Why the 9-to-5 work schedule may no longer be effective

Organisations should rethink how they manage traditional workhours to get the best out of employees who work from the office.
By: | January 20, 2023
Topics: Employee Experience | Health and Wellness | News | Talent Management

For many employees, working from 9am to 5pm continues to be a daily requirement in a typical workweek. The challenge, is maintaining focus and productivity levels throughout the workday, which it would appear, many employees are failing at.

According to a new survey commissioned by Office Freedom and conducted by OnePoll, employees working in the office hit their productivity peak by 10.22am, before attention spans dip by 1.27pm and hit another lull at 2.06pm.

Overall, 58% of the 2,000 employees surveyed admitted that they struggle to get through a day without experiencing highs and lows of productivity levels. Spending too much time in front of a computer (27%), being interrupted by colleagues in the office (24%), and not taking enough breaks away from the desk (22%) are among the main reasons people do not feel constantly energised at work.

READ: Stop what you are doing and get up from your work desk

Managers, therefore, could play a more active role in reducing the number of distractions employees face during work, and to create a work environment that helps employees be at their most productive.

Or, perhaps it is time to review if rigidly adhering to fixed working hours is still an effective strategy to get the best out of the time employees spend at the office?