Why Office Hours Are Obsolete

Freedom is becoming a motivational factor much more valuable than money. The notion that it's mandatory for employees to be physically present at work or in the office (even if they have nothing to do) is such old school management.   According to Upwork CEO Stephane Kasriel, remote work will be the norm within the next ten years, as younger generations take the management reins. Leaders will need to quickly transform existing facilities and policies to give employees more choice and more freedom. If they don't see it now, there's a significant disruption coming in the way in which we work.

How hard is it to find companies that do offer flexible work schedules so employees can have more control over their lives and work? Well, as of right now, there are no exact statistics, but there are certain types of companies that will have to adjust quicker than others. For example, many of the Fortune 500 companies have a life span that has drastically declined due to its lack flexibility in their work schedule. As a matter of fact, only 12 of the original Fortune 500 companies remain. What this goes to show is that if they want to prolong their lifespan and influx of employees, they will have to embrace the concept of remote work.

Freelancers are becoming more and more useful as the marketplace starts to explode. More companies are seeking them out, yet there still seems to be too much fixation on "in-person" corporate work. Companies (and managers) that succeed are the ones that can take special considerations of the individuals they wish to hire. People seem to have the most energy, creativity, and productivity when they're given flexible hours that allow work a more realistic work-life balance.

Do companies want to know why employees are leaving to work to start their own business or freelance? Well, many times it's directly related to inflexible office policies. Here's an example: In a previous company of mine, management decides not to hire a very qualified job candidate for our sales and marketing department simply because the job candidate wanted to be able to work from home one day a week, and our CEO at the time could not possibly accept it. The CEO's policy at that time was that everyone should be at the office at 8:00 AM, five days of the week. This CEO wasn't willing to adapt to these changes, even though we were a technology company where a majority of the work could have easily been done remotely.  However, the CEO was strictly against it and no one, regardless of seniority or role, could have any special terms, everyone had to come in, every day.

The result became a democracy based on extreme equality, where the employees weren't prepared to show any flexibility either. Based on this experience, it proves that if you stick to old-fashioned time and work methods, your business can be punished in ways that you won't imagine until it takes place. Enforcing a rigid structure with very little flexibility and commitment to your employee's wishes could result in a lack of loyality from your employees, which can lead to a bad future for the company's survival.

The case of the matter is: fewer and fewer of us are being able to commit to 9-to-5 jobs. More organizations should understand that work is not a destination; it's a mentality. In the next ten years, it will be impossible for companies to think that potential employees are going to up and relocate to where they are just to secure a position. Long commutes are becoming increasingly dreadful and unnecessary for employees. Great talent is being underutilized because people are not willing to uproot their families and life to move to another location physically. All of these factors become a challenge as life continues to move forward generation after generation.

According to a 2017 Gallup Study, 43 percent of American report spending at least some time working remotely. More than half of employees (53 percent) say a role that allows them a better work-life balance is essential to them when considering whether to take a new job. These numbers are a testament to show how not only can a 9-5 job be depressing, but how a flexible work schedule gives employees more joy, flexibility, and autonomy. Thanks to innovative technology like Slack and Google Hangouts, the future of remote work looks brighter. Can we say good-bye to office life and hello work-life balance? Only time and a change in mindset will tell.

Source: Forbes.com

Powered by NewsAPI.org

Keywords:

Working time • Liberty • Motivation • Factors of production • Money • Employment • Gift • Employment • Upwork • Telecommuting • Norm (social) • Management • Leadership • Policy • Employment • Utility • Political freedom • See It Now • Disruptive innovation • Company • Employment • Exact statistics • Wealth • Labour market flexibility • Employment • Wealth • Company • Employment • Telecommuting • Management • Person • Energy • Innovation • Productivity • Flextime • Working time • Work–life balance • Company • Employment • Business • Office • Policy • Company • Mining • Management • Professional certification • Job • Sales • Marketing • Job • Telecommuting • Democracy • Extremism • Egalitarianism • Employment • Labour market flexibility • Time • Employment • Methodology • Structure • Labour market flexibility • Organizational commitment • Employment • Employment • Future • Company • Life • Case law • Matter (philosophy) • Working time • Employment • Organization • Employment • Corporation • Employment • Location (geography) • Employment • Skill • Life insurance • Gallup (company) • Education • Time • Telecommuting • Employment • Work–life balance • Job • Will and testament • Job • Depression (mood) • Flextime • Employment • Schedule (workplace) • Employment • Labour market flexibility • Autonomy • Innovation • Technology • Google Hangouts • Telecommuting • Hello Work • Work–life balance •