Attention, Bosses: Leave Us Alone on Friday Afternoon

Andrew G.R.

The majority of full-time workers in America are required to be at the office Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. While many of us have a minimum number of hours we must work, one thing is certain: We don't spend all of our working hours at work working. Since many bosses have unrealistic expectations or are simply in denial, I feel it's important to broadcast this message to every boss, supervisor, and coworker across the land:

NOTHING GETS DONE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

Accept it. Embrace it.

We might physically be present, but mentally, we are somewhere far, far away.

One of the biggest management mistakes I've witnessed over and over again is the 4 p.m. Friday meeting. What a misstep! First of all, no one's head is in the game at this time. Also, do you really expect things to get done at this late hour? Not to mention all of the ideas and potential excitement that will be lost over the weekend. People who hold these late-hour meetings often end up being resented. Folks are busy planning their weekend or emptying inboxes that are exceeding their size limit.

Good bosses will take a laissez-faire approach to Friday p.m. hours.

There is another late-Friday error I've seen managers make. This one involves the supervisor having some downtime and using it to nitpick or tie up loose ends with subordinates. Cut it out!

Whether you like it or not, the weekend starts after lunch on Friday. Don't fight it. Accept it. In the long run, you'll get more out of your employees.

After holding down various media jobs, including stops at MTV Networks and Fox News, Andrew G. R. was completely discouraged—not only about his own career but about the lack of job resources that truly spoke to him. Enter Jobacle.com, the employment blog and podcast designed to Make Work Better.