HR Department
  • Home
  • Did you Know?
  • Our Services
    • NEW: Mediation
    • HR Audit
    • Implementation
    • HR Support Service
    • HR Services
  • Our Experts
  • Testimonials
  • The HR Advisor
  • Contact Us
  • Login

What A Way To Make A Livin’: Are We Really ‘Working’ 9-5?

8/8/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
We all know the beginning few lines of that pop-country anthem, the punching piano-filled chords, the rousing almost marching beat, and the first Appalachian harmonies from musical icon, Dolly Parton.

The theme tune for a movie about women in the workplace, ‘9-5’ epitomises that daily routine shared by millions across the globe. But is it still the reality for many in Ireland today? Or should Irish businesses have a major rethink about these working hours?  
 
Why Not 9-5?
While the eight-hour-day was intensely sought after by workers in Ireland at the beginning of the twentieth century, today it isn’t so lauded.

In 2018, just 5% of Irish people reported actually working 9am to 5pm; their contracts may have sad they should work these traditional hours, but in reality those hours fluctuated. In fact, 45% of respondents in this same study reported that they worked hours that suited them, with 31% in want of an 8-4 working pattern and 32% arguing for a longer day but shorter work week.

Clearly, Ireland is fighting against the rigidity of the traditional 9-5 in favour of increased flexibility.
 
But Why?
  • Increasing Women in the Workplace
While both men and women in Ireland want more flexibility in the working hours, the increasing amounts of women who are now in the labour force has increased calls for flexitime, as both male and female parents juggle the pressures of kids, home and working life.

In fact, over 50% of Irish women over the age of 15 are now in the labour force; flexibility is needed if your business is to keep this talent within its grips.

  • Technological Advancement
Twenty years ago, it was simply impossible for most Irish employees to have the ability to work from home. With a lack of laptops, WiFi and cloud-based information sharing systems, employees had to be present at their desks to access work emails and to do their jobs.

But that ship has sailed. With most firms now accessing the adaptability of a cloud-based server, workers can access all the information that they need to do their jobs simply from the click of a button, allowing employees to work practically anywhere that has an internet connection.

Technological advancement has derailed the traditional 9-5 in preference to a more flexible schedule that allows employees to work wherever and, by and large, whenever they want.

  • Productivity
Afternoon slumps are not made up; time and time again workers have reported lacking in productivity for significant chunks of their 9-5 day. Another recent study reveals that 62% of employees reported they would be more productive if they knew they could finish earlier.

The phenomenon of ‘presenteeism’ has killed productivity, as workers force themselves to stay after their contracted hours in an effort to make themselves appear to be working harder.

In reality, your employees have spent 8+ hours doing a job that could have taken them 4 or 5. Responding to this, some companies such as Ireland’s very own ICE Group have went the extra mile, introducing a four day working week in an effort to bring more flexibility into the workplace, drive up employee retention and increase productivity.

Offering more flexibility to eradicate this issue, giving employees back the power to choose their hours and become more productive in the long run.
 
How Can HR Help?
Communication – it can’t be stressed enough. Get your HR team to talk with employees, listen to their views on their working hours and how best your business could support them to remain productive and at optimum performance.

As a company, it is crucial that you are willing to listen to the feedback and alter your working environment to suit modern conditions. With low unemployment and a dearth of high-skilled talent, a refusal to listen to employees in this way could be detrimental for your talent retention.

Take a leaf out of Dolly’s songbook and take time to rethink your working hours for the sake of your workplace wellbeing. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014

    Categories

    All
    Absenteeism
    Agile Management
    Anger
    Annual Leave
    Appointments
    Big Data
    Bullying
    Bullying In The Workplace
    Business
    BYOD
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Company Culture
    Compulsory Retirement
    Conflict Resolution
    Corporate Culture
    Covid 19
    Covid-19
    Cyber Bullying
    Data Protection
    Device Policy
    Digital
    Digital Transformation
    Disciplinary Procedures
    Discrimination
    Diversity
    Dress Code
    Emotional Intelligence
    Employee Benefits
    Employee Diversity
    Employee Engagement
    Employee Performance
    Employee Relations
    Employee Resignation
    Employee Retention
    Employee Rights
    Employee Wellbeing
    Employer Branding
    Employment Contract
    Equality
    Flexible Working Hours
    Freelance
    Freelancer Management
    Freelancing
    Gender
    Gig Economy
    Health And Safety
    Hiring Process
    HR
    HR Automation
    HRLocker
    HR Paper Work
    HR Performance
    HR Tips
    Human Resources
    Incentives
    Inclusion
    Independent Contractor
    In-house
    Innovation
    Intelectual Property
    Intern
    Jargon
    Just Culture
    L&D
    Leadership
    Learning & Development
    Long Term Illness
    Management
    Managers
    McDonalds
    Mediation
    Mentorship
    Millenials
    Motivating Staff
    Music
    Negative Employees
    Office Romance
    Onboarding
    Outsourced HR
    Paid Paternity Benefit
    Parental Leave
    Parenting
    Part Time
    Part-time
    Passive-aggressive
    Paternity Leave
    Paternity Leave Policy
    Pay Gap
    Pensions
    People Operations
    Poaching Employees
    Policy
    Problem Employee
    Productivity
    Profit
    Protected Disclosures Act
    Recruitment
    Redundancy
    Retirement
    Role Of HR
    Salary Transparency
    Sexual Harrassment
    Sick Leave
    Sick Pay
    Sick Policy
    Skills
    Skills Shortage
    Social Media
    Social Media Policy
    Staff Burnout
    Staff Engagement
    Staff Retention
    Staff Training
    Strategy
    Success
    Talent
    Talent Acquisition
    Talent Retention
    Team
    Teamwork
    Tech In HR
    The Jungle Book
    Training
    Trust
    Unfair Dismissal
    Vacation
    Whistleblower
    Work Arrangements
    Working Parents
    Workplace
    Workplace Bullying
    Workplace BYOD Policy
    Workplace Conflict
    Workplace Discrimination
    Workplace Harassment
    Workplace Health
    Work Related Stress
    Zero Hour Contract

    RSS Feed

HR Department, 49 Hollybank Avenue, Lower Ranelagh, Dublin 6, Ireland.
 
Phone : +353 87 852 7723
E-mail: [email protected]

Registered in Ireland under company number 348834

Testimonials

Fallon and Byrne

“As a medium –sized business, we could not justify having an in-house HR person. The HR department provided the perfect solution for us, giving us access to all of the expert advice we needed on an outsourced basis"

READ MORE!
Website by Chevron Studio