Future of Work Roundup: May 27th

This week’s Future of Work Roundup focuses on the pros and cons of hybrid work; like how it’s affecting our sleep, why millennials are leading the way, and the big org who’s prioritizing it.

We hate to say it: hybrid work is ruining our sleep.

Research shows that inconsistent sleep schedules make us more tired and, thus, more irritable and stressed – impacting our work productivity and relationships with coworkers. And hybrid is encouraging people to tinker with their daily wake-up time.

Uhm, so, what are you trying to say?

• Look, sleeping in may sound desirable, but it doesn’t help us live optimally. That’s where routine comes in – including a consistent sleep pattern seven days a week. 
• “Sleep is not like the bank. You can’t accumulate a debt and pay it off at a later time. Everyone has a 24-hour circadian clock and it expects regularity,” says sleep guru, Dr. Matt Walker.
• Another tip you might not want to hear: when you do try to hit the hay, avoid anxiety-inducing activities (ie; get off your phone) so you can fall asleep quicker.

The bottom line: Hybrid work has been exposing unexpected challenges – and all this sleeping in, while great in the moment, may not be so great in the long run.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Millennials want to work remote the most.

The avocado toast generation is leading the wave of sleeping in and taking meetings in sweats. While 77% of Americans want to have the option to work remotely, when broken down by demographics, millennials want it the most – to the tune of 84% of ‘em.

Want? More like need.

• Millennials are at the age where they have children to take care of and enough clout at the office (take that, Gen Z) that their preferences actually impact how orgs are run. 

The bottom line: It’s becoming abundantly clear for companies that to hire and retain qualified employees, they need to meet their needs of having a flexible work situation.

Source: Axios

Another big org hops on the hybrid work train.

The classic reasons to go into the office (IRL collaboration, socialization, etc.) are not enough for most people to forgo their ability to snooze, make a charcuterie board for lunch, and spend more time with their family. That includes Shopify’s president.

So you agree…

• Yes, hybrid work is the future. Just two months into the pandemic, the CEO said, “the office will no longer be the epicenter of work life.” He also says that work should be more focused on the mission of the company and less about who goes into HQ.

The bottom line: More and more big companies are committing to functional hybrid work policies, which signifies the importance of leaning into making it sustainable.

Source: Fortune