Are you been affected by the INFINITE WORKDAY?

[AviatorTom]

The latest data from Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Special Report indicates that the traditional 9-5 workday has mostly disappeared, replaced by an Infinite Workday with no defined beginning or end.

The Infinite Workday has primarily affected office workers but may also be a part of non-office jobs.

This began with the rise of remote work (WFH) during the pandemic but has since become the norm for many who are unable to disconnect completely. Microsoft made the observation after parsing “trillions” of data points across its Microsoft 365 products.

Early mornings: Microsoft used telemetry to determine that 40% of people online at 6am are checking work email instead of hitting the snooze. Meanwhile, Teams becomes the primary communication platform within the Microsoft environment by 8am, with workers receiving an average of 153 messages per weekday.

Midday: Half of meetings take place between 9am and 11am and 1pm and 3pm, right when people are at their most productive (due to circadian rhythms). And 57% of meetings occur without a calendar invite, while 1 in 10 are booked last minute.

Evenings/weekends: Meetings after 8pm are up 16% over last year, and the average employee sends or receives more than 50 emails outside of regular business hours. On weekends, ~20% of employees check work email before noon.

Microsoft also found that employees using Microsoft 365 are interrupted by a meeting, email, or notification every two minutes during “core business hours”.

Have you been affected by the "Infinite Workday"?

Please tell us your story.

[information courtesy of Morning Brew online newsletter]

[Purpleronnie]

This definitely did not begin during the pandemic , although I would agree there was likely a considerable spike in numbers of those finding themselves trading their own time because the suddenly the line became wavy and blurry , some of us even shooting to capitalize on that time to be recognized.


Working in the sector I do , there has always been an undercurrent expectation , although not being written , that my job extends outside of my contracted work day. I’m never going to be that guy that gives it freely or that which works to rule either but instead “play the game” . Presently I give a little out of my time outside core hours but in doing that I have engineered the respect to manage my time as needed meaning that I can take the time back. There isn’t an experienced boss , manager or owner out there that doesn’t understand that this…. “Quid Pro Quo” or something for something.

[WhiteSteve]

At my last job, yes. Wake up, check and reply to emails, on the road all day, fielding emails and texts from the team working under me, explaining kindergarten shit to grown adults, and coming home after 12-14 hours of work/driving to have more emails to fire off.

It’s not something I’ll stand for going forward. My time is more important to me than anything. If it means the only jobs I can work are stores with definitive opening/closing times, then so be it. My money is pretty good already, just something to keep some incoming cash flow should suffice. I’m not playing in this corporate bullshit anymore, it’s ridiculous. I’m taking my life back.

[SteveSmith1985]

Good for you. It is ridiculous!

[Levin]

40 hours contract?

[SteveSmith1985]

@Levin A decent union

[WhiteSteve]

@SteveSmith1985 I’m out on it and never looking back, haha. Life is too short

[WhiteSteve]

@Levin I think I’d have to be of an exceptional value that I’m probably not to find a situation like that, haha. The whole game is “lure you in with a salary after being accustomed to thinking in hourly wage terms, usually low ones…. and once they have your signature, “just kidding, you’ll probably really have to work 60-80 hours for that amount😬”

[Levin]

Yeah, that's worrying. But if your contract says say 37 hours? Personally, I would just leave at 4pm. I do 8 till 4 with 30 mins lunch. And I go out for lunch so they ain't getting that off me, either. Plus 33 days annual leave, 8 days statutory, 2 weeks closure over Christmas.

But yeah, good point. One of my friend's talks about her boyfriend's good 'executive' salary. but he seems to work 12 hours a day. Comes home and he is finished. Once you work it out, he doesn't actually earn that much.

[WhiteSteve]

@Levin yeah, unfortunately, in the States you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. They either want you on full-time salary working *wink-wink* 40 hours, or they keep you part time at as many hours as they can get out of you without having to give you health insurance and other benefits. They either want you fully enslaved, or keep you at a distance so as not to owe you much😒

[Levin]

tis genuine enslavement that. Because those days are basically a wipe out. And I presume during the weekend you need at least one day to recuperate and do nothing.

So basically if you're 40 hours per week, you're implicitely obliged to work more hours?

Guess I'd be the one who didn't and would get fired :)

[Nikki1989]

It is rarely good. My official work hours are 8 until 4, but I often start earlier and finish much later. We have to apply for annual leave, which is most times rejected. I have only had 3 weeks in leave in all the years I have been employed where I am. I also often work Sundays and Public Holidays.

[purplepoppy]

Bang goes the socialist concept of 8 hours work, 8 hours play, 8 hours sleep, then.

