Microsoft finds workday never ends for many employees

The 9-to-5 job is fading as workdays don’t seem to end. According to Microsoft’s latest data from the Work Trend Index Special Report, many people now work early mornings, late nights, and weekends.

This “infinite workday” is common among knowledge workers who use tools like Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.

During the pandemic, offices and employees embraced remote work, and that was when everyone started working at all hours. Now, the anomaly has stuck.

According to Microsoft’s study of global users, workers get interrupted every 1.75 minutes—about 275 times a day—by emails, chats, or calendar pings. 

One in five meetings now takes place outside regular work hours. Meetings after 8 p.m. are up 16% from last year. Additionally, an average employee sends or receives over 50 messages outside of usual working hours.

Early starts and unscheduled calls
Most workers don’t sleep in, either. Many start working as early as 6 a.m. Over half of all meetings (57%) are unscheduled, and 10% are booked last minute. The rise of remote work makes this on-the-fly style common.

Approximately 50% of the meetings occur between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

There’s a 16% rise in meetings taking place after 8 p.m. compared to last year.

Flexibility comes at a cost
Remote work allows people to choose when they work, but this flexibility has a downside: it makes it hard to unplug. 

Microsoft says AI might ease the pressure, but for now, burnout remains a growing risk.