Pros & Cons of 9-5 Workdays and Alternative Schedules to Consider

What is a 9-5 workday? 

A 9-5 workday typically involves a standard 40-hour workweek. Employees start working at 9 a.m. and, aside from a few short breaks, continue until 5 p.m.

Henry Ford was among the first to introduce the eight-hour workday back in 1914, at a time when 16-hour workdays were the norm. Giving employees more time to rest proved successful for the Ford Motor Company in terms of increased productivity and profitability, so other companies quickly followed suit.

Since then, the American 40-hour workweek has remained essentially unchanged for decades. While it was a major step toward achieving a positive work-life balance at the time, some are now questioning its long-term viability as cultural expectations shift and technologies advance. 

Pros of a 9-5 workday

Despite its critics, the 9-5 working model has advantages. Here are the biggest benefits of this workday schedule:

• It establishes a clearer boundary between work and personal time. In a 9-to-5 schedule, those are typically the only hours you spend working. In comparison, many people who work from home often continue working long after their workday has ended.
• It can provide structure to the workday. Consistent hours provide a predictable framework. This schedule can also make planning easier because you always know when you’ll be working and when you’ll be off work.
• It encourages more social interaction with colleagues. Employees who consistently work the same hours as their colleagues tend to benefit from greater social interaction than those in work environments where everyone is on their own schedule. This human contact can make working more enjoyable and encourage more team collaboration. “Collaboration fosters innovation and problem-solving — and it can certainly be more challenging when not everyone is online or in the office at the same time,” noted Alyssa Leo, principal at Leo+Co Enterprises.

Morgan Armstrong, vice president of people at Bigleaf Networks, cautions against forcing flexibility when a standard schedule is a better fit. “If the product or service delivered … isn’t feasible with a flexible work schedule, companies should not bend themselves in half trying to make it work,” Armstrong explained. “Many employees today are still seeking a standard 9-to-5 job.”

Cons of a 9-5 workday

While it has its upsides, the 9-to-5 model is far from perfect. Here are a few significant downsides to consider: 

• A 9-5 workday doesn’t guarantee productivity. Just because you’re in an office or workplace from 9-to-5 doesn’t mean you’ll be productive. Much of that time can easily be frittered away talking with co-workers, attending productivity-killing meetings and otherwise wasting time. In fact, a poll conducted on the anonymous online professional community Blind garnered around 10,000 responses — 45 percent of whom reported working four hours or less in an eight-hour workday.
• It can be inflexible. By its very nature, a 9-to-5 schedule is inflexible. These firmly set office hours limit freedom, which can hurt workplace morale and make it harder to recruit new employees who prioritize flexibility and a positive work-life balance. “Being a remote company, we’ve seen firsthand how limiting a strict 9-to-5 can be,” said Shadi Bakour, CEO of PATH. “Sure, it brings structure, but it doesn’t leave much room for flexibility, which is often what people need to do their best work.”
• It may not be conducive to employee productivity windows. According to a survey by MyPerfectResume, 59 percent of respondents identified themselves as “early birds,” while 25 percent said they were “night owls.” High-productivity times for various professionals ranged from early morning to night. A 9-to-5 model can’t consider all employees’ individual optimum productivity windows, which may cause businesses to miss out on potentially excellent contributions. “A fixed schedule gives people structure … but for many, it’s just not practical,” said Lijana Vaulinaitė, a talent acquisition specialist at Omnisend. “Not everyone does their best work between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.”

Has remote working put an end to the 9-5 workday? 

While remote work hasn’t fully replaced the traditional 9-5 workday, it’s certainly challenging the model. Consider the following reasons: 

• Easy access to office resources and files: With secure remote access solutions, employees can easily access their work from anywhere and at any time. The idea of setting fixed hours for work is starting to feel outdated, especially when flextime schedules can lead to better outcomes. 
• Higher employee satisfaction: Businesses that want to keep employees happy are mindful of supporting flexible work arrangements. “Both remote work and flexible scheduling contribute to higher employee satisfaction by supporting a healthier work-life balance,” said Heidi Doman, vice president of human resources at Wasatch Peaks Credit Union. “When employees feel supported and empowered by their employer, their productivity tends to increase as well.”
• Consumers need help at all hours: Similarly, cultural and generational shifts have led to a growing demand for immediacy among consumers. It’s now incredibly difficult for companies to simply “switch off” after hours. Most consumers expect immediate answers to their questions and problems — a significant challenge to the 9-to-5 philosophy. As a result, businesses find themselves under pressure to expand their hours of availability — and so do their employees, making a rigid 9-to-5 model increasingly difficult to sustain.
• Return-to-office mandates aren’t as prevalent: Some employers still prefer a traditional 9-to-5 work schedule and may implement return-to-office (RTO) policies to bring in formerly hybrid or remote workers. However, these efforts may be losing steam. According to Stanford University and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Survey of Business Uncertainty, only 12 percent of polled executives planned to enforce RTO mandates in 2025 — and of those, most are only requiring one to four days in the office. Additionally, mandating in-office requirements can cost companies good talent. According to a FlexJobs survey, more than half of respondents say they know someone who has — or is planning to — quit their job because of RTO policies. 

