Forget what you were taught about business hours. While the traditional “9 to 5” used to rule the corporate world, the post-pandemic era has shown no specific time when the streets are the busiest. Now, the famous rush hour is spreading throughout the day. Around lunchtime, for example, the number of cars on the roads is almost the same as at the beginning or end of the workday—such as 9 AM or 6 PM.
A study analyzing American commuting patterns in major cities found that the peak hours have shifted: now, it’s from 10 AM to 4 PM. According to the 2023 Global Traffic Scorecard released by INRIX Inc., employees have adopted less traditional work schedules. Ultimately, leaving at an alternative time to avoid traffic has created a new peak hour.
Not to mention those who go to the office just to be present, stay for a few hours, and then head back home. Over 50% of hybrid workers admit to doing this every week. Meanwhile, 6 in 10 Americans would immediately look for another job if they lost the ability to work from home, have a hybrid system, or implement more flexible schedules.
This flexibility in work and the “quick visits to the office” have become a headache for some companies, which are finding their employees increasingly disengaged. The impact of this disengagement is significant for companies. In the U.S., disengaged employees who “only do the minimum” account for $1.9 trillion in lost productivity every year.
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Source: CNBC | the news