Six Hours or Less
The Pandemic has had lasting effects beyond the hand sanitizer dispensers still sitting at the entrance and exit of most public spaces. A recent national survey found that nearly two-thirds of offices require employees to come in to work at least three days per week. However, only about half of office visits now last six hours or less. Before the pandemic, 84 percent of “white collar” workdays were the traditional eight hours.
That is an understatement. Air Products had rigidly-enforced working hours in my time there. Salaried employees did not have to punch in at a time clock, but supervisors gave late arrivers and early departers the proverbial “hairy eyeball”. Failing to spend at least eight hours chained to your cubicle daily would be remembered at quarterly or annual performance reviews. The more time you spent at your desk, the greater your devotion to the company.
Winter weather was no excuse. Air Products did not shut down for snow storms until the 2000’s. It was a Badge of Courage to disregard ominous warnings of highway pileups and make it to work. When daytime blizzards would strike, the company would allow us to leave around 3 PM. Of course, this loss of productivity had to be cleared with senior management. One memorable day, we Worker Bees were pressed against the windows watching our vehicles get buried in the snow. 3 PM came and went with no announcement over the PA system. One joker (I wish I had thought of it) paged “Hugo Home. Hugo Home Please” to every corner of Air Products — Trexlertown. This magically aroused senior management and the much-anticipated announcement followed shortly thereafter.
What has changed now that white collar workers are spending six hours or less in the office? Workers avoid that dreaded morning rush hour traffic by coming in at 10 AM. Happy Hours at downtown bars start earlier and last longer. Golf courses are seeing a fourfold uptick in Wednesday afternoon activity. It’s not only doctors who get in a mid-week 18 holes anymore.
Some companies incentivize employees to come to the office by offering free lunches of tacos, sushi or fried chicken. Does this ensure that a grateful workforce keeps its collective nose to the grindstone for a full day? Of course not. One employee stated, “Do I stay until 5? Absolutely not, no way,” she said. “I go in for a few hours, stay for lunch, then come home and check on my dog. We’re both happier this way.”
Thanks, Pandemic. You’ve made office work better.
By Ed Dufton
