Your New Work Hours: Noon to Midnight

9-9-6. 0-0-2. No, they’re not area codes. They’re work schedules. The first one is 9 AM to 9 PM, six days a week—which is luxuriously restful compared to the second one: noon to midnight, with two free hours for the weekend.

Long hours are back in vogue, led once again by the tech industry—specifically in AI, where employees are working around the clock to augment intelligence models in a mad multibillion-dollar race to beat competitors. Already, the movement has spread to big sectors like investment banking and law, as well as a host of others, where HR pros say the “0-0-2” headlines have encouraged leaders to push their workers by presenting the longer hours as the price of success in today’s fast-changing world. “The question is whether it’s sustainable long-term and through market cycles,” says Matt Bohn, senior client partner in Korn Ferry’s Technology practice.

The risk, of course, is burnout, with new research suggesting there may be other drawbacks as well, including consequences for employee engagement. Among engaged employees over 35 who work over 45 hours per week, just 14% are burned out; yet among disengaged workers age 18 to 34, 52% are burned out, according to data from Gallup.

To be sure, the long hours making news is hardly unprecedented, especially in Silicon Valley, where start-ups have long encouraged an always-on mindset, fueled by perks like free food and on-site laundry, says Dan Petrossi, senior client partner in the Technology practice at Korn Ferry. But today’s 0-0-2 workers are logging daunting hours, with no end in sight, on projects that are undeniably impactful. “Younger talent is more excited than ever to make an impact,” he says. “They know it’s going to be big, and they want to do the work.”

The new twist is work-from-home options. Sixteen-hour days used to necessitate skimping on sleep, meals and family life, and risking health concerns: 55-hour workweeks are associated with a 35% increased risk of stroke and a 19% risk of heart disease, according to WHO figures. Yet those same hours, when logged at home, allow for time to eat, toss in a load of laundry, do an abbreviated workout, and be present when kids wake up and go to sleep. It’s undeniably grueling, but “remote workers can spread out their days,” says Smriti Kangovi, managing consultant with the North America Technology practice at Korn Ferry. “If they’re expected to be all in-office, then they burn out.” 

Hourly expectations vary by field, niche, and—critically—level of crisis. In healthcare, for example, some specialties work forty-hour weeks, while others regularly log twice as many. “When push comes to shove, healthcare people jump in and do what needs to be done,” says Scott Sette, senior client partner in the Global Healthcare Services practice at Korn Ferry. The upside is that historically brutal workloads, such as those for entry-level investment bankers or medical residents, can instill a deep base of practical know-how. Among those in programs with shorter hours, “organizations are typically finding people less knowledgeable and less trained,” says Sette.

For firms encouraging 9-9-6 (or longer hours), experts suggest connecting the work to a mission. “Companies are able to expect or demand long hours for a reason,” says Bohn—such as start-up competition or customer needs—and ideally, offer significant compensation for them. “They should find other ways to reward those employees: more money, perks, hybrid flexibility, et cetera,” he says. While long hours are expected of certain roles, including senior executive positions, other applicants might not understand the commitment. Experts suggest that job listings clearly state the hours required and intensity, to avoid mismatches. “Transparency allows talent, especially junior talent, to self-select in or out,” says James Stark, senior client partner in the Financial Officers and Industrial practices at Korn Ferry.

At the end of the day, job candidates make the choice to dive in—or not. “Know the devil you’re signing up with,” says Iktimal Daneshvar, vice president in the EMEA RPO practice at Korn Ferry. 

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