It has never been easier to negotiate your schedule with your boss.
Most major companies now allow employees to work from home and from the office, as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic.
While employees want face time and prioritize productivity, they also lean toward looser options than the hybrid schedules on offer. Extroverted teammates, gnarly commute, and child-care duties can easily tip hybrid schedules toward home or office. The patterns of the herd are telling, and they are consistent. After consulting many workers, we found this.
Two days in the office. Most rank-and-file office workers prefer two days a week in the office. Some prefer to have those days back-to-back, but the majority don't. Brandon Muratalla, account supervisor at Murphy O'Brien, a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that requires only twice-monthly appearances, says he loves coming in because it is easier to come up with ideas face-to-face. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, he comes in. It is more effective for me to train junior employees or new team members in office when they can learn from me side by side. It is easier to establish company culture in person.
Managers, client-facing employees, and those with highly people-laden jobs are the ones who like three days per week. The head of people at Passport Photo Online tries to go in on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. I get into work mode faster when I start the week this way.
Only one person preferred five in-office days because of home conditions that weren't good for working, according to a survey.
Some days are in-office. Employees say they choose their days based on the needs of the organization. It benefits the company.
Hart Accounting Services is co-founded by Richard Ford and requires staffers to show up twice a week. Ford thinks that Thursdays are becoming popular because they help his team finalize their tasks in person. Many client meetings are scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, which is when many client-facing workers are present.
Employees say that their choices are dictated by their personal lives. Ford likes to pick up his kids after school on Wednesdays. The founder of StorageBuddy in South Africa partially plans around post-work activities. I meet friends for drinks after work on Thursday.
Sharon van Donkelaar built her schedule around online professional education courses. She says she loves her schedule. I like the time I have to focus on my classes. I wouldn't be able to work a regular schedule.
Mondays are productive. If you think people are slacking off at home, think again, they choose the place where their Mondays will be most productive. This means that project-based people like to work from home. Structured Agency requires employees to attend a staff meeting on Wednesday at 2 p.m. On Mondays, the office is quiet. Nick Shackelford says that the open-door policy has shown them that employees do some work on Mondays to get started. Employees with social or team-based jobs are more likely to come to the office on Mondays.
Fridays are popular at home. If the Pandemic has brought one definitive weekly habit, it is starting Fridays early at home, and ending early to peel off for the weekend by early afternoon. People at companies that are busy on Fridays can't do this. The two busiest days of the week are Mondays and Fridays, and that's why Thomas is asked to work Mondays and Fridays.
Some workers enjoy the quiet of mostly empty offices because of the popularity of at- home Fridays. "Fridays are usually the hardest day to keep motivated, so a fresh change of scenery makes me even more excited to get home," says Carson, who works "early until late."
Office days are longer. The concept of 9-to-5 has not been altered by the recent events. Even though they only come in for one meeting, most of the time they stay all day. Some workers are working more non-traditional hours. Some of the staff at the company work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and some work mornings and evenings. One of my employees works only overnight hours with the exception of meetings.
The CEOs are still adjusting. Fata says that she is the office more than anyone. Marilyn Gaskell, the founder of True People Search, says that he is not limited to the office. Sometimes I work until late and sometimes I go early. I work long hours to make sure everything is on track. Employees no longer log the same hours, but they do invite her to relax. They called me to have lunch with them.
