The 9-5 Is Dead, What’s Next?

12th May 2017 | 3 min read

work-anywhere1-The 9-5 Is Dead, What’s Next?

45% of millennials will choose workplace flexibility over pay when looking for a job, a percentage that’s climbing each year. More of us strive to manage our own schedule, as the common 9-to-5 workday continues to disrupt our social lives and workflow. After seeing the benefits of happier staff, more companies are open to negotiation – a four day week or six hour day seems more humane than what currently stands.

Most millennials don’t stick to a specific routine, 89% of them check their emails after 5 p.m, blurring the lines between their personal lives and work. Not forgetting that we now live in an on-demand world, expecting to receive what we need with minimal delay, but with the workday only lasting eight or so hours, that’s not always possible. It’s something that cannot be avoided, so should be embraced.

There’s talk surrounding the notion that the 9-to-5 workday is dead, but not much explanation on what’s going to replace it. Chopping and changing hours is just the start, there’s a generational shift which is having consequences: new ways of working.

Agile Working: Being able to work when, where and how you choose. At home, in a coffee shop or coworking space – anywhere (with wifi) is possible.

Flexitime: An opportunity to dictate your own schedule. Managing your own time and following a calendar strategy based on your personal routine and workflow makes juggling work, a family, and social life much easier.

Nomads: Your office is in the South of France, your chair is a poolside sun lounger and your morning coffee is an afternoon G&T… for some, this is actually true. This Instagram-heavy group call themselves ‘digital nomads’ or ‘remote workers’ and they usually travel the world forever in search of a new adventure and workstation. They’re out to prove that being cooped up inside the same office everyday is not the way to live and certainly not the way to work.

On The Road: A collective group of people (usually branded as a coworking community) who travel to different workplaces across the globe. Similar to the nomads, their mission is to find new, exotic places to set their laptop down. Destinations include beaches, parks, restaurants or even the vans they travel in.

Collaboration: A recent buzzword due to its unrivaled influence within the workplace. Now office design and culture are being tailored to encourage communication and sociability. Coworking spaces are renowned for their open layouts which often spark conversation and support networking between different companies.

All of the above have one thing in common: technology. Communicating with colleagues, attending virtual meetings, and accessing company data without stepping a foot into the office is now a reality. However, staff must be aware of the risks when adapting to these ways of working, for example: finding a strong, private connection has never been more important – rocking up and logging into a shared network makes your company data a moving target.

These new ways of working aren’t suitable for everyone or for every company, but to take inspiration from them is a start towards the future way to work. LABS offers Lounge and Coworking memberships, providing workers with a private network but with the flexibility to move around the space and not experience drop outs. Interested? Email [email protected].

The 9-to-5 may be dead, but its replacement is very exciting.