There’s been a lot of talk about the working world lately.  Mainly, there are two distinct movements going on – the availability and accessibility of “remote work” and experiments into shorter work weeks (specifically, a 32-hour work as opposed to the “traditional” 40-hour work week).

First, there is the growing desire for more and more Americans to have the opportunity for “remote work”.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some jobs where remote work is not an option.  You can’t operate a garbage truck remotely (at least, not yet), and I certainly wouldn’t want a doctor to be operating on me from home (again, at least – not yet), but there are many office and white-collar jobs that can be done from the confines of a home office or other remote space.

The recent pandemic was basically a grand experiment and test bed for whether or not Fortune 500 companies could survive with a remote work force.  After preaching for years that remote work was “not viable”, most companies found out just the opposite.  Not only was it survivable, in most cases, productivity actually saw improvements, worker satisfaction was higher, and business basically didn’t skip a beat.

As companies have slowly returned to normal staffing practices, many have begun cracking down on this former lenient policy about remote work – requiring most employees to return to the office (at least part-time), which has been met with a lot of employee resistance.  Like anything else in the working world, once you add-in a perk or benefit, it is very difficult to then take it away without a lot of push-back.

As a person who experienced a remote work option long before the pandemic (I worked completely remote for a large tech company for over ten years), I can attest to the fact that there are many advantages in a remote position.  There are significant savings on gas, food, and clothing, as well as the time saved from a non-existent commute.

However, I should point out that it’s not all wine and roses.  It takes a certain mindset and dedication to work alone and independently, and the lack of interaction and face-to-face collaboration can hurt advancement opportunities and make employees feel more and more isolated.  For example, I was laid off from that tech firm after ten years of remote work, and because no one outside of my department ever met me or knew me, there was no chance of me going elsewhere in the company.  

That being said, many job seekers in the younger workforce now look to remote work availability as a required perk when evaluating potential job opportunities.  Companies who are more flexible and willing to accept remote work as a part of their culture are finding it easier to recruit and retain new hires, as they consider it an important aspect of their compensation package.

Secondly, the business world is continuing to experiment with shorter work weeks – specifically, four day/32-hour work weeks, where the current pay scale remains the same as it would be with a traditional five day/40-hour work week.  Initial results have been promising, as employers who have tried it have found that overall productivity has not suffered, and employee morale and retention rates have sky-rocketed in a positive way.  More companies (and even states) are dipping their toes into the four day work week pool, and employees who have experienced the change swear they’ll never go back.

Again, there are some adjustments that have to be made by employers in order for this to become a reality (specifically around scheduling and possibly even head count), but with the labor market continuing to be tight and unemployment figures low, businesses are continuing to look at ways to attract and retain employees – without raising wages.

I also have a little experience in this arena.  In my working career I’ve experienced a five day/8-hour shift schedule, a four day/ 10-hour shift schedule, and even a split 12-hour shift schedule (where I alternated between three days on/four off one week and four on/three off the following week).  I can tell you that a four day week is right in the sweet spot (whether it’s a 10-hour shift or 8-hour shift).  That extra day off each week was a blessing, allowing one more day to run errands, get household chores done, or even take a small trip somewhere without burning up valuable vacation time.  Mentally, it was also great to get away from work that extra day each week, and I found I was more focused on getting things done when I was on the clock.

So what does the future hold for employees regarding their working life?  That remains to be seen, but as more and more companies explore work alternatives, there are definitely changes afoot and choices to be made for the job market in the coming years.  HR departments are going to have to have some serious discussions with executive management on direction and benefit packages if they want to recruit and retain employee talent.  Businesses willing to adapt and experiment with new ideas may be the ones to survive.