Death of the 9 to 5
Did you know that only one-third of the workforce still work “standard” hours of 9 to 5, Monday to Friday? There are more women working, more casual and part-time workers, and more home-based businesses than ever before. Fewer people now hold a job for life, and most people now change careers several times during their working lives. Get your creative juices flowing and explore ways to make these trends work for you.
The world of work is changing. Globalisation, technology and the blurring of lines between home and work are transforming the workplace. Well, for some. A report from Britain?s Equal Opportunities Commission says we are now moving into the third generation of flexible work. The first generation was about time flexibility and the second about time flexibility combined with working from home.
According to the report, we are now seeing the third generation, where there is greater control and choice between employers and employees over how and where work is done. The report says four types of flexible workers have emerged:
Timelords
people such as writers, researchers and ?mumtrepreneurs? who more or less control their hours and location of work. They can work anywhere, any time.
Shift-shapers
workers such as nurses with shift patterns who work in peaks and troughs, 24/7.
Time-stretchers
employees such as travel agents and decorators who can control their hours but whose work depends on them meeting clients or accessing equipment on site.
Remote-controllers
workers who have set hours because of customers and technology but who have greater choice over where they work. In some cases, they don?t even have a central office.
There is a kernel of truth in these descriptions but they?re not true for everyone. Most people still have fixed hours of work. Worse still, getting some sort of flexibility can be a problem because people who opt for flexitime and part-time options are often regarded as slackers. Not so! Surely a productive workforce is the one that empathises with their employee?s need for a work/life balance. This month we asked a few people to tell us about their working days…….
