Can Remote Jobs Replace the 9-5 Work Day?
If your freedom and livelihood spin around an eight-hour block of time five days a week, then the results show you suffer from 9-5 job slavery. Waking up every day at ungodly hours to log in and out can have a soul-crushing effect on your motivation and identity as a human.
Then why is this format so prevalent in America, where 71% of Americans currently work 9-5 jobs?
Experts reported that it’s all about fear of the unknown. Moreover, what hurts is the steadily declining humanity of those battling to hold jobs they don’t value but fear the alternative worse. Unfortunately, it sounds tragic and depressing because a remote job was not an option back in time.
However, in 2021, zillions of people quit their jobs in April and May to avoid returning to the office and the rigidness of their prior schedules. Now the question arises, can remote jobs confront the 9-5 regime? It will have to fit 9-5 work in terms of productivity while satisfying people’s desire for more flexible schedules. If it succeeds, remote jobs could substitute 9 to 5 job slavery.
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The Chronology of the 9-5 Job
The 9-5 was conceived in the United States. Its first inception was back to labour law in 1867, which mandated an eight-hour workday for factory workers in Illinois. Since the execution of the Fair Labor Standards Act, there hasn’t been much difference in the U.S. labour laws concerning the 9-5. The 40-hour workweek has become the standard. Despite that, movements to end the 9-5 and give workers more flexibility have been gaining steam in the last decade.
The 9-5 Job Slavery in a Modern World
While the flaws of a 9-5 job slavery might be transparent, let’s go over some critical reasons why it doesn’t make sense today.
Your time is more valuable than ever before
If you are back to the office after a standard 9-5 wage week after working from home, you realise how much of your free time it consumes. Those obligatory eight hours in one place consume most of the day. Sometimes, you have to stay late in many jobs to complete before the deadline. Moreover, travelling back to your pavilion is another hectic task.
Most people are so drained from working through their 9-5 that they don’t have the energy to do anything apart from sitting on the couch and chilling.
As a working professional in the 21st century, your free time is the only opportunity to boost your income streams. You can take the time after work or on the weekends to learn a new skill, invest in stocks, cryptocurrency, or more. Not to mention the time you require for leisure and to spend with your friends and family. When you work a 9-5, you don’t have time for any of those things. You’re lucky to have Saturday and Sunday, which are usually prioritised for relaxation and entertainment.
2021 was the year of investing in yourself with multiple online opportunities like remote jobs and e-trading. By working an eight-hour job, your only chance is success in your current company. Beyond these opportunities to increase your wealth, you also have to consider the significance of time on your mental health.
The expert stated that ‘Thank God It’s Friday’ is the motto of every 9 to 5 worker. Life does not begin on Friday night and ends on Monday morning. In addition, keeping yourself happy shouldn’t be a luxury you permit twice a week; rather, it should be something you aim towards every day.
Options are available and better
In history, there was no natural alternative to the 9-5. Most firms employed this format, and people noticed it as the only way to get a steady job with good perks. Even today, some still witness 9-5 salary slavery as the most stable career path. Millennial magazine recently commented on the advantages of working a 9-5 and stated things like paid benefits and paid time off as top motivations for choosing a 9-5 over an alternative.
However, it’s possible to get these same perks in most remote positions today without limiting yourself to one location. The survey report from 100 remote companies’ found that 62% offered their employees healthcare and 72% paid leave. In simple terms, you no longer have to worry about preceding your benefits for an alternative lifestyle.
Hundreds of remote companies are hiring workers and interns now; globally, 18.3% of employees work remotely. Likewise, ULead offers a paid online internship program to students willing to upskill them. Embark on a fulfilling journey to experience, create, nurture and carry out multiple aspects of what makes our organization click, from sales to marketing in various segments. Empower students to become industry-ready through courses and internships. Apply now
How Remote Work Changed Our Perception of the Workday
Before the pandemic, everyone believed remote jobs were booked for coders and company call centre employees. Now it’s expanded so big that major companies like DropBox and Coinbase are moving to remote work permanently. But how did remote work become so popular during the pandemic?
Yes! It’s possible
Companies’ biggest crisis about shifting to a remote format was a decline in efficiency. They envisioned their employees would get too distracted at home and forget about important tasks. But the ball was on the favourable court, and the result was impressive.
PWC’s study found that 83% of employers believed their shift to remote work was successful (up 10% from June 2020). On the other hand, companies encountered a tiny dip in their profit generation in pandemic-unaffected industries. At the same time, those who swapped to fully remote are saving a ton on office leases and other physical properties.
Everyone’s life is different
Finally, remote jobs humanised employees more. It also made companies appreciate the differences in people’s schedules. The pandemic brought these nuances in everyone’s daily life to the forefront as video conferences were interrupted by a crying child or a power drill.
We discovered that life happens and people’s timetables operate differently. There isn’t a cookie-cutter set of hours that’s flawless for everyone.
Have you ever met someone who defines themselves as “not a morning person?” Genetic evidence confirms humans are predisposed to be more productive in the morning or the evening. If you’re an evening person, you earn extra few hours of sleep as long as you stay productive.
Wrapping Up
The answer to this question isn’t if remote jobs can eradicate 9-5 job slavery. It’s whether or not it’s better. In this blog, we have portrayed that remote work can deliver the same benefits preferred by workers and is even more beneficial than 9-5 labour.
If you are an entry-level candidate trying to step into the corporate world for a remote job, start with an online internship. ULead is looking for spirited individuals who seek to challenge the way the system works. We are on the same page if you believe that exceptional and well-rounded education is the way to change the world. Enroll now
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