Previously I’ve addressed the nine to five work week, and how it’s outdated and in need of a face lift. What I didn’t really do is suggest any alternatives. I’d like to tell you about one alternative, which I call “Objectives based employment”.
In basic terms, the employee is hired to meet certain objectives. They do that in whatever time frame is possible and suitable to them (taking into account any time limits the objectives, of course). There are no fixed hours, no fixed breaks, in fact, no fixed anything. It’s all flexible. As long as the employee meets the objectives, the rest is superfluous.
Of course, this type of concept has its flaws. It’s not suitable for many job types, for instance those types of roles where time is really what you’re hiring. Think low level customer service. You can’t have your point of sale staff just leaving whenever feel like it.
It is, though, exceptionally suited is knowledge workers. You’re paying those staff for their skills and ability, and it matters less when exactly those skills are used. There are also problems around industrial relations with this concept. Not many industrial instruments support this type of arrangement in any form. You are, perhaps, limited to having people who subcontract only covered by such an arrangement.