Still, some roles are inherently suited to a 9-5 workday, which may lead to internal strife. “While flexibility provides meaningful benefits — such as reduced commute times, the ability to manage childcare needs and greater freedom to handle personal responsibilities — it can also present challenges … [such as] concerns from employees whose roles (such as customer-facing positions) don’t allow for the same flexibility, leading to feelings of inequity,” Doman warned.

Brittany L. Truszkowski, chief operating officer at Grand Canyon Law Group, emphasized the importance of evaluating each role individually to determine if a 9-5 workday makes sense, especially since flexibility isn’t always practical or equitable across the board.

“The 9-to-5 still serves some roles, but … pretending the model serves everyone [is] where leaders go astray,” Truszkowski said. “[It’s] appropriate for roles that require client-facing coverage, but it’s obsolete for knowledge workers. It  … says to everybody, ‘We care more about your [physical presence] than anything … you produce.'”

Alternative schedules to the 9-5 workday

Below are some strategies for businesses looking to implement more flexible scheduling options to meet modern workforce expectations.

• Anchor days: A common setup for hybrid work models includes dedicated on-site “anchor” days, with remaining days spent working remotely. “We’ve embraced hybrid models that offer set in-office anchor days and flexible start [and] stop times,” noted Truszkowski. “This model preserves the benefits of collaboration while letting people work when they are at their most productive. Our younger team members love the flexibility, while our older team members value the independence.”
• Compressed workweek: A compressed work schedule lets employees work longer days in exchange for extra days off. This is a great option for those who prefer to work a few extended shifts and enjoy longer weekends. For example, someone might work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour ones. However, employers should keep a close eye on their team members, as extended hours can lead to workplace burnout if not properly managed.
• Core hours: The “core hour” system lets employees set their own schedules, as long as they’re accessible during designated overlap hours. “During core hours, all employees are asked to be working and available, allowing predetermined time for ad-hoc conversations or asynchronous collaboration, live team meetings or team-building activities,” Armstrong explained. This schedule can also be implemented in hybrid-remote teams that span multiple time zones.
• Fully flexible scheduling: Allowing employees to set their own schedules enables them to work while balancing personal commitments and responsibilities, supporting employee well-being and promoting autonomy. “Some people do their best work in the morning, others later in the day — and that’s OK,” Bakour explained. “What matters most is the quality of the work, not the exact hours it’s done.”
• Results-only workplace: In a results-only work environment (ROWE), it’s not about how many hours you put in — it’s about what you get done. This approach gives employees more freedom and can inspire them to work more efficiently. That said, it works best for self-motivated teams and might not be the right fit for every role or company.
• Split shifts: With split shifts, employees work for a set amount of time, take an extended break, and then return to finish their shift. This model can improve work-life balance by allowing employees to manage personal responsibilities — such as picking up kids from school, running errands or attending appointments — without missing work. In turn, businesses may benefit from reduced workplace absenteeism and greater employee engagement.
• Staggered shifts: If your business needs longer hours or round-the-clock coverage, staggering start times can help. Early birds might start their day at 7 a.m., while others ease in at 10 or even 1 p.m. This approach keeps your bases covered during busy hours, gives teams time to collaborate, and lets everyone work during the hours they’re most productive.

Whatever model you choose, it’s important to ensure that it works for your employees and caters to their needs. Finding what works best for your team may take some time, so be willing to experiment — collecting ample data along the way — until you find a solution that truly works.

“Don’t be afraid to test and learn,” Leo advised. “Ask if a few teams want to be a part of a pilot and try different work schedules. Then, go back and collect more data and feedback. See what was most effective before implementing the change broadly.”

Jamie Johnson contributed to this article.