Why standard office hours are no longer relevant

More and more employees are questioning why office hours still matters when most have to work everywhere they go on a mobile device.

According to a CareerBuilder Survey, 59% of workers think the 9-to-5 work day is a thing of the past. 45% of workers say they complete work outside of office hours and 49%  say they check or answer emails after they have left work.

Thanks to their proficiency with technology, younger workers have reported longer working hours than the older generation.

Up to 60% of workers 55 and older also say that they don't keep working outside office hours while only 52% of workers in the 18 to 24 age group reported not doing so.

When it comes to responding to emails outside official hours, 54% of workers older than 55 said they will not doing do so compared to only 41% in the 18 to 24 age group

"Not surprisingly, younger workers 'attached to their mobile devices' are more likely to work and check emails past business hours, while older workers feel less pressure to check-in after they have put in a full day of work." said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer for CareerBuilder.

Getting a response via email from a co-worker or business partner can also depend on their profession. IT (68 %) and sales (65%) professionals are most likely to answer emails outside of normal business hours.

The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder covered  3,244 full-time workers in the private sector across industries and company sizes.

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