Why are we only talking about where we work? It's time also to focus on when we work.
 | By Eleanor Barkhorn Editor at Large, Opinion |
The most obvious change that office workers experienced in March 2020 was that suddenly they started working at home. And so it makes sense that the discussions about what white-collar work should look like after the pandemic have focused mainly on where work should happen. Should it be in an office? At home? A mix of the two? |
But the pandemic also brought a more subtle transformation to work: It allowed many of us to exert more agency over when we work. I've experienced this myself — I will often hop off my computer in the late afternoon to exercise before dinner, and then log back on in the evening after my kids are in bed to wrap up my work for the day. Sure, I could have done something similar in my pre-pandemic life, but I always felt too sheepish to leave the office at 4 p.m., even if I knew full well that I wasn't actually slacking off. |
In a recent essay, Emily Laber-Warren writes that time flexibility should be a bigger part of the return-to-office conversation. Rigid 9-to-5 schedules aren't ideal for everyone, and in many fields are not necessary. |
"If more employers truly embraced flexible schedules and allowed employees to work at the times that are best for them, experts say, the benefits would be a healthier and more productive, creative and loyal work force." she says. |
As Laber-Warren writes, there are any number of reasons that employees would value more schedule flexibility. Some, like me, are parents striving to find time in the day to be with their families, get their work done and go for a run. There is also a biological justification for getting rid of the traditional schedule: "For more than half of adults, biological bedtime falls after midnight, which means that a typical 9-to-5 work schedule throws many of us out of sync," writes Laber-Warren. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. |
Contact us If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment