The “Triple Peak Day”: why work before bed?

Since the health crisis and the massive democratization of teleworking, our work habits have been changed.

Indeed, in this new context, working hours are no longer exactly the same. A late email or a last meeting to finish outside of schedule? This is why the right to disconnect can be difficult to respect.

Here are the explanations for this new phenomenon: the “Triple Peak Day” or “3rd peak” or working just before going to bed.

The “3rd peak”: what is it?

In a study, Microsoft recently highlighted a new phenomenon: “Triple Peak Day”.

It would thus seem that teleworking has upset the classic “9h-17h” schedules.

Indeed, from the start of the pandemic, meetings between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. increased drastically and according to the study, around 30% of Microsoft employees had a peak of work in the evening.

Traditionally, the two peaks of employee productivity were before and after lunch. However, when working from home, a third peak appears before bedtime.

“Having your kids at home, not having breaks to eat or exercise, we see that one of the ways to cope is to take a break, have dinner, and then spend some time in the evening getting things done,” says Mary Czerwinski, head of research, human understanding and empathy, at Microsoft Research.

The “3rd peak”: a sign of flexibility or overwork?

En teleworking, and thanks to the numerous communication tools and work made available to collaborators, it is sometimes difficult to keep a barrier between your private life and your professional life.

Indeed, on average, an employee using Teams now sends 42% more chats after office hours, according to Microsoft results. Work Trend Index.

However, it is necessary to understand whether the “3rd peak” appears because employees prefer to work with flexible hours or if it is due to a overwork, thus undermining their right to disconnect.

Read also: The impact of teleworking on work/life balance 

Indeed, some people appreciate the possibility of cchoose their schedules and thus be able to do sports in the afternoon, or even take care of their children, and thus make up for this work time in the evening after dinner.

For others, the fact of being able to work outside their desk is unfortunate. Indeed, with their office now at home, the barrier between private and professional life is difficult to perceive.

The question of Right to disconnect is therefore increasingly being put forward and is a problem for many employees.

Read also: The right to disconnect

The “3rd peak”: how to avoid it?

Outlook - and soon Microsoft Teams - has planning options allowing employees to do not receive messages outside of working hours and delay them until they return.

These options allow employees to reduce their stress and hyperconnection.

“Delaying the delivery of this email means we can get the best of both worlds - capturing the thought so it doesn't get lost, and making sure the recipient gets it at a time that's most convenient for them.” said Shamsi Iqbal, senior researcher on productivity and intelligence at Microsoft Research and Microsoft Viva Insights.

The idea is to Focus on how people work best, not when or where.

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