Salesforce claims the 9-to-5 workday is dead

Salesforce is redesigning its office culture and giving employees more choice around when and where they work.

The cloud giant declared the 9-to-5 workday "dead" in a blog post on Tuesday, claiming its demise would lead to a greater work-life balance and, ultimately, a better business.

Going forward, Salesforce employees will have the choice of three working models; flex, fully remote and office-based. For those that work under the 'Flex' bracket, which Salesforce suggests will be the majority of its employees, their time in the office will be between one and three days a week, mostly for collaborative projects, customer meetings and presentations. Otherwise, they will work remotely.

There will also be an option to work remotely on a permanent basis to accommodate those that do not live in close proximity to a Salesforce office and those who have jobs that are not dependent on office attendance.

For a small group of workers, there is the option to work in the office four to five days a week if they are in roles that require it, potentially in segregated shifts.

"As we enter a new year, we must continue to go forward with agility, creativity and a beginner's mind - and that includes how we cultivate our culture," said Brent Hyder, president and chief people officer. "An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead, and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks.

"We have an opportunity to create an even better workplace - one that allows us to be more connected to each other, find more balance between work and home, and advance equality - ultimately leading to increased innovation and better business outcomes."

Not everyone agrees that remote working is the way forward, however. Both Google and Microsoft have expressed concerns about prolonged working from home and Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins on Tuesday suggested that some people were tired of working from home. It's worth noting that the only examples Robbins gave were from Cisco employees, which he claimed were longing to get back into the office.

"I think we sort of moved into that phase where people actually struggle mentally, people are - they're not enjoying it," Robbins said according to CNBC. "One of our employees said to me the other day, 'I don't mind the option of working from home. I don't like being forced to work from home,'" he said.

Unlike most tech firms, Cisco has struggled during the pandemic. The company this week reported a decline in revenue for the fifth quarter in a row, blaming a slowdown in infrastructure spending.