Early departures from the office are becoming the latest office trend.
In the evolving landscape of work, a notable trend has emerged: employees are leaving the office earlier than they did pre-pandemic. According to commercial real estate company JLL, this trend is particularly pronounced in cities like New York and San Francisco, with workers in these cities leaving 13 minutes and 26 minutes earlier, respectively, compared to 2019.
This shift in work hours, however, seems to be more about appearances than efficiency. As highlighted in a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) piece, employees are adjusting their schedules not for productivity, but to project a certain image. This phenomenon, often referred to as "productivity theater," is driven by the perceived output, not the actual output.
Linda O'Neill, in a thought-provoking statement, emphasised that we often focus on trivial matters in our judgments. This observation seems to resonate with the trend of leaving the office early, where the optics of departure time are perceived differently, even if hours and productivity balance out.
Prompt arrival at work is still emphasised, but departure time has become more flexible. This flexibility, along with the adoption of hybrid and remote work models, has led to significant changes in work habits over the past two years. The cities of New York and San Francisco, home to a diverse range of professionals including tech workers, finance professionals, and service industry employees, have been particularly affected by these changes.
The author of the WSJ piece invites readers to share their experiences with this trend on various social media platforms, expressing curiosity about the experiences of workers in different work environments. Interestingly, the piece also suggests that this trend could be a response to appease early-bird bosses who may not notice remote work hours.
Despite this shift, the author does not mention any potential negative consequences or criticisms of the trend of leaving the office early. It seems that modern workers are more comfortable leaving the office early than arriving late, a testament to the persistence of "productivity theater" shaping work habits in the new normal.
The traditional 9-to-5 workday has been altered post-pandemic, and this trend is a reflection of that change. As we navigate this new normal, it will be interesting to see how this trend evolves and what impact it will have on work culture in the future.
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