During lockdown, remote working has become the new norm - we are finally gaining control over our work schedules and making use of all the technology at our disposal. But working from home and flexible timetables are not new ideas, so after a century of the fixed 9 to 5, a change in routine post-COVID-19 could not come soon enough.
The shape of our economy is drastically changing – chancellor Rishi Sunak recently warned the country of another recession and comparisons to the 2008 crash are everywhere. COVID-19 is already affecting the way we work and live, but how will it affect the way we do business long-term?
Until now, our work culture has been strangely reluctant to move forwards. The standard 9 to 5 work schedule is roughly a century old – it dates all the way back to an era in which the work force was predominantly male and people were fighting against outrageously low wages and 10 to 16-hour days. Four generations later and the 9 to 5 structure remains the same (give or take), and yet during this time, office working habits have changed drastically. Since then, we’ve gone from typewriters to laptops, boardrooms to online meetings, filing cabinets to management software, and the list goes on.
The development of the internet has also given businesses a broader customer base as well as an ever-expanding online presence. Our minds are full of ideas and technology allows us to test these ideas with immediate effect. We also have the tools to launch businesses, products and marketing strategies at an incredible pace. But although in recent years there’s been much talk about how we can salvage an outdated work culture, most of us are still working in the past.
Valid arguments have been made that the 9 to 5 working pattern (or let’s face it, for some, it’s 8 to 6 or 9 to 7) is limiting progression and stifling creativity. Trailblazing work cultures established by businesses like Zappos, an online shoe and clothing retailer, are setting the example. Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh, believes that a simple rota rearrangement helps employees feel more energised and motivated when they are at work, so he’s established a flexible work schedule that allows them to spend time on their other passions.
In The Way We're Working Isn't Working (McCarthy, Gomes and Schwartz), they argue that people are not built to work solidly for lengthy periods of time, that their best work comes in great bursts with moments of recovery in between, and that working long hours does not compensate for a lack of physical health, mental well-being and rest – all of which are essential for optimal performance.
But flexibility can go beyond the workplace. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, people have become well acquainted with remote working and are free to adjust their time and workload accordingly. With hundreds of companies realising that working from home does not mean an end to work rapport, elements of this new system are likely to remain. Additionally, less time spent on travelling is always a plus, not to mention all the stress, money and energy that can be spared.
Finland’s way ahead the game. Their 1996 Working Hours Act made it possible for many employees to rejig their working day by up to three hours. But their new Working Hours Act, which came into effect in January, now gives employees the chance to decide the location and allocation of up to 50% of their working hours (to be arranged with employers). Their biggest worry? Staff may end up working overtime or lose touch with the business, so communication is key.
Meanwhile Basecamp, a software company based in Chicago, are remote working pioneers. By allowing employees to pick where they work, the hiring process is not limited to those who live at a commutable distance so there’s more chance of hiring the right person. It also allows managers to focus on the employee’s work itself instead of things like lateness or having Facebook up at the wrong time, which have little to no bearing on their performance. To avoid burn-out (which can easily happen without a clock in/out time), managers “need to establish a culture of reasonable expectations” – this means no rewards for people who regularly work over their set hours. They also know that their employees are perfectly capable of choosing a work area where they feel comfortable, a space that caters to their individual needs, somewhere they can focus and be truly ‘in the zone’ without unnecessary distractions.
Looking to the future, I don’t doubt that altering longstanding practices will have its difficulties, nor will employees suddenly assume every task with an unyielding fire in their bellies, but tweaking the day-to-day around their needs and values will ultimately help employers determine what changes are necessary for a happier, healthier work culture.
Having coached various clients on how to boost energy at work, I’m always amazed at how when work aligns with personal goals, employers don’t just get more out of their teams on a productive or creative level, but their employees also take that energy home with them. In the words of a wonderful founder we work with, “We want people to leave their work at the end of the day with more energy than when they started.”
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