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Working 9-5 is a Thing of the Past

Working 9-5 is a Thing of the Past

April 7, 2022
A new study shows people are working a “triple peak day”.

When Microsoft noticed that its Teams chats were pretty active after business hours, they wanted to know what was happening.

In the company’s report from April 2020, they discovered that people were working more frequently in the morning and evening hours, but also on the weekends. Teams' chats outside of the typical workday, from 8-9 a.m. and 6-8 p.m have increased more than any other time during the day – between 15% and 23%. 

Weekend work is spiking as well – Teams' chats on Saturday and Sunday have increased over 200%.

This was at odds with what traditionally has been the structure of knowledge workers who, according to Microsoft, had two productivity peaks in their workday: before lunch and after lunch. But when the pandemic sent so many people into work-from-home mode, a third peak emerged for some in the hours before bedtime and the company is calling this a “triple peak day".

Is this a good thing?

"Is this about flexibility or is it about work encroaching on someone’s personal hours?” asks Shamsi Iqbal, principal researcher on productivity and intelligence at Microsoft Research and Microsoft Viva Insights, in an article.

As with any change in work habits, there are positives and negatives. Some people who work at home have found that it’s nice to have breakfast with their children and greet them when they get home, so working after they go to bed isn’t a problem, it’s actually a better work/life balance.

Others can't seem to shut work out and really never go off the clock and this can lead to burnout. Taking breaks is essential to well-being. And of course, Microsoft studied that as well. This graphic shows how our brains look when we take a break and when we don’t.

So maybe the answer is to educate employees that taking a break, at whatever time works for them, is the key to well-being. 

Going back to the traditional 9-5 just doesn't seem to be a reality, or even preferred by many studies which have shown that people would look for a new job if they are going to have to work, in an office full-time, under the old standard 9-5.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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