The Morning Myth

CHAPTER 15 How Flexible Work Hours Benefit Employers: Why Employers Who Force Morning Schedules Are Losing Money

The solution to the dilemma of the night owl, and the employer seeking top talent, is flexible work hours.

This has become popular overseas, particularly in Europe as well as in South America; however, the United States hasn’t caught on yet. We’re still stuck on the machismo, “early bird gets the worm” mythology. And yet, these very same employers who demand their employees show up first thing the morning are actually shooting themselves in the foot and are losing money.

Flexible Work Schedules Benefit Employers

First of all, flexible work schedules aren’t a pass for “laziness” or “slothfulness,” as American society would have us believe. Rather, they’re a way for employers to attract top talent—for example, I sure as hell wouldn’t accept a job offer that required me to be there no later than eight o’clock, and this would be the employer’s loss. In addition, flexible work schedules accommodate the natural sleep schedules of night owls, as well as avoiding harm to their health. With the legal industry always looking for new causes for lawsuits, and the evidence now piled up miles high that early rising really does harm to a night owl’s health and puts him or her at risk for premature death, it’s only a matter of time before lawyers get on the bandwagon and fight for our best interests. And I think that’s going to happen sooner rather than later.

The following sections ...