Why do more Thursdays feel like Fridays? There is a mindset change at play

'It is only Thursday!' Have you, in recent times, found that you are reminding yourself of this more often? Don't worry, it's not just you. As the hybrid mode of working is increasingly becoming the new normal, a LinkedIn survey has found employees in India see Thursday as the new Friday. No, this does not mean companies have started giving three-day weekly offs. It basically implies most people prefer working from home on Fridays which makes Thursday their last day of the week in the office.

“An overwhelming 79 percent of Indians say Thursday is the new Friday which may stem from the fact that Friday is the least popular day for workers to go into the office,” the LinkedIn report said, for which 1001 workers in India aged 18+ were surveyed between February 28 and March 6.

Of those Indians who say that Thursday feels like the new Friday, half of them say they would spend more time with family and friends on Fridays, while 46 percent would try to focus on finishing the week's work quickly on Fridays and hop into an early weekend, LinkedIn said.

Throwing light on the shift in workers’ attitudes towards going to an office, LinkedIn research shows while earlier workers used to feel obliged to physically be in the office, 78 percent of Indian professionals say they now do it by choice. Workers are generally more receptive to working in the office, with 86 percent of Indians saying they feel positive about it compared to a year ago, it said.

In fact, a majority of GenZ workers (60 percent) say by being in the office, they experience desk-bombing — co-workers showing up unannounced at their desks to have a chat —and find it useful.

Missing chai breaks and banter with colleagues, workers are choosing to head into the office to socialise, bond and be part of a team. The number one reason for Indian employees to show up at the office was social interactions (43 percent), followed by having more efficient face-to-face meetings with co-workers (42 percent) and building work relationships (41 percent) at a close second and third.

Also, workers are more conscious about how they balance their time between work and life priorities, and managers are pioneering new ways to do this. A majority of workers in India (60 percent) say that they have experienced loud leaving – when managers visibly leave the workplace, making it known that it’s okay to shut down and stop working at a reasonable time, they survey found.

Nirajita Banerjee, Managing Editor - India at LinkedIn, said “We’re starting to see a shift in attitude when it comes to working in the office. While professionals in India favour the flexible-work option, they are also finding immense value in heading back to the office.”

– Spark informal conversations: Impromptu exchanges can unlock new career opportunities and increase recall value among leadership. 15 percent of Indian employees say they are improving their visibility to management while in the workplace by having informal conversations with team leaders.

– Activate Monk Mode: Workers are going into Monk Mode – the practice of solely working on one task – to increase their focus when working in the office. Almost one in two workers in India (47 percent) said they have tried going on Monk Mode and were successful in practicing this.

– Block time for career gazing: Set up a time for informal catch-ups with other colleagues in the office for career gazing – crystal balling options to grow your career, sharing ideas and hearing the perspectives of others. Explore areas where they can help and introduce you to others who might unlock opportunities.

– Create your own productivity hacks: To avoid distractions, workers are creating their own productivity hacks in the office like switching off notifications on phones and messaging apps (18%) and shutting themselves in a meeting room to focus and get work done (15%).

– Announce your focused work day: Structuring one’s work week and announcing the focused work day to colleagues can help them become more productive. Thirty-nine percent of Indians picked Monday as their most focused day.