@lmbanks I agree with you. Working from home can seem like people would slack off, but maybe they slack off just enough that it gives them a boost of energy, motivation and ideas that gets them right back in to their project. Imagine just being burnt out the moment you get to the office and you look at the cock and realize you have 7.5 hours left of the day. That would not help with ideas and motivation. That seems like it could/would prevent creativity from taking over. People need their process to thrive, and everyones is different.
Project-based work is always something I have preferred because it offers a more flexible and efficient alternative to traditional set hours or shift-based work. Unlike traditional work arrangements, which require employees to work a set number of hours each day, project-based work allows individuals to focus on specific tasks and projects, and work according to their own schedules. This flexibility can lead to improved productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction.One of the main benefits of project-based work is that it allows individuals to take ownership of their work and be more self-directed. When working on a project, individuals are given more autonomy and control over their work, which can lead to a greater sense of responsibility and engagement. Additionally, because individuals are able to work on projects that interest them and align with their skills and expertise, they are more likely to be motivated and invested in their work. In summary, project-based work offers a more flexible, efficient, and satisfying alternative to traditional set hours or shift-based work. By allowing individuals to take ownership of their work, work more efficiently and productively, and balance their work and personal lives, project-based work can lead to improved job satisfaction, creativity, and well-being.
Personally, I believe it is better to work until you finish your project and then you can go home. Some labs are project based, and after the work for the day on the project is complete you're usually left with nothing to do for the remainder of the 8 hour shift. Now you're left with trying to find busy work to fill in the time. This can be very draining. If possible, it would be more beneficial to the workers and ultimately for the deadline of tasks, to aim to complete your work and be able to go nome afterwards with an entire days pay
Having fixed hours versus working to complete one's work both have pros and cons and is likely going to depend on not only each person's preference, but their manager's management style as well.
Having fixed hours is attractive because it sets a neat schedule for a work-life balance. After your 8 hours of work, you do not have to think about work and spend your time after work however you want. It provides routine and structure which is, again, up to one's preference. However, having this fixed 8 hour structure means that not all the time may be used productively if projects can be done in less than 8 hours. If a particular project takes less than 8 hours, but someone knows that they have a full 8 hours to complete it, they may work less efficiently since they have no motivation to complete it at a quicker pace. Some managers can appreciate the extra time being put into each project, but most value efficiency.
Conversely, doing work based on projects is beneficial because it provides more incentive for efficient ways to hasten one's work. However, will this be at the cost of quality? How far can the quality of one's work be affected by the smaller time spent on it? The hours for a particular project can work in the other direction as well. While it would be nice to work only 6 hours for a particular project rather than taking extra time to do a full 8 hours, it is less beneficial when a project requires more than 8 hours of your time. If a particular project takes 10 hours to complete, I am sure that no one would be happy staying an extra two hours than necessary. It also somewhat breaks the work-life balance since having hours revolving around your project means that you may be called to work on something during your leisure time if there are new developments in the project on off-hours.
With that being said, I think the pros of having a fixed 8-hour workday far outweigh the cons. I personally appreciate the fixed nature of hours and allows me to better structure my work0life balance. Although I value efficiency in getting things done, I also appreciate having ample time to double-check the quality of my work.
In my opinion, working at set hours adds a level of structure to any job. Structure is very important to mentally stay on track and in the right mindset to work. In a work environment where you are only responsible for finishing your work and then free to leave, this is likely to lead to people cutting corners and rushing through work on days when they do not feel like staying in the office. Of course there may be consequences for this down the line, but it also would have immediate impacts on other employees who may have to pick up the slack for the same pay rate. It is almost inevitable that telling someone that they are allowed to leave once their work is finished does not motivate them to rush, even if it is not intentional. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a person who takes a bit longer to complete their work on a given day should not be accountable for working long hours to complete tasks. Giving employees a set window of time is the best way to ensure that everyone is working to their highest potential.
On a day where someone has a lighter workload and is able to finish their work before the day is up, they can have the opportunity to help out a coworker on a project or fine tune their own work. There should never be a situation where a person is unable to find something productive to work on in the event that they finish their work early. There is no reason that someone should be closing their computer and going home as soon as their own work for the day is finished, instead they should be using this extra time to look for ways to go above and beyond to make themselves the best employee possible. Having a set deadline for when the day ends can motivate employees who may have a heavier workload that day to work more efficiently. If I know that my workday ends at 5 pm, then I will do everything possible to maximize my productivity for the hours that I am on the clock because as soon as the clock strikes 5, I am free to be done working. I apply this ideology to many aspects of my life. When I know that I need to study or clean or do something productive, I will set a timer for myself. If I set a timer for one hour and use that time to study with no distractions, then I find that I am able to be much more productive because I know I am on a time constraint. This is the same reason that I believe that having set hours to work is the best way to maximize productivity and give employees the ability to turn on and off their work mindset, drawing a line between work and home life.
