The pandemic has presented an opportunity to redefine working life. Flexible work patterns have shown that the traditionally structured work day is increasingly antiquated. Instead, the pandemic presents an opportunity to reconsider the definition of a working day moving from hours worked to outcomes achieved.
We have long known that the productivity cycles of individuals are not uniform with traditional work patterns (9am – 5pm) not reflecting human experience. The Covid-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to finally put this antiquated culture to bed.
Many sectors of the economy have long since moved away from this model of working as they seek to reflect the reality in which they operate. What the pandemic has taught us is that those working in a typical office environment should also no longer have to operate within the confines of this historic concept.
Instead, with a large section of the office-based working population working from home for the foreseeable future, there is an opportunity to move to a system of productivity/outcome based work days rather than structured contractual hours. The pandemic has helped to add credibility to this concept as it has unshackled employees from desks and highlighted to employers that staff can and do perform equally capably when they are afforded flexibility in their working lives.
In this model, employers would base contracts around the idea of achieved outcomes rather than hours worked. This could be embedded into standard work practice through amendments to working directives. Employers and employees would be protected from over expectation or commitment by agreeing a standardised outcome framework.
This would boost productivity as there would be a defined target and improve employee wellbeing by allowing them more free time away from the work environment rather than be embedded in a culture of presenteeism.
Increased leisure time would also encourage economic growth as they would have more time to spend within the economy and enhanced societal gains with people having opportunities to volunteer and spend in other pursuits such as fitness. In turn this could be an important aspect of improving national health outcomes, reducing pressure on health services.
582-11