later, John Maynard Keynes went on to emphasize that by the end of the 21st century, we would be working just 15 hours a week! Thanks to technology. But 9 to 5 is still the standard model but clearly not working. Had it been effective enough, we would not have Monday Blues and TGIF. Given their comfort with digital technology, “77% of Millennials say that flexible work hours would make the workplace more productive for people their age”. The oil and gas industry is already infamous for irregular working hour s. Millennials are looking at much more beyond handsome salaries.

Employees pick a schedule which works best for them

‘Time in seat’ – Is it the right measure of efficiency?

People can punch in on time, be in the office for 8 hours, and still achieve very little results. Well, the simple reason being that we are human beings. And probably the best part about being humans is that we are diverse. I might be very productive in the first half of the day and you may be at your peak performance in the latter half. Sadly, the 9 to 5 work day model does not factor in this important aspect. Moreover, this model is rigid and quite inflexible. Consequently, it gives a great blow to your morale, motivation, and inspiration at work. Picking a schedule that works best for them is on high priority for millennials today. 45% of millennials agree that while choosing a new job, flexible working hours take precedence over salary.

Demand for Work-Life Balance

“No one on his deathbed ever said, ‘I wish I had spent more time at the office’.”

Why would anyone want to say this even now? There’s so much to life beyond work. The idea of work life balance may be debatable but it’s definitely desirable. Today, people want jobs where they have enough time for their family and personal interests. Too much work is taking a toll on everyone’s mental, emotional, and physical health. Being a workaholic is no more recognized as a badge of honor in the professional space.

“In a world where the determining factor of your output is how innovative you are, work-life balance is a moot concept. There is only your life and how everything in it connects. Sure, you could fight tooth and nail to keep clocking by the hour. But you can also stay home with the baby, open your laptop, and take this trend as a chance to unite all aspects of your life.”

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(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Energy Dais.)