Before I begin I think this post may be annoying or maybe even offensive to some but it is really just to be slightly thought provoking.
First let me start by saying that I agree with rules. They provide clarity on what is expected and they ought to be applied for all individuals and not only a select few or singled out individuals. Rules should be clear and not ambiguous. A lot of work places start their day any time between 8 am and 9 am at least in most offices, whereas others operate on a shift system or others by the job as opposed to hours worked (e.g Tradesman). In any case, it’s important to know when you need to arrive at work so that you can be accounted for and be paid. A lot of employers felt they had to see you to believe that you were working and lack of punctuality meant less time working productively and so less revenue being generated and so less employability.
But Covid-19 came and changed that…sort of. Employees worked from home and out of the view of employers and supervisors and work still got done. There was no rush hour traffic, no stamp of punctuality/lateness and work still got done. Some companies implemented a flexible system with some arriving an hour after the usual opening hours and leaving a little later. Soon, there was rapid discussion that working remotely could be a long-term solution. In fact some of my colleagues indicated they got more done while working at home and they saved a lot on commute too. Of course this time of work from home situation wouldn’t work for every type of business and even our business neighbours like the snack shop and clothing store would suffer due to less foot traffic.
Sadly, as soon as it became safer to go outside again, the flexible working arrangements that worked and the productive work from home sessions were no longer practical nor best and the traffic jams and nightmares resurfaced. Lessons learnt were unlearnt. Is the 9-5 work model really the best or was it an illusion to begin with?
