Microsoft Discovers “Triple Peak” Work Day for its Remote Employees
The company’s post is titled The Rise of the Triple Peak Day, and it describes a new phenomenon. It says when employees were in the office, it found “knowledge workers” usually had two periods of peak productivity: before lunch and after lunch. However, with everyone working from home there’s now a third period: late at night, right before bedtime. The company notes it saw hints of this in the early pandemic, when chatting over Microsoft Teams increased the most from 6PM to 8PM. Microsoft says this reinforces the notion that the phrase “work hours” is now an amorphous concept. People decide to tend to their kids or their personal needs during work hours, then make up for it later. That’s one huge benefit of working from home, obviously. However, it also raises a potentially troubling concern, which is whether work hours are bleeding into peoples’ free time.
Microsoft discovered this phenomena by tracking employees’ keyboard usage. In doing so it found 30 percent of them had a “third peak” at night, but noted it was less intense than the two previous peaks earlier in the day. It concludes this is just the new normal; that work hours are flexible now, and not confined to the antiquated 9-5 model. The company says it’s not sure if this activity represents someone being a workaholic or just being flexible with their time. It does note that the boundaries between “office hours” and a person’s free time have become blurred. As evidence of this, it points out that Microsoft Teams users send 42 percent more chats per person after the work day is over.
Most people see this trend as a good thing, as people can be in charge of their own schedules. That said, Microsoft points out a big downside. It notes, “others mourn the loss of a defined 9-to-5 workday and the feeling of freedom they once had after leaving the office for the evening.” This lead one of the researches to smartly ponder, “The third peak should be an available option for people who need it, but the challenge moving forward is, ‘How can we make sure people are not working 24/7?’ ”
Continue reading
Xbox Series X Launch Is Microsoft’s Biggest Ever, Causes ISP Traffic Spike
Microsoft claims the Xbox Series X is its most successful debut in history and specifically calls out the Xbox Series S for bringing new players into the fold.
Microsoft: Bethesda Games ‘Either First or Better’ on Xbox, Not Exclusive
Microsoft's Tim Stuart doesn't think the company will try to cut PS5 gamers out of future Bethesda titles. The company wants Xbox to be the best destination for its games, but not the only one.
Microsoft: Pluton Chip Will Bring Xbox-Like Security to Windows PCs
Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm are working to make Pluton part of their upcoming designs, which should make PCs more difficult to hack, but it also bakes Microsoft technology into your hardware.
Apple: ‘It’s Up to Microsoft’ to Get Windows Running on New ARM Macs
According to Apple, the question of supporting Windows on the M1 is entirely in Microsoft's court.