Don’t clock in.

If you ask me, the traditional 40-hour work week has finally become an outdated concept. This model, which originated when women were primarily responsible for household duties, no longer aligns with modern realities.

Honestly, what modern manager cares more about the number of hours worked than the quality and outcome of that work?

As a leader, I’m thrilled when my team doesn’t feel chained to a strict 40-hour schedule. Productivity varies greatly among individuals and even within the same person from week to week. One week, someone might complete their tasks in 25 hours; another week, it might take 46. This variability is natural and should be embraced. The key is not the hours clocked but the achievements realized.

Just as athletes know they can't break personal records every session, we all experience fluctuations in our productivity. Factors like sleep quality, stress levels, hormone cycles, and even weather can impact performance. Accepting the fact that my hormonal cycles influence when it’s more suitable to do weight lifting, cardio, or rest has changed my approach and even how I treat myself. Planning workouts around these unchangeable facts has made everything easier and more effective. I feel better about my naturally fluctuating performance and can work with my body instead of against it. Why fight what we can’t change? Why not change how we think about it instead? We should listen more to our bodies than focus on skewed ideas of linear performance and progression.

The same principles apply in the workplace.

We are not machines. Variability is okay, and recognizing it can help create a healthier, more flexible work environment. Trust is crucial. I believe in my team's ability to manage their time effectively without the need for rigid schedules or constant oversight. The focus should be on delivering results and achieving them in a fun and collaborative way, not on punching a time clock or mandatory office presence. Seeing emails sent late at night or on weekends signals a problem to me. If work eats away from personal time too often, something needs to change—either in workload management, support systems, or workplace culture.

The 40-hour work week is a relic of a time when workplace dynamics were different. Back then, the model worked because, let’s face it, women typically managed all household responsibilities, creating an imbalanced but *functional system. Today, both partners often work full-time and share household duties, leading to a cumulative workload that’s unsustainable.

We need to redefine productivity. It’s not about how many hours you work but what you achieve and whether you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Burnout and perpetual busyness neither have or should ever be badges of honor. Our goal should be to complete necessary tasks efficiently and then enjoy personal time without guilt.

Work should support life, not overshadow it.

Let's allow a future where autonomy and trust lead to greater productivity and well-being, moving beyond the outdated 40-hour work week to a more dynamic, results-oriented approach.

* functional should be read with a sarcastic tone as I am opposed to any system that keeps people boxed into roles that build inequality and financial dependencies. For this text I use the word functional to describe how the corporate system was enabled by womens inequality and (at that time) forced role as housewives.