Research reveals flexible hours may boost productivity

While the glass ceiling is still very much omnipresent, the hours and physical location of where we work has certainly changed for us all. If the COVID-19 lockdowns have taught us anything, it’s that we can not only work from anywhere—bed included—but such a flexible arrangement can affect one's performance. Many enjoyed it as they didn't have to travel to the office and got ample time to spend with their family and friends. And with remote working proving to be beneficial for both the workforce and the management, one started to question if standard accepted practices need to change for the better. And the question that's being asked a lot is the pressing need to work from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm five days a week either from a cubicle with hardly any light or access to a window, or at a desk that you can't wait to leave.

Also taking into account the four-day workweek that's picking up steam, among a host of countries that include Ireland, Spain, and the UK, it's not only the hours but the days that need to change as well. And why shouldn't things change, as having more personal time has played an instrumental role in reducing burnout and boosting life satisfaction.  

Do employees want to go back to the office?

It’s a question we wouldn’t be considering, let alone practising, had COVID-19 lockdowns not forced us to work from home (otherwise known as WFH). According to a study commissioned by the software firm Atlassian and conducted by PaperGiant, 57 per cent of Indian workers have the strongest preference for full-time remote work compared with the global average of 37 per cent. The findings of the report clearly stated that Indian workers continue to enjoy the shift from the office environment, with the highest preference for full-time remote work, and the lowest preference for hybrid work of all countries surveyed.

Two things stand out here. The first is adaptability. Keeping up with change, 82 per cent of Indian workers recognised the increasing importance of remaining adaptable compared with the global average of 59 per cent, the report said. And this demographic didn't just walk the walk, but talked the talk as well with a significant percentage of Indian workers upgrading their remote workspaces over the last year. Seventy-one per cent workers made improvements to their internet connection, 67 per cent improved workspace functionality, and 63 per cent improved their workspace comfort and ergonomics.

Does remote working increase productivity?

In short, it does. With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing unprecedented changes in work life, a study has revealed that 82 per cent respondents admitted that they prefer working from home to going back to the office according to the Tech Talent Outlook by job site Scikey.

Is it healthy to work in a hybrid model?

In fact, it is. A new study has revealed that hybrid workers exercise more, get more sleep and eat healthier food than those working 9 to 5 in the office. Workspace provider IWG surveyed 2,000 people in India and its findings revealed that the average hybrid worker is now getting 4.7 hours of exercise a week, compared to 3.4 hours before the pandemic, with the most common forms of exercise being walking, running, and strength training. They are also sleeping longer, with the additional time in bed each morning equating to 71 extra hours (three days) of sleep a year. Furthermore, more exercise, better sleep, and healthier eating has, unsurprisingly, led to more than a quarter (27 per cent) of workers saying they’ve lost weight since the start of the pandemic.

“Stress management and social connections are also incredibly important to mental well-being. A healthy work/life balance is essential to achieving these, allowing people to work closer to home and make more time for family, friends, and stress-busting hobbies,” NHS GP Dr Sara Kayay said of the study.

Does flexible working improve gender equality?

According to a study by New LEAD at Krea University-IWWAGE-Zoom report, the hybrid working models provides women more autonomy in how they use their time as compared to in-person working models. However, the hybrid working model also entails gender biases at home, one of the key challenges for working women. 

A gap in technological skilling has remained a challenge for workers transitioning to hybrid models, which can hinder women’s effective participation in hybrid workplaces. Similarly, an absence of organisational culture that enables hybrid work is reported as a significant downside, especially by women in the technology (63 per cent) and business and consulting (57 per cent) sectors. Fifty per cent of hybrid workers perceive that currently women’s promotions are more negatively affected in a hybrid work model than that of their male counterparts, and 44 per cent of hybrid workers perceive a similar negative effect on networking opportunities available to female employees. Further, women who enjoy greater flexibility to work from home also report a higher gender bias. The unequal burden of unpaid care work expected of women within the household continues to persist in hybrid work models.

 

What time of day is best to work?

You’re either a “lark” or a “night owl” (morning or evening person)—and understandably, your creativity and concentration levels are affected by your internal body clock. And if you’re curious as to how your friend can seize the day with a 5:30 am pilates class and you struggle to get out of bed for work, you can blame your parents for your biological predisposition. Research says your genetics make up about half of your “chronotype” (term for human body clock) with environmental factors and age accounting for the rest.

With so much variability between individuals, a need for recocnsidering one’s working hours seems like the next big step on the flexible working journey. Dr Stefan Volk, associate professor and co-director Body, Heart and Mind in Business Research Group, University of Sydney, wrote for The Conversation such consideration could: “be the next big gain in productivity.”

He explains that individuals’ chronotypes often determine their performance peaks and energy levels—with variability including morning types, evening types, or intermediate types. Most kids are morning types, whereas teenagers are evening types—almost contradictory to the education system which reportedly consider parents schedules for class times as opposed to student chronotypes. As for those working, about 20 per cent are categorised as either morning or evening types while 60 per cent are the in-between, aka—intermediate types.

Interestingly, women are more likely to prefer earlier hours than men—except when they go through menopause, differences disappear. Also, those who live further from the Equator are more likely to be evening types—perhaps due to cooler weather which may incentivise more time indoors.

In essence, there is no specific standardised time that workers are more productive—it’s truly dependant on the individual’s chronotype.

What are the cons to time flexibility?

Like most things, there are some negative consequences in regards to work-time flexibility—notably, social confinement. Dr Stefan Volk, associate professor and co-director Body, Heart and Mind in Business Research Group, University of Sydney, wrote that while his research can “unlock greater well-being and productivity” there are shortcomings.

He explained to The Conversation that when combined with remote working, the lessening of interaction with colleagues leads to “greater isolation and lower creativity and innovation.” The benefits of a coffee-break with co-worker or participating in after-work drinks are well-documented =—and the less time we engage in office-culture, could mean fewer meaningful connections and a reduction in office camaraderie. However, there ways of mitigating side-effects through a clear, supportive framework.

Dr Volk suggests employers balance time flexibility by enforcing “fixed on-site working hours”—much like the three days per week in the office as most companies are continuing today—with remaining work days on preferential hours for the individual. All employees work the same fixed hours and remotely to avoid exclusion, the ability to work whenever they want e.g. make up for lost hours by working beyond standardised times and finally enforce “lock out hours”—by setting limits on potentially harmful working times, such as ‘graveyard shift.’

What have other countries done to support flexible working?

Unilever began trialling a four-day working week off the back of a successful 18-month programme at their New Zealand outpost. This’ll see employees of the consumer goods conglomerate not only choose the day they don’t work and split office and remote working life, but also receive the same pay despite a day off.

Other countries, such as Belgium, recently introduced new laws to allow four-day working weeks by working 10-hour days, with four-day trials also occurring in Iceland, the United States, Canada and Japan. The UK also facilitated the world’s largest four-day work week trial with the vast majority of companies involved opting to continue with the new work regime following the six-month trial. Of the 61 companies, 56 have extended the four-day week, with 18 now making it permanent.

This piece originally appeared in Harper's Bazaar Australia