A Work Time Revolution

National Public Radio just finished a fascinating 3 part series on working from home. It’s an in-depth look at the way we work today exploring the benefits and costs of flexible work hours and family-friendly work. As NPR correspondent Jennifer Ludden reports “U.S. labor laws are perfectly suited to 1960, says University of Minnesota sociologist Phyllis Moen. The 40-hour workweek and 9-to-5 workday were all codified in an era when men went off to an assembly line and women stayed home. ‘We’re really in the middle of something like an industrial revolution,’ Moen says. ‘But it’s a work time revolution.’”

What is really interesting is that this debate is finally being framed differently. It’s not just about parents pushing for more flexible work hours so they can spend time with their children. Gen-X and Gen-Y are also keen for a better work-life balance regardless of whether they’ve got children or not.

If you don’t get a chance to listen to the series you can read it here.

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on this topic. How flexible are your work hours? Do you feel you have a good work-life balance?

Image: Work Life Balance mittens from MouthyMitts.