The Death of 9-5: Millennials and Flexible Work Schedule
If you ask college students today about their career plans, many will probably tell you that they want a job with flexible work hours.
They will add that that’s because it will allow them to work at night, when their brains are sharpest.
If someone had said the same thing 20 years ago, no one would have taken them seriously.
But coming from a millennial, it doesn’t sound all strange. So does it mean that the traditional 9-5 workday is dying?
A study by Bentley’s Prepared Project cited that 77% of the millennials think that flexible work schedules would make them more productive.
This statistic is understandable as the millennial generation is very comfortable with the digital tech that allows them to work anytime, from anywhere.
It is likely that the 9-5 workday will be completely extinct by 2030.
4 reasons why the millennials want the flexible work hours implemented
1. The desire to continue their education
Hartford cited that more than 50% of the millennials yearn for development and training from their employers.
This doesn’t go unnoticed as employers are investing more resources than ever in corporate training.
Leadership rotation programs by companies also help millennials fulfill their desire to learn how different areas of a firm work.
As this will require them to take classes while additional jobs to improve their skills, a flexible work schedule will be more practical compared to the classic 9-5 workday.
2. The bottom line
Millennials are not wrong – flexible work hours make employees work harder, thus more productive.
It also improves employee satisfaction and increases overall work hours.
The reason is that working remotely takes away the distractions of the office environment and saves on time spent on physically commuting to work.
3. The disappearance of the corporate office
The dawn of 2030 will see professionals working entirely from home, thanks to technological advancements and fast data terminals.
Many firms will have done away with physical office locations and replaced them with interconnected hubs.
Air travel to meet prospective clients will be rendered unnecessary by virtual meetings that will occur across time zones.
Mobile internet options will change how people do business and run their companies, rendering offices useless.
And let’s face it – who will need office hours if no one uses offices anyway?
4. The creation of a work-life balance
One of the major problems with the 9-5 workday is that it doesn’t leave much room for families to bond.
Employers expect their employees to be available for work more widely but don’t offer the flexibility needed to achieve that.
Consequently, many people end up taking work with them when they leave the office.
This leaves little to no room for those with kids to hang out with them or even help with homework.
Having been raised during an era when spending time with parents was only possible during the weekend, balancing work and family is extremely important for the millennials.
They want to be more involved in their kid’s lives. The trade-off is completing a project on a Saturday morning or catching up on email at 9 PM.
It is a tough choice, but one that Millennials are fine with.
Implementation of flexible work schedules
Workplace flexibility is where the future is headed. As such, you should consider asking millennials about their priorities when hiring them.
For many, flexibility ranks high and if a company cannot offer that, they risk missing out on great talent.
Even if you offer health insurance or competitive wages, the millennials will move on to a company whose business model allows for flexibility and gives them leeway.
In fact, a study by Millennial Branding cited that 50% of the millennials value flexible work schedules over other benefits.