The classic 9-to-5 job has probably been on the decline for longer than many people realize and certainly longer than many would like. But does it still have to be? The pandemic has shown that you can work from home - or anywhere else. Doesn't it make sense to rethink hours and working hours? A slightly different article from us - let's start with part 1.

Working time models - what’s this about? 

Yes, exactly, it's what the name says - an agreement between the employer and employee about where and how much is worked. And this agreement is set out in the employment contract and both parties must adhere to it. The best-known examples are flexitime, shift work and the good old trust-based working hours.

But why isn't there just one model for everyone? Well, because not one fits all situations and can be applied to everything - or do you have one lid that fits all pots? 

But speaking from the employer's point of view: There always has to be a person at a machine if it is to run all the time. But since people also have to sleep sometimes, more than one person is needed, so something like 9-to-5 is off the table for everyone. 

And also from an employee's point of view: if you have a child who comes home from nursery or school in the afternoon, for example, you can't necessarily work until 5 p.m. or longer, because what would happen to the child then? Another situation in which the one-size-fits-all approach doesn't apply. 

Sure, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but that's the reality and there are many more examples than these two.

Which ones are there? 

Actually, there are several working time models. The best known is probably full-time, followed by part-time and shift work and flexitime and trust-based working hours and so on and so forth. 

And there is also something like a working time account or annual working time and then there is lifetime working time. You can find out what all this is in this article from Personio, which summarizes and explains it very well. 

In the article you will also find job sharing, home office, teleworking and employees on call. So there are even models that don't even include the word "time", who would have thought? Just read on, we'll now move on to another model.

5 hours a day and 4 days a week 

With all these models, you can see that the world has moved on and there are many possibilities - but ultimately there is still a lot of 9-to-5, even if you do it from home or from a South Sea island. 40 hours is normal (except for part-time workers and those for whom 35 or 38 hours is normal). And it is also normal to spend a large part of the day working. 

But stop! What do our tired eyes see? Oops, what are you? The 5-hour day? 

Yes, that's right, there are still alternatives, namely the 5-hour day - a model that involves full concentration for 5 hours at a time, after which the work is finished. So no 8h, no 9-to-5, but 5h and that's it. 

For all those who are now wondering whether this is even feasible - yes, and an agency from Bielefeld provides the proof: from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., with full pay, and they've been doing it since 2017. There's also an exciting article about it, which you can find here. What started as an experiment has become part of everyday life and the agency has a lot of positive things to report. For example, work has become more efficient, unnecessary things have been cut, but people get on better in their private and personal lives because they simply have more time to hang out with colleagues or cook together on Fridays after work.

And the sister of the 5h day, that is the 4-day week. There are two options here: 8 hours per day, but only for 4 days (a total of 32 hours per week) or 10 hours per day and only on 4 days (a total of 40 hours per week on 4 days). With both models, you gain an extra day for the weekend. We found a great article on this and would like to quote it here for the 32 hours per week: "Model two follows the so-called flexible 100-80-100 approach. This means that 100 percent of the salary is paid for 80 percent of the previous working hours. Nevertheless, 100 percent productivity is expected."

Whether 4 or 5 or whatever else the future may bring, such models have many, many positive effects. On average, employees are much happier, less sick and more likely to stay with a company that offers this kind of flexibility. It is also beneficial for employers: fewer sick days (on average), reduced costs due to greater efficiency and a massive boost in attractiveness as an employer. So we see: good idea!

Why is this article “slightly different”? 

Good question, next question! We are writing this here for a reason, because we as an agency, as Flanke 7, have also started an experiment. An experiment that we will now report on. 

It was as if it was yesterday, but it was May 2023 and the sun was already setting and showing its early summer power and beauty. Stop right there! It wasn't quite that cheesy in reality. But yes, it was May 2023 and we were discussing different working models in the podcast. And one thing led to another, and suddenly we were discussing it with the whole team. And then one thing led to another - and bang! we were already in the middle of our experiment. 

Since then, the "GrMph@$"!" model has been part of our working day... how can you not read that? By the way, you can find out which model we are testing, how we are doing with it and what we can report in part 2.

Summary 

A rethink in the world of work - that already happened a few years ago. There are many working time models and variations, many lids for the many pots - and yes, this phrase is actually often used in the context of relationships. No matter - a lot has happened, a lot has changed. 

And we as an agency have also taken a step - and you'll find out what that step is in the second part. 

Until then, take a look at our blog - there's sure to be something to pass the time.