Employees across the world are changing the way that they work. The nature of the traditional 40 hour work week is changing and the truth is that many people are now working far over 40 hours to maintain their quality of life.
A 9-5 job may be something that is changing but the nature of our work and the flexibility behind work is changing as well. It is true that many Americans are working more than a standard 40 hour week but the structure of this work is changing from less of a 9-5 but rather than a flexible time that suits each worker. Thanks to the use of cloud computing and improvements to traditional office design in coworking, it is now easier for employees to clock in and out of their workday in a flexible format.
Work and life balance feels like it is at an all time high, because employees can work more flexibly.
The 40 hour work week is a concept that first started in the mid 19th century and it was due to a demand to cut the work day to 8 hours. Many unions fought for this right as employees often faced longer days and a 6 day work week at minimum. Henry Ford was one of the first employers to introduce fair wages for a 40 hour work week.
Today, staff can complete their 40 hours at most business locations but there is no need for them to be working within set hours to have the same level of productivity in many industries. Many businesses today are realising that the goals of their company can be achieved while employees continue to work off site and maintain their own schedule. Day to day scheduling with employees having the freedom and flexibility often improves productivity and leads to more positive working environments. With the success of the new and flexible 40+ hour workweek there are many companies accepting this as the new normal.
This post was written by Tara Kintz. Tara is a director at Signature Workspace which is a tampa coworking space. Signature Workspace, owned and operated by Cantor Fund Management, offers services and amenities such as private offices, flex space, co-working space, virtual offices, meeting/conference rooms, and more.
