Even if working standards are evolving slowly, flexibility, stability and health are the requirements of the 21st century.
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Ah, the good old nine to five job, when you tumble out of bed and stumble into the kitchen, yawning and stretching to come to life and prepare for the day. The legendary Dolly Parton sings these lines in her song “9 to 5” – “You’re in the same boat with a lot of your friends / Waiting for the day your ship comes in / And the tide will turn and everything will move your way.” Parton is right – many people will work nine to five due to a tough job market and an unpredictable future – it’s sad but true.
In the 19th century, the average person worked over 70 hours a week, while workers in the steel industry during World War I worked 84 hours a week. The workplace in the United States in the 20th century was characterized by low wages for long hours and child labor, prompting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sign the Fair Labor Standards Act, which established mandatory overtime pay for workers who worked more than 40 hours a week, a minimum wage, and protection against child labor. His law enshrined the nine-to-five workday in law, but Henry Ford deserves credit for normalizing it, as he was one of the most influential business tycoons to enforce this work-hour policy. In the 1920s, workers at the Ford factory worked five days a week, eight hours each, to increase productivity.
We must acknowledge the significant progress that has been made since the early 20th century, when Roosevelt’s Act paved the way for productive work weeks in industrialized settings. However, these binding circumstances are beginning to change, and the nine-to-five job is on its way to becoming obsolete thanks to technology (hello Zoom) and changing personal values post-COVID-19.
As the COVID-19 pandemic caused remote work to take over the job market, people began to question the traditional office environment as flexibility, stability and well-being are what they value most. This work style and forgiving attitude popularized by the pandemic has stuck, and more people are looking for flexibility in their post-pandemic job search. The pandemic and remote work in particular allowed a taste of free time for loved ones and other commitments, leading to a healthier work-life balance.
Time is limited and passes quickly – it’s soul-destroying to have to repeat everything every week, and weekends are stressful because you don’t want to go to the ‘cell’. A four-day work week with 10-hour days or flexible working hours could potentially help employers adapt to changing work demands and thus attract potential applicants. It’s no wonder that people are turning to fields like retail and property where the flexibility to work their own hours is a huge advantage. Retail, for example, is often seen as a suitable field for students or people with multiple part-time jobs, as you can plan your working hours around hobbies or even doctor’s appointments. Now, most estate agents and sales agents are self-employed, which offers further flexibility in scheduling and adjusting to irregular working hours.
Another nail in the coffin of the nine-to-five job is the loss of meaning of the term “financial stability.” Nine-to-five jobs no longer guarantee good pay and stable household income, as inflation has reached the point where Dollar Tree raised prices from $1.00 to $1.25 and gas prices have increased 82 cents in 2021, making it harder for families to get supplies at reasonable prices. To understand the current American college-educated workforce, imagine this: You just got your master’s in finance (or substitute anything else) to stand out from the crowd when applying for your dream job at Wells Fargo (or another company). You get hired after several interviews, but only get a minimal raise – it’s a sin to waste money on a program you dedicated a year to just to have your salary increase three percent.
People are also realizing that a nine-to-five job is incompatible with a healthy lifestyle. Sitting in a chair all day with poor posture damages our muscles, and long working hours rob us of valuable time for exercise. Even when it comes to mental well-being, Gallup’s annual State of the Global Workplace report found that 41 percent of workers worldwide had experienced “a lot of stress the day before,” while only 34 percent were feeling well—a decline since 2022 that is felt most by younger workers under the age of 35. There is a social hierarchy in these environments, which adds to the stress if you don’t like that type of environment. The stress comes from being basically the boss’s lapdog, begging for time off for a doctor’s appointment or a free pass for being late because of a traffic jam. The stress doesn’t stop as your bosses eye you like a prisoner, noting every mistake you make to use against you when you want out.
This stress and lack of freedom may be a major reason why Americans are turning to freelancing—from 2022 to 2023, four million people joined the 60 million Americans who freelance. Freelancing allows one to be their own boss, set their own hours, manage their project load, and break free from the office hierarchy.
Ultimately, wellbeing is the new norm – flexibility and health, factors that the traditional 9-to-five job does not guarantee, will be prioritized after the pandemic. More and more people feel the desire to put their personal lives ahead of their work projects, and the labor market must adapt to the changing demands and, as always, make progress towards better standards.
Christian Bongiorno is a junior studying political science and intern at Opinions.
The views expressed in the opinion pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only contribution that represents the opinion of the Pipe Dream editorial staff is the editorial feature.
