Last Updated on February 14, 2024 by Lifevif Team and JC Franco
Have you ever considered that a 9 to 5 job isn’t all that it is thought to be? To some, a typical 9 to 5 job isn’t considered alluring or rewarding – imagine that! Why?… you may ask. That’s because there are several disadvantages and downsides associated with working in a job with regular business hours every business day. Not everyone is drawn to the idea of working on a nine-to-five job every single day. Today, we are going to explore this concept a little more…
As you’ll see, there are several downsides to working the typical 9 to 5 day. Once you have considered each of the following points more thoroughly, you can decide if working a 9 to 5 job is for you or not.
Working on a 9-to-5 job: 19 real disadvantages
1. Diminished perception of time.
Working a 9 to 5 job means that you spend a great deal of your waking hours in a repetitive working cycle. After a while, you start to feel the hours you work more than if you were to work shifts. Shifts change up your schedule a bit, so the hours don’t seem to drag as much as a daily 9 to 5 job would. You might feel as if your evenings and weekends simply fly by and your work hours drag on.
2. You have to think about childcare (if you have kids).
If you have children who aren’t of school-going age yet, you need to think about sending them to child care or getting a babysitter, which will cost you money.
3. The days become a bit monotonous.
Having to be at the same place, at the same time, everyday, doing the same thing can become somewhat boring and monotonous.
4. You spend your days making someone else rich.
Working 9 to 5 puts you in a position of perpetually working for someone else to make them rich. There’s little time to be an entrepreneur and work on making yourself rich.
5. Reduced productivity.
People tend to be a bit more productive when their job and work hours offer a bit of flexibility. You will find that you fall into a rut of simply getting done what needs to be done and not feeling motivated to excel.
6. Lack of flexibility.
Unlike shift work, a 9 to 5 job requires you to be there all day, everyday. There’s very little opportunity to do any chores or personal tasks during the workday when working a fixed schedule.
7. Stifled creativity.
Some might say that the monotony of a 9 to 5 job really stifles creativity as there are expected tasks to be done on a daily basis, and there’s little time to divert from those. Creativity often has no place in the average old-fashioned office space.
8. You miss out on quality time with your children/family.
When you work 9 to 5, you are probably at work when your kids are playing sports games, at dance practice, or working on life-changing projects. You don’t get to experience the important things in your loved ones’ lives because you are always at work during daylight hours.
9. Vacations aren’t so easy to go on, when you want to go on them.
In the average job, you can’t just go on vacations when you want to. You have to apply for leave and wait to hear if it is possible. In some instances, you might even have to go on vacation on dates that it doesn’t particularly suit you.
10. Less recognition for overtime worked.
When working shifts, you are probably guaranteed to earn overtime if you work it. However, in a 9 to 5 job, you are paid a set salary for set hours. If you are in the office for an extra half hour, you probably won’t be paid anything extra for it.
11. Little time for hobbies and interests.
When will you find time to have a hobby or explore your interests when your waking hours are owed to someone else?
12. Jam-packed schedule trying to balance work and home life.
A 9 to 5 job takes a big chunk out of your day. You will have to arrange your schedule in such a way that you find time for everything. Family, work, home life, and personal interests – it might seem like an overloaded schedule in the end.
13. Less time for side-line or extra earnings.
If you are an opportunist and want to earn a bit of extra money, you won’t find a lot of time to do that when working a 9 to 5 job. You might want a part-time job or need to work shifts if you want to find a side-line money-earning opportunity.
14. The stress and inconvenience of the daily commute.
Anyone working a 9 to 5 job understands the inconvenience and annoyance of being stuck in peak hour traffic. You waste hours merely commuting and have to deal with the stress of a bustling, noisy, and polluted environment.
15. Exhaustion sets in after a long day of work.
Working 8 straight hours in a day can be tiring. You can expect to feel exhausted at the end of the day and lose interest in doing other things after work hours if you work a 9 to 5 day every weekday.
16. Your earning capacity is somewhat limited.
9 to 5 jobs come with the security of a salary attached. The problem with that is that the salary is fixed and limited. This means that you won’t get rich quickly or retire early if you’re working a 9 to 5 job.
17. Potentially bad for your physical health.
Working in a 9 to 5 office job is fairly sedentary. It encourages a non-mobile day and often results in sluggishness, lack of exercise, and lethargy. Even though staff members are often encouraged to get up, stretch, walk around and get fresh air on a regular basis throughout the day, these are not things that many 9 to 5 workers find time for during the day.
18. No real opportunity for early retirement exists.
If you’re working a 9 to 5 job, you can expect to have to put in the years of service before you can retire. Because you are working for someone else and needed for the tasks you achieve, early retirement is very rarely on the cards.
19. There’s always the risk of losing your job or becoming obsolete.
When working in a regular office job, there’s a false sense of security. There is always the risk of becoming obsolete or being replaced by younger, more qualified, or more current people. Unfortunately, this can cause feelings of discomfort and insecurity, which can be a huge trigger for stress.
All things considered
For many people, a 9 to 5 job is living the dream. It spells security, a guaranteed income, career prospects, and the comfort that comes along with a set schedule and knowing where you need to be and what you need to be doing on a daily basis.
For others, the scheduled 9 to 5 days is not alluring as it spells false security, lack of flexibility, limited income, and of course, reduced creativity. If you have been concerned that a 9 to 5 job might not be your cup of tea, consider the above pointers and then decide.
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who share their experiences and knowledge about the "Seven F's of Life".
JC Franco
JC Franco is a New York-based editor for Lifevif. He mainly focuses on content about faith, spirituality, personal growth, finance, and sports. He graduated from Mercyhurst University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Marketing. He is a certified tennis instructor who teaches in the New York City Metropolitan area. In terms of finance, he has passed the Level I exam of the CFA program.