Let's agree on something. The 9 to 5 must... die?
~1 minute readWritten on 2nd Feb 2022
Not everyone works best between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Since remote work has demonstrated that the location of work can be altered, I believe it is reasonable to consider what other widely accepted practices may be modified.
The 9-to-5 workday is the first to go. Henry Ford developed this notion for his assembly line employees over a century ago.
Work has changed drastically since then, in so many ways. Nonetheless, this industrial idea has persisted, providing employees very little flexibility.
Sure, for large, powerful organizations, inertia and the "desire for control" may be justifications or excuses. But what about startup founders? We have a fantastic opportunity to pave the road here, beginning from nothing!
Running a flexible workplace requires empowering your workers to live full and varied lives while also allowing them to work for the firm of their choice.
Flexibility gives workers greater liberty, whether it's due to a hobby, family, or other life responsibilities. It's also important for certain people's productivity because not everyone can focus well during normal working hours.
Shouldn't we encourage employees to take greater control of their days as long as it doesn't interfere with their or others' output?
And, with so many reasons to think about ditching the 9 to 5, why aren't we?
Is it inertia that is holding us back? Or am I being naive? 🤷♀️