Employees’ productivity often fluctuates throughout the workday. Nowadays, when they start feeling drained, workers are adapting by taking care of personal tasks during regular business hours.
“This behavior has carried over from the peak of the pandemic era. When we were working remotely, we had the flexibility to step away and handle things like cooking dinner, working out, or tending to our children,” explained Wall Street Journal reporter Callum Borchers during an interview with CBS News.
Remote and hybrid work models offer a level of flexibility that full-time, in-office work cannot provide. Workers are holding onto the freedom and control they gained over their schedules during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in some cases, their workdays extend beyond dinnertime.
They are willing to make this trade-off in exchange for a mid-afternoon break from their desks.
“Even though many people have returned to the office, they still have the habit of clocking out early and making up for it later. It’s not necessarily slacking off; sometimes, they work a third shift after dinner when they put their kids to bed,” stated Borchers.
Convenient for some, but not everyone
Microsoft’s analysis of keyboard stroke data reveals three peaks in activity throughout a typical workday. There is increased productivity in the morning, afternoon, and around 10 p.m. when workers wrap up tasks and prepare for the next day.
However, only certain types of workers have the freedom to choose when and where they complete their work.
“Obviously, construction workers can’t leave early,” commented Borchers.
Although such flexibility benefits individual workers and their schedules, it can inconvenience managers and colleagues who prefer to conduct business during regular business hours.
“This arrangement is great for those who have flexibility, but I also hear complaints from managers and colleagues who say, ‘If I email you at 4:30 or want to have a meeting, I’d rather handle it right now,'” added Borchers.
Nevertheless, some managers are willing to wait until after dinner for workers to respond to requests because it ultimately benefits organizations in other ways.
“I hear from CEOs who view this as a perk that fosters employee retention, which is highly valuable,” noted Borchers.
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