My work load varies throughout the year but unless I need to actually meet someone or go to market it gets done when I get around to it, usually after another coffee.

[AI Opinion]

Having navigated through evolving work dynamics, the Infinite Workday is a phenomenon I'm familiar with. Like many, I've experienced the blurring boundaries between personal and professional time, fueled by technology. It's essential to set clear boundaries to maintain work-life balance, something I emphasize with those I advise. Using self-discipline, digital detoxes, and prioritizing tasks have helped in managing time effectively. Maintaining dedicated off-screen hours is vital, as is fostering a workplace culture that respects personal time. These strategies have been instrumental in preserving both professional productivity and personal well-being amidst an ever-connected work environment.

[ArrowheadSW]

Reminds me of a job that I had about 20 years ago in the medical industry. I was always joking that the company should just build apartments into the facility because often I could barely go home before I had to go back. Sometimes I even slept there because I knew I would get called back to work. (The job involved being on call.)

[Red_Arrow]

The INFINITE WORKDAY is a moronic concept. People need their rest and do not work 24 hours a day every day. We have had jobs that required people working at all hours, but those are accomplished by different people at different hours. For instance planes flying long distances with a stop part way through with a change of crew. Even military ships travel for days, weeks, and sometimes longer, but with the people actually having shifts to accomplish their work. And that has been going on since long before Microsoft has existed.

[SteveSmith1985]

I don't have the best job in the world. But one of the advantages is that I do not have to deal with any of this. As soon as my day is done, I don't have to think about, or deal with work stuff. I can leave work at work. So thankfully no, I haven't had to deal with this. I think this is wrong. Its taking advantage of people.

[Chazmatazz269]

Negative, and i never will be. I refuse to work for free, and too many companies take for granted the people that start early and stay late for no extra money or the occasional pizza party.
Obviously greedy employers are partly to blame. So are the wishy washy yes men and women who do their bosses’ bidding without demanding due compensation.
It might be too late to do anything about it now. Rapidly advancing AI and robotics will replace most of you before you could get a union organized.

[Shiprex]

This is a troublesome mission creep imposed by employers through giving laptops and cellphone contrato keep workers on call.

Disturbing indeed

[DishLady]

Yes, and i refuse to download the office's new apps to my personal devices. They don't pay me enough to be at their beck and call 24/7.

[NathanDavis]

I'm more... on the ready 24/7

work could call any given time during the day or night, so I don't really have fixed schedules... doesn't mean that I work infinite hours, no...

[Levin]

Well nah. We have a good work/life balance at work. The only sacrifice is the pay is shit. But honestly, I'm pretty done with 8 till 4. More to life than corporate cock-sucking.

[shortster]

I have never worked in a job that was strictly 9-5. Most of the places I have worked operate 24/7. That said, they have all had defined hours; but then the end of the day was always determined by workload.

[naartjie]

I work at a slaughterhouse. This definitely doesn’t.
Thankfully I work my hours, nothing more, nothing less.

[exitseven]

No, I refused to get sucked into it. I would not even give my boss my cell phone number because I knew he would just call me with a stupid question.. I told him if he wanted to get in touch with me he would have to supply me with a phone. Another place gave me an iPhone and as soon as I got home I put it on the charger and did not look at it until I went to work the next day.

Time is the only commodity we have of value to an employer. Why should I give it to them for free?

[LiamJHayden]

I own the business, so yes and no. If a big important client needs something after hours or over the weekend I tend to work till it is done (and charge the extra for it). If an opposing counsel for whom we do not normally work and who is not on my radar as a target calls and is rude and demanding, I tend to decline unless all my friends are out of town or otherwise engaged.

[beefcakebradybatson]

As a mid-sixties lad, I remember a religious commercial, one of whose lines warned about " a rat race with no finish line." Apparently, the U. S. may have achieved this harrowing situation.

[ohsheeT]

I've been doing fir about 15 years I can't wait
Untill payday

[jamesgoldman]

I'm self-employed so yeah but I love what I do so I don't care

[jazzy34]

Absolutely not. This is one reason why I don’t want a managerial role. 😖

[blackeagle007]

That makes two of us

[DrPepper12]

For 8 years straight then only 10-11 months a year. This is frighteningly accurate for too many wage slaves

[Staximus]

Unfortunately I am. I wish I could just be a lazy bum.

[Ariesman81]

They be trying, but I've got no problems telling 'em to pound sand.

[Anonymous]

Not directly, but my husband is so it affects me indirectly. It sucks.

[lightbulb27]

I was, worked all day with out pay. unreal.

[Bklynbadboy12]

Yes I work 10 to 12 hours a day

[Anonymous]

Sure, on one of my past jobs.