About 63 per cent of workers believe 'working nine to five' is an outdated concept, and a significant number have a hard time leaving the office mentally. Nearly 1 in 4 (24 per cent) check work emails during activities with family and friends, according to a survey from CareerBuilder.
More than 1,000 full-time workers in information technology, financial services, sales, and professional and business services – industries that historically have more traditional work hours – participated in the US based study, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 14 to June 3, 2015
Is Working 5 to 9 the New 9 to 5?
Around 50 per cent of these workers say they check or respond to work emails outside of work, and nearly 2 in 5 (38 per cent) say they continue to work outside of office hours. Though staying connected to the office outside of required office hours may seem like a burden, most of these workers (62 per cent) perceive it as a choice rather than an obligation.
Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind
A good 20 per cent of the respondents say work is the last thing they think about before they go to bed, and more than twice as many (42 per cent) say it’s the first thing they think about when they wake up. Nearly 1 in 5 of these workers (17 per cent) say they have a tough time enjoying leisure activities because they are thinking about work.
Breakdown by Gender
Male workers in these fields are more likely than female workers to work outside of office hours (44 per cent versus 32 per cent); check or respond to work emails outside of work (59 per cent versus 42 per cent); and check on work activities while they are out with friends and family (30 per cent versus 18 per cent).
Female workers, however, are more likely than male workers to go to bed thinking about work (23 per cent versus 16 per cent).