Is it 9 to 5 or 9 to 4?

As a passionate gamer and content creator, I know firsthand the value of having flexibility and control over how my time is structured. The traditional 9 to 5 office job does not easily allow for the kind of fluid schedule that promotes creative thinking, productivity, and work-life balance. Fortunately, driven by advances in remote work and a greater prioritization on employee engagement, the rigid 9 to 5 structure is beginning to change.

The Origins of 9 to 5

The standard 9 to 5 workday has its origins in the late 19th century labor movement that fought successfully for an 8 hour workday. This rallying cry against the customary 10+ hour work shifts was popularized in a 1916 song called "Eight Hours."

In the 1920s, Henry Ford adopted the 8 hour model for his car factory workers, helping cement it as a national standard. At that time, most factory workers were given an hour paid lunch, resulting in a work schedule spanning 9 AM to 5 PM and thus coined the phrase "9 to 5."

Workers on an automotive assembly line in the 1920s – when the 9 to 5 standard was popularized

This consistency created societal expectations that you went to an office or factory for 9 hours, even if you were only working for 8. The 9 to 5 mentality still persists today, even when paid lunch breaks have gone by the wayside.

The State of 9 to 5 Today

However, the tide is shifting when it comes to standardized office hours. Per Gallup in 2016, at least 43% of employed Americans said they worked remotely in some capacity. Even three years ago that indicated a substantial move away from in-office mandatory scheduling.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, remote work exploded to over 60% of US workers based on necessity. While that percentage has trickled down slightly post-pandemic, remote work appears to be here to stay as workers experienced greater autonomy over their schedules.

Additionally, the standard office schedule has compress with a typical requirement now being 8 AM to 5 PM with an unpaid lunch break – no longer the 9 hour "9 to 5" of the past.

And even for non-remote office workers, schedule flexibility is improving. Core working hour requirements are replacing strictly standardized shifts. Employees have greater freedom in choosing their start and end times outside of say a 10 AM to 4 PM overlap.

What This Means for Productivity and Engagement

As a gamer building my channel and community after hours, I understand firsthand the creative benefits more control over your schedule can unlock.

When allowed to structure your day how you want, you maximize energy and inspiration when it strikes rather than trying to force it for 8 hours straight. The research agrees with the anecdotal experience:

• 86% of employees with work from home flexibility are more productive (Global Workforce Analytics)
• Employees with schedule control sleep better and report substantially higher engagement scores (Various Gallup Polls)

In addition to greater productivity and engagement, non-traditional schedules demonstrate strong employee retention and satisfaction upside. FlexJobs highlights that work flexibility leads to:

• 25% higher retention rate
• Double the rate of employees reporting high job satisfaction

Where Office Schedules Are Headed

Given the clear advantages of enabling employee schedule flexibility, we will likely continue moving away from standardized office shifts:

• Continued remote work adoption – Now that companies and employees better understand how to operate remotely, we will see fewer instances of forced in-office schedules
• Four day work weeks – Companies like Shake Shack, Unilever, and Panasonic have adopted four day, 10 hour per day schedules with great success
• Flexible hour requirements – Instead of 9 AM to 5 PM for all, core collaboration hours surrounded by flexible start and end times will prevail

The future of work is about empowering employees, not mandating they sit at a desk 9 hours a day to "put in their time." Similar to optimizing the party composition and gear in an RPG game, employers need to realize that allowing employees flexibility and control over their conditions boosts their damage output…or rather productivity!

So is it still 9 to 5? For roughly 40% and growing of the workforce, definitely not. And even standardized office jobs are shifting schedule expectations away from rigid coordination. Like transitioning from turn-based combat to open world exploration, the future of work is moving towards employee autonomy. And that‘s great news not only for gamers seeking a better quality of life balance, but for improved workplace satisfaction overall.