The 9-to-5 workday was standard, but that's changed over the last few years. It gives rise to freelancing and self-employment, which has caused many companies to shift to implementing remote work. A study by the Pew Research Center found that 35 per cent of remote employees take advantage of the opportunity to work full-time, and 41 per cent of employees do at least some of the time, with the vast majority of this segment working remotely at least three days per week.
Another USA, Today/One Poll study, revealed that 42 per cent of office workers would accept 10 per cent less pay if a job had remote work. Only 16 per cent of white-collar professionals would accept a job without remote work. This shows that many employers are rethinking changing the 9-to-5 workday, and it is possible to give some flexibility to many employees. Read on to learn the pros and cons of the traditional 9-to-5 work structure.
What is a 9-to-5 workday?
It is used to make a standard 40-hour workweek. Employees start work at 9 a.m. and don't stop until 5 p.m. except for short breaks. This schedule may sound rigid, but during the Industrial Revolution, 16-hour workdays were the normal. Welsh social reformer Richard Owen opposed this and began campaigning for the eight-hour workday. He gives reasons why it is unsustainable and affects work and life balance. He said we have 24 hours daily, so we should balance them equally between work, rest, and leisure.
Henry Ford was the first to introduce the eight-hour workday back in 1914. This brought success for the Ford Motor Company and proved it increased productivity and profitability, so other companies quickly followed this schedule. This was the beginning of an inexorable trend toward working less. John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1930 that his grandchildren would have to work only 15 hours per week thanks to technology.
Keynes' prediction didn't come true, and the 40-hour workweek has remained unchanged for decades. In many countries, people routinely work longer hours than 40. Keynes is an example where the workweek is 42 hours and cannot exceed 52 hours over six working days. But many people are still asking whether the 9-to-5 workday is still perfect.
Pros of a 9-to-5 workday model
No matter what its critics say, 9-to-5 working has many benefits. Here are a few benefits of this traditional working model:
It can create a better work-life balance
A 9-to-5 working model has less flexibility, but this schedule can be a helpful way to draw a line between work and leisure time. In a 9-to-5 schedule, the working hours are defined, and those are the only hours you spend working. Many people who work from home have longer working hours when compared to the 9-to-5 working model. They work even after their workday has ended. So, the 9-to-5 working model can support a better work-life balance.
It can provide a workday structure
Consistent working hours can define your workday structure. A 9-to-5 schedule can also help you plan your day easily. You always know when you will be working and have an off.
It provides opportunities for social interaction
Employees who go to an office daily have opportunities to interact socially with co-workers. This can help them to form relationships and stave off loneliness. So they can feel less stressed at the workplace and enjoy their work.
Cons of a 9-to-5 workday model
Although this working model has many benefits, there are better options. Here are a few downsides of this working model.
It doesn't guarantee productivity. A 9-to-5 working model requires you to be in an office or workplace from 9 to 5, but it doesn't mean you will be productive. Much of that time can be wasted away talking with co-workers, attending productivity-killing meetings, and otherwise wasting time. A 2023 poll on the anonymous online professional community Blind gathered around 10,000 responses. They found that 45 per cent of them said they worked four hours or less on an eight-hour workday.
It is not flexible. A 9-to-5 schedule is not flexible and rigid. It firmly sets office hours and limits employees' freedom. This can lower workplace morale, making recruiting new employees harder.
It doesn't consider employee productivity windows. Each employee is different from the others and has unique abilities. A survey by My Perfect Resume found that 59% of employees identified themselves as "early birds," and 25% claimed to be "night owls." So some employees have high-productivity time in the early morning, and others have it at night. A 9-to-5 working model cannot fit all employees' individual high-productivity windows. This may cause businesses to miss out on excellent contributions that will help them grow.
Did remote working make the 9-to-5 workday schedule outdated?
Cultural shifts and advanced technology have changed the way we work. Here is how technological and cultural changes make the 9-to-5 workday schedule irrelevant.
Employees can access their work remotely
Remote access is a secure solution for employees to access their work whenever and wherever necessary. This is the reason why many people choose to work from home. In the days of Owen, Ford and Keynes, employees needed to be physically present to do their jobs. But now, with remote working, it is easy for employees to do work when they want. It makes the idea of setting hours when they should work outdated.
Technology makes work accessible 24/7
Technological advancements result in a surprising rise in office workers who take home with them. This can make it challenging to determine exactly how many hours people work. Email overload is the best example of this. Many employees say they check their work email after leaving the office or log on before they get out of bed in the morning. Even if employees are in an office from 9-to-5, they don't have time to check emails. And their free time may be consumed by work demands outside of working hours.
Consumers demand immediacy
In today's world, cultural changes give rise to consumer demand for immediacy. It is incredibly difficult for many companies to "switch off" after working hours. Most consumers expect an immediate response to their questions and issues. This could greatly challenge the 9-to-5 working model. It can cause businesses like digital companies to find themselves under pressure to expand their working hours.
Employees are willing to work more
Employees are also feeling the pressure to expand their availability. They are concerned about their job security and increment, which makes them willing to go the extra mile.
Conclusion
Experts are divided over the 9-to-5 working model, whether it is good for your business or company and if it will work in the future. It could be difficult to say anything at this point. The 9-to-5 working model is ideal for many businesses. Many employers still prefer a 9-to-5 work schedule and are mandating return-to-office (RTO). A Resume Builder survey found that 51 per cent of employers want to set an RTO policy and require employees to work full-time in the office. And 72 per cent of companies believe a return to the office boosts revenues.
Still, many employees feel differently. A Flex Jobs survey found that more than half of employees say they or someone they know would quit their job if required to return to the office full-time. The 9-to-5 working model is not fit for all, but it still benefits some businesses and companies. There are many ways to improve this 9-to-5 working model with technology, which makes it not totally irrelevant or come to an end.