42% Snub Traditional Working Hours

Nearly half of Britain’s workforce have said the traditional notion of ‘working 9 to 5’ no longer applies to the way they manage their work–life balance.

The line between our work and personal lives has become more blurred than ever, with many of Britain’s workforce claiming they were expected to work while on holiday this summer, but admitting they made up for it by taking time out during the working day to do things such as shop, take the kids to the park or just sit and sunbathe or watch the Ashes or Wimbledon on TV.

The survey by Plantronics revealed around half of the workforce now do some elements of their job away from the workplace (55%). While nearly half (47%) believe they are more productive if they can manage their time flexibly.

The findings also revealed that 40% took work calls on a day off and 27% said their boss expects them to be contactable – even on a day off.

Where we work is also changing:

• 30% worked from the pub this summer
• 20% worked from a park
• 16% worked from the beach
• 11% worked from the gym
• 4% worked from the golf course

“The line between our work and personal lives has all but vanished now, and if companies want to get the best out of their people, they need to help them work more flexibly by giving them the trust and the technology to do so,” said Paul Clark, General Manager North Western Europe for Plantronics. “As long as the work gets done to a high standard and on time, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s done from a park, a pub or an office. If people are willing to be contactable outside work time then employers should see the trade-off is that people want to be more flexible about when and where they work. It’s about finding a work–life balance that works best for them and their employer.”

For more information about Plantronics, visit their website.