UK workers want 9-to-3 to become the norm

Work on laptop

Would you rather work less hours per day? Plenty of folks would like to see the traditional 9-to-5 day (assuming you don't already work longer hours) shortened, according to a new study.

The research which was commissioned by TeamViewer found that no less than 11 million workers in the UK would like to switch to a six-hour working day.

72% of those surveyed said that the standard 9-to-5 office hours were now irrelevant to the 21st century, and many want more flexibility in the way they work.

82% of respondents felt that they should be offered more flexibility, and 72% said that working flexibly makes them more effective. Those who achieve a better work-life balance are generally more productive and less stressed – 68% said that working 9-to-5 made them stressed.

Happy and productive

Previously, a six-hour day has been trialled over in Sweden, with it apparently making staff members not only happier, but increasing profits for the company, and making it more likely that employees won't be looking to leave.

Andreas Koenig, CEO of TeamViewer, commented: "For the first time workers are demanding how, where and when they want to work and interest in a six-hour working day is just another example of this. Employees now have the technology to work flexibly but many businesses are still falling behind when it comes to meeting the needs of the modern workforce."

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).