3-2-2

Where we work has changed, so will when.

We do not have an exact date, but the end of the coronavirus pandemic is closer now that vaccine distribution has begun. However, personal and professional changes brought on by Covid-19 are here to stay.

Organizations are reviewing the four-day workweek. Economic Development directors are stumbling over themselves, positioning their communities as hot spots now that many in the workforce are free to move, live, and work where they want. Researchers have predicted we will socialize in new ways after the pandemic is long gone.

However, according to Inc. and an Ivy League professor, numbers that regulate our traditional working hours may see a considerable push. Companies across the country are looking at throwing out the conventional 9 to 5 and replacing it with the “3-2-2.”

LinkedIn first posted this “workplace trends to watch in 2021.” It includes a spotlight on the prediction currently split down the middle on those contesting to continue working remotely even after being given the green light, with those who seek face-to-face interaction and wish to go back to morning commutes, the office, and meeting rooms.

A compromise between the two is taking interest across the United States. Organizations allow an employee to work three days in the office, then remotely for two days, followed by two days off, or the “3-2-2.”

The arrangement would undoubtedly call for policy and procedure changes and permit employees to decide on their situation best. The structure supports the intraoffice interaction that so often stimulates creativity and provides the personal connection many are looking for while also affording people the ability to focus on healthy routines, passionate hobbies, and family time we have all found during the pandemic.

The workforce is unique to request increased flexibility, and they predicted many organizations would answer favorably. Of course, areas and industries will alter this plan as it best fits their demands and limitations. We would all happily agree that road traffic will likely ease if we are not all on the same schedule.

When you think about it, the “3-2-2” suggestion perfectly fits us as sports tourism professionals. How many of us find ourselves working in an office Monday through Wednesday but then begin making deliveries, starting event set up, and greeting clients and athletes as they arrive in town on Thursdays and Fridays to prep for a weekend event?

Organizations that have used a version of this approach in the past report more enthusiastic, engaged employees, increased efficiency and productivity, and reduced days off requested. It just goes to show that moving off the boring 9-to-5 to the intriguing “3-2-2” might be much more than a method to appease employee requests post-virus for extended flexibility. It just might be a positive plus for operational efficiency and employee retention, and stability.

So again, the “3-2-2” looks pretty good, huh?