If it comes to workspace, work time, global markets or salary, the job-world is changing rapidly, especially in the developed countries of the world. For example there are some people who are not having a real traditional job anymore. People are doing freelancing or are part of the so called “gig economy”. In the past you would have gotten a simple answer about the question what they are working:

“I work in manufacturing” or “I’m a teacher” etc. But nowadays you will find a lot more complex and undefined answers, they can’t label their “jobs” properly. They will give you loads of projects or things they are or are not working on right now. Exactly this progress is raising the question of Mathew Ingram: “Are defined hours of work an anachronism that’s holding us back? Or is it freedom to work whenever we want and/or is it a trap that causes us to work more, rather than less?”

Zach Holman says to this question that fixed hours are great ways to determine productivity in many industries, but not in those like the online world, brain-powered creativity section/design or in case of plenty programmers. “We [the companies] want employees to be in the zone as often as possible. Mandating specific times they need to be in the office harm the chances of that.” To be in the zone means, to be always-on, always-connected, mobile-device-carrying and available if needed. Not just sitting in the office waiting until the bell rings at 5 o’clock. You should be “useful” for the company and not just present and not doing anything really productive.

Management consultants like to call it a “results-oriented workplace” But is this possible? If we are online all the time, will work conquer our lives?! Exaggerating it would mean that we are working any time and all the time. But is this really efficient and in the aspects of the companies’ favours? No, not really. Well, there must be mentioned two sides.

On the one hand there are plenty saying that both, workers and companies, are benefitting more flexible hours. E.g. Holman: “By allowing a more flexible work schedule, you create an atmosphere where employees can be excited about their work. Ultimately it should lead to more hours of work, with those hours being even more productive. Working weekends blur into working nights and into working weekdays, since none of the work feels like work.”

But on the contrary side there is the argument, that it is impossible to have a flexible time schedule and family together. Not to forget the age of the employees and duration of this “gig economy”. Of course, a mid 20/30 can do this unscheduled work without problems, but what about a fifty year old man having 2 children to take care of!? Also important to mention is, that this kind of work requires in some ways, more discipline on the part of the worker themselves: to set boundaries and say that he or she won’t be available at certain times, or to turn off devices during meals and on weekends.

So a lot of points to remember and to weighed up for everyone’s own. Now it’s your turn. What do you think – Do we need defined hours of work any more? Or is it an antiquated model?

Web: gigaom.com