Chronoworking. The end of the nine-to-five?
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Since Covid, there have been huge changes in workplace culture and practices with trends such as the ‘great resignation’, ‘quiet quitting’ and ‘productivity paranoia’ becoming well established. The latest is Chronoworking - a way of working that allows employees to tailor their work schedules to their individual circadian rhythms and find a workflow that not only suits them but also allows them to produce their best work.
It’s a concept coined by journalist Ellen C. Scott, and it promotes the idea that aligning work hours with personal energy peaks can enhance productivity, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. This is backed by studies from the US National Institute of Health, that show traditional work patterns don’t always coincide with employee's productive periods and that working outside natural circadian rhythms can lead to inefficiency, wasted potential, illness, and lower morale.
Employees most productive times varies from individual to individual so allowing people who struggle with concentration and tiredness during the first few hours of the day to start later when they are more alert not only offers enhanced productivity, increased job satisfaction, and a better work-life balance but can also help reduce stress It has also been shown to improve employee mental health, create more effective work periods, and reduce burnout which all translates into lower absenteeism and reduced turnover.
While there are clear benefits, implementing chronoworking can be challenging and isn’t suitable for every industry or role. Organisations thinking of introducing it will need to establish clear communication channels, set core hours where team members overlap for essential meetings and collaborative tasks, have well-defined goals in place and ensure ways of measuring KPI’s and tracking projects are in place.
Overall, chronoworking could lead to a shift towards more personalised and flexible work arrangements that reflect the growing recognition of a good work-life balance and individual productivity. The creation of work environments where employees can get the most out of their peak performance hours means companies can boost satisfaction, maximise efficiency, and create a healthier, more balanced workplace. In the workplace of the future, chronoworking could become key feature that helps makes business more dynamic and adaptable.
