Keep the Triple Peak Day Top of Mind
Microsoft’s research points to a spike in productivity in the evening, thanks to flex time.
Hybrid and remote work models are at the top of the food pyramid and everyone’s climbing to get a taste. With accelerated adoption in the last couple of years, a new peak in productivity has entered our day.
Prior to 2020, these spikes would occur before and after lunch, but an evening spike between 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. has joined the group to form the “triple peak day.” As Microsoft reported, the Microsoft Research team, headed by Mary Czerwinski, studied the activities of some employees this summer — they noticed that about 30 percent of them had an evening spike in work, as measured in keyboard usage.
Flexibility Could Be the Answer to the Great Resignation
The days of taking time off to go to the dentist or to stay at home to wait for the plumber are over. Now, if an employee has to handle a personal responsibility, they can step away for an hour with no issue. When would the employee find time to catch up on their work? When it suits them. Like in the evening when the kids are fast asleep and the house is quiet.
Accessibility is the key to opening up the flexibility door for employees. If must-have software and information are limited to the typical 9-5, employees feel constrained and may consider moving to the next opportunity. Based on Future Forum’s Pulse survey, flexibility — having some say in when and where you get your work done — is now a core work benefit. And flexibility is second only to compensation among the factors knowledge workers consider when seeking new roles.
Stay ahead of the Great Resignation by relying on software that is available 24/7. Brokers, employer groups, and employees alike can access Ease anywhere and anytime. If your employees are working late to process enrollments and need a quick answer, don’t sweat. Our help desk articles and guides are available even into the late hours for the third peak.
Repeat After Me: This Could’ve Been an Email
Another glaring reason that could result in the need for a triple peak day? Meetings. Since employees are working remotely, many companies find themselves scheduling meetings throughout the day to check in. Inc.’s data paints a less-than-flattering picture of post-pandemic work. The blurring of work and life that happens when employees work remotely has also led to an absolute explosion in meetings and an overall lengthening of the workday by an hour or two. Despite employees being in the driver’s seat of their day, the number of meetings forces them to work late to catch up.
Want Happy Employees? Support ‘Em!
There could be a thousand explanations for the increase of work completed in the evening. Researchers can point their fingers at various findings, but at the end of the day, companies have to support their employees where they are and where they want to be. It’s crucial to provide the right tools available anytime and from wherever employees set up for the day.
