I love this post, and I have schemed as well! I THINK that work speaks for itself, but I get on a roll around 2 or 3 when all of the morning fires have been put out, and it is hard to stop the productivity at 5 just because that's quitting time. Those of on salary can't really comp the time officially, but I'm told to reduce the paid leave days I claim to offset the extra working hours. It's definitely true that those of us who often stay late are some of the most productive, but I think it is far more impressive to get everything done WHILE everyone and everything is pulling for your attention during work hours. I know I can't do it - yet - but I've started coming in early instead of staying late to spend more time with my husband in the evenings.

As knowledge workers usually working on a project by project basis, I find actual "hours worked" irrelevant (excluding some professions such as law). I think we all agree here that performance should be based on completing the task at hand by the best of your abilities in a reasonable amount of time RATHER than based on how many hours (and which times-- early morning or late night) you sit in front of a computer.

Ever since I was told I can no longer have a flexible schedule but must work a strict 8:15 - 5:00 schedule with a 45 minute lunch (even though I rarely took a lunch anyways), my own performance has noticeably declined (perhaps partly in due to the revocation of flexibility). Personally, I would love to "stay late" only because I'm most productive between 4-6pm, but since I'm required to be in the office by 8:15, there's no way I'm going to postpone my work just so that I can stay later.

In all seriousness, a lot of companies feeling the affects of the recession probably have a lack of work and have a lot of employees just coming into the office for 8 hours a day and twiddling their thumbs, pretending like they're working on something (but not), or just working on other things on the computer. If employees are staying late it's either because they genuinely have work they want to get finished before heading home for the day, have nothing to do but want to look good to the boss, or came in late that day and are going to stay late whether they have work to do or not.

What is the point?

Hi guys! Glad you liked the post

Amanda - I completely agree. Once I get going, I can knock out a to-do list a mile long in no time flat. If that go-time happens to be during working hours and I get everything done, why not go home?

Karolyn - I too start really getting things done around 2 p.m. I think it is because I try to get everything on to the next person in the process by closing time, and then by the time it is back in my hands it is late afternoon the next day. I think (and hope) that what really matters is the quality AND quantity of the work produced. Good call on coming in early so you can spend time with your family in the evening!

Emily - Very good point about other people's time. People working late have to be respectful of people who don't and people coming in late have to be respectful of people who don't, especially when the concept of flex time comes up. I think flex time is a fantastic and very productive way to get business done, but it doesn't work without respect from all sides and all levels.

Carlee - It amazing to me when organizations think that enforcing a strict schedule will increase productivity. When people are nickle and dimed, they nickle and dime right back.

Paul - I have heard that exact think before! As much as I would like to say that only the work matters, if I stay five minutes longer and feel like it made a perceptual difference, then I am cool with it. 30 min or an hour just because might be pushing it, but five minutes I can do :)

When I was working at MS a German colleague of mine described the difference between American work culture and German work culture thusly: In America if you are first one in and last to leave, you are hard-working and heroic. In Germany if you do the same, you're just inefficient because you didn't get your work done in the time allotted.

Ty - It is so important to give back when someone goes the extra mile for you. I feel like the employee-employer relationship shouldn't just be about timesheets and meetings, but like a friendship in that, "if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." This give-and-take forms trust, which is invaluable in the business world.

Tariq - I love it! Your friend is 100 percent correct :)

Karolyn - I'm just going from my experience (which is limited since I'm just a GenYer).
I've been at companies who did not strictly enforce working hours and found that most people came in a bit late, but worked a lot later. Yes, you will always have people who abuse the privilege, but I think those people should be reprimanded, not the whole company. I've also been at companies who strictly enforced work times - writing you up if you were a minute late. You were also looked down upon if you stayed late b/c it made you look like a suck up - even if you had valid work to do. I've also worked somewhere that used to be open, then went to a strict schedule. There was an immediate culture shift and people turned into by-the-clock employees. I'd love to hear of other examples of when stuff like this