The Eight-Hour Workday May Be Thing of the Past

The forty hour work week is a Michigan creation. Henry Ford created it so his workers would have more time to drive around in his new invention, the automobile.

But apparently the forty hour work week is about as common these days as the Dolly Parton song, 'Nine To Five'. That is, you rarely hear about it.

This probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone, but according to a new Career Builder survey of 1,000 full-time workers, the majority, or 63-percent to be exact, believe the eight-hour, nine-to-five workday is an outdated concept.

Fifty-percent of employees say they check or respond to emails outside their work hours, and 24-percent of people say they check emails during times with family and friends. What’s more, 38-percent say they continue working in general outside office hours. Surprisingly, while most people consider work outside the office to be a burden, 62-percent say they see it as a choice rather than an obligation.

And even if people aren’t actually working, the office still invades their home life. Twenty percent of people say work is the last thing they think about before going to sleep, while 42-percent say it’s the first thing on their mind when they get up. And 17-percent of people have a hard time enjoying their time off because they are thinking about work.

As for genders, overall, men seem to be more likely to work outside the office than women, 44-percent versus 32-percent. They are also more likely to check and respond to emails outside of work, and to do work-related things while out with family and friends.

Are you surprised by this survey? My guess is not.

How many hours do you actually think you spend working? Is it in the office or during home time as well? Do you feel that working in your off hours is a choice or an obligation? Does your boss expect you to be on call 24/7?