Is 9 to 5 still relevant in 2021?

Since the pandemic, many people have developed a new mindset. This period of change has also shifted our work lives. The standard 9-5 work week is up for a change. For many businesses, the pandemic-induced, remote-work, year-and-a-half experiment has proven to be a massive success.

Though there are notable drawbacks to remote working, research finds that overall it is beneficial for both workers and management. More than anything, these sudden changes to the world of work have encouraged people to reconsider old work-related norms, and ask if they are really necessary today.

This new type of work has provided a range of opportunities that may have previously been impossible. For example, employers can now look for employees without being restrained by location, increasing the sample size and enabling them to find the perfect fit.

The 9-5, 5 days a week work week has been the status quo for a long time now. The concept started in 1926, by Henry Ford of Ford Motors, who created the 40-hour workweek for his assembly line workers.

Since then, times have changed dramatically. Living in an increasingly digitalised world means that many of the tasks that would previously be very time-consuming can now be completed at the click of a button. Our communications now span across the globe and across time zones. Throughout the pandemic, our reliance on these technologies has also increased. With a variety of online video platforms, interactive and conversational software and the means to instantly send messages, it is easy to see how technology can help us to understand work and communications differently.

Despite this, some industries may struggle to implement flexible working hours more than others. For example, industries such as healthcare need to be accessible and reachable throughout the day. Beyond this, a fully remote and online working life is not only impossible for certain positions but can be isolating for many people who miss the office culture.

It is impossible to predict how these things will continue to change as we move into later stages of the pandemic. However, as many people are looking at the workweek in a new light, many businesses are changing their working policies to accommodate flexible working hours. This suggests that a hybrid-model of working might continue post-pandemic, with more flexible working hours and part-remote working