National Leave the Office Early Day on June 2 is for those of you who find yourself living to work instead of working to live. The annual holiday was founded by employee productivity expert Laura Stack in 2004 to raise awareness of the benefits of increased workplace productivity. When the unofficial holiday falls on a weekend, the day is celebrated on either Friday, June 1, or Monday, June 3. The purpose of National Leave the Office Early Day is to demonstrate how making small adjustments in the way we approach our work can greatly improve the results of our work, allowing workers to become more productive while in the office and spending fewer hours working in the office.
History of National Leave the Office Early Day
If you find yourself putting in 10, 12, or even 14-hour days at work, you are not alone. National Leave the Office Early Day founder Stack, best known as “The Productivity Pro®” and author of the book, “Leave Your Office Early.” found that we Americans work hundreds of hours more each year than our European counterparts. Other studies by employment agencies and consulting firms confirm the American 8-hour workday has become somewhat of an urban legend. Longer work hours do not equate to more and better work, but they do increase worker fatigue and burnout.
Technologies like computers, the internet, smartphones, and wi-fi have added to work overload by allowing employees to extend the workday beyond customary business hours. Rather than walking out of the office on time for an evening of rest, relaxation, and renewal, many of us end up working another two, three, or four hours at home in addition to the eight hours in the office. Many of us just stay in the office those additional hours in a vain attempt to find some solace from work when we do arrive home late in the evening.
The stress of juggling family and work schedules, long commutes, deadlines, and spending long hours in a workplace not only zaps energy and endangers our health, but it also robs both employees and employers of the joys and rewards that honest work should provide. All work and no play is a proven recipe for disaster but one that can be avoided to the benefit of both employee and employer. Happy workers are productive workers, and greater productivity means greater profits and rewards for all. If you want more time outside work hours to enjoy with family and friends or to pursue hobbies and activities you enjoy, National Leave Work Early Day could be just the reboot you and your workplace need to restore greater work-life balance to the benefit of all. Hopefully leaving the office today having accomplished your work in less time will give you and your employer a taste of what you have both been missing.
National Leave the Office Early Day timeline
- 2004
The Unofficial Holiday Is Established
Laura Stack established and celebrates the first-ever National Leave The Office Early Day.
- 2004
Leave the Office Earlier
The self-help book “Leave the Office Earlier” is published by Laura Stack. The book covers ten key factors that improve results, lower stress and save time in the workplace.
- 1800s
Working 9 to 5
The modern 9 top 5, eight-hour workday was invented by American labor unions in the 1800s. It was popularized by Henry Ford in the 1920s.
- 1840
The birth of the office
The birth of the modern office in America can be traced back to 1840 and the railroading industry.
National Leave the Office Early Day FAQs
What day is National leave work early?
National Leave The Office Early Day is June 2.
How do I leave work early without getting in trouble?
Following the proper office protocol for leaving your office early is important, especially if you are an hourly wage earner. Most employers understand their employees need to leave early or take time off during the day once in a while. If your employer is particularly difficult and inflexible about your request, maybe it is time to start looking for a new job.
How do I ask to leave work early?
When requesting to leave your job early, be professional. Give as much advance notice as possible to your employer. Follow company policies that may require you to make your request in writing and provide a reason for your request without revealing unnecessary personal information.
5 Ways To Be More Productive At Work
Plan your tomorrow today
Planning your next day deserves to be a standing appointment on your calendar each day. Schedule a planning meeting with yourself near the end of each day to review today’s accomplishments and organize your day tomorrow.
Complete one task before beginning the next
It is a myth that the human brain can multitask. You may be able to switch tasks quickly, but we can only focus on one thing at a time. You will get more done, faster, and with more accuracy, if you do one task at a time.
Tackle your least favorite task first
It is human nature to avoid doing things we don’t like to do or that we perceive as difficult. Try tackling the thing you dread doing most first when you start your day. Once you have ugh crossed off your list, the rest of your day will feel easy and you will feel good at the end of the day.
Focus early on details
Take care of tasks that require your full attention to detail and intense concentration early, while your brain is fresh and before distractions can pull you away.
Get a good night’s rest
Maybe the most challenging but perhaps the most critical element of being more productive during work hours is a good night’s sleep. Whatever method helps you get better rest at night, do it.
National Leave the Office Early Day Activities
Show yourself some love
Schedule an appointment for an indulgence you enjoy but rarely get to do on a weekday. Free up a Saturday or Sunday, too, by getting your haircut and highlighted, a 90-minute massage, a manicure, and pedicure. Or just go shopping if that makes you happy. Just do not work.
Get fresh air and sunshine
Do a little yard work, wash the car, take a walk, go to the beach, ride a bike, or just sit outside and read. Whatever you like to do that can be done outside, do it. At the end of the day, enjoy the tranquility and beauty of an early June sunset, and get that peaceful easy feeling at the end of a perfect day.
Play with others
If you rarely go out for dinner or drinks with friends or family because of long work hours and family commitments, today is your day to indulge in some guilty pleasure before heading home. You will be surprised how spending just a few hours enjoying good food and good company changes your perspective.
Why We Love National Leave the Office Early Day
It gives us a taste of what we have been missing
Spending time reconnecting with family and friends, catching up on yard work, or just enjoying a walk in the park reminds us of what we are missing when we spend long hours at the office or bring work home every night.
It reminds us that there is more to life than work
We inherently know we need a better work-life balance when it is lacking. Somehow our best intentions of spending more time enjoying the fruits of our long hours of labor keep being tossed aside for, you guessed it – more labor. Leaving the demands of a busy office early even one day reminds us that everything will be waiting for us when we return the next day.
We avoid afternoon rush hour traffic
There is no denying how much we dread sitting in bumper to bumper traffic jams after being stuck inside an office all day. While leaving one hour early may not make much of a difference, getting two or three hours ahead of the pack feels like a vacation.
Also on Sun Jun 2, 2024...
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