The Evolution of Work: From Sunrise to Screens

For most of human history, work was a function of survival. Long before Slack notifications and Zoom meetings, our ancestors lived and worked by the rhythms of nature. They rose with the sun, tilled the fields, and hunted to feed their communities. Time wasn’t measured in hours but in cycles: planting, harvesting, and the changing of the seasons.

This agrarian way of life dominated for thousands of years. Then, in the late 18th century, the Industrial Revolution emerged and fundamentally redefined how and where we work. Factories demanded regimentation, and with them came the standardisation of time. The workday was no longer dictated by the sun but by the clock. Towns grew into cities, and workers migrated to industrial hubs, leaving behind their rural, self-sufficient lifestyles.

The Birth of 9 to 5

The rise of the factory system created a new relationship between employer and employee. Work became centralised, hierarchical, and time-bound. This shift laid the groundwork for the modern workweek, but it was gruelling. Factory workers often endured 12-16 hour days, six days a week, in unsafe conditions.

Labour movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries fought for shorter hours and better conditions. The eight-hour workday was popularised by Henry Ford in 1926, not out of altruism but because he believed a rested worker was a more productive one. The 40-hour workweek became enshrined in U.S. law with the Fair Labour Standards Act of 1938. By the mid-20th century, “9-to-5” had become synonymous with the American Dream: a steady job, weekends off, and a pension waiting at the end of the line.

The Information Age: Breaking the Mould

The second half of the 20th century brought another seismic shift: the rise of the knowledge worker. Computers, telecommunications, and the internet revolutionised the workplace, untethering work from physical locations. By the 1990s, email had replaced much of the paper trail, and the “digital office” was born.

Yet, even as technology enabled greater flexibility, the structure of work remained largely the same. The 9-to-5 persisted, albeit with longer hours, as the expectation to “always be on” blurred the lines between work and personal life. This shift was compounded by globalisation, which introduced the concept of “follow-the-sun” workflows and made asynchronous communication a necessity for multinational teams.

The Pandemic: Catalyst for Change

Then came 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic forced billions of people to rethink how, where, and why they work. Remote work—once a perk—became a necessity. Workers proved that productivity didn’t require an office, and companies realised they could operate without rigid schedules or commutes.

This period also exposed deep flaws in the existing system. Burnout surged as workers struggled to set boundaries. Essential workers bore the brunt of the crisis, highlighting inequities in how labour is valued. At the same time, millions of people left their jobs in what became known as the “Great Resignation,” seeking better pay, flexibility, and purpose.

What’s Next?

The way we work is due for another shakeup. We believe these trends will be the foundation of a new model that puts talent first.

1. Flexibility as Default: Hybrid and remote work models are becoming the norm, giving workers more control over their schedules and locations.
2. The Four-Day Workweek: Trials in countries like Iceland and companies worldwide have shown that reduced hours can maintain or even boost productivity while improving well-being.
3. Decentralised Workforces: Blockchain and Web3 technologies hint at a future where work is organised around decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), disrupting traditional corporate hierarchies.
4. Rethinking Productivity: Metrics like hours worked are giving way to outcomes and impact, shifting the focus from time spent to value created.
5. Universal Basic Income and Automation: As AI and automation take over more routine tasks, there’s renewed discussion around universal basic income as a way to decouple survival from employment.
6. More Focused and Fractional: Businesses need more specific skills, at more specific times and fractional work is the key. At the same time, talent wants more autonomy and flexibility; fractional talent is a win win for both.

The Big Takeaway: A Return to Purpose

Each historical evolution of work has been driven by technological innovation and societal need. But at its core, work has always been about contributing to something larger than oneself. The challenge now is to create systems that not only adapt to new technologies but also prioritise human well-being and purpose. As we navigate this next chapter, we should ask ourselves: How can work serve us, rather than the other way around? The answers will shape the future, just as they have shaped the past.