How to Help Your Night Owl Employees

Remote work has paved the way for employees to cater their office environments to their own specific needs, allowing them to thrive in their roles. Some employees need more time with their children; others need availability throughout the day to take care of their health. And believe it or not, some employees just need a little time to sleep in. And now that the world is returning to in-person work, these formerly well-rested remote employees are back to setting alarms at seven in the morning, spending most of their days drained and slow. Is there a way for your night owl employees to transition back to the office without losing the freedom that remote work gave them? And are remote or hybrid environments better for night owl employees?

What is a night owl employee?

Every employee has a different sleep schedule, known as a sleep-wake cycle. Most people have what’s called a “daytime chronotype,” which means that they’re awake in the daytime and sleep at night. Their biological prime time (BPT), when someone is at their most productive, is during the mornings or midday. But that’s not the case with everyone. Night owl employees are those who prefer to sleep during the day and spend the night hours working. This means that their BPT is in the afternoon, evening, or even in the early morning hours.

Research indicates that a third of the population doesn’t have a specific chronotype, meaning that depending on their circumstances, they could be night owls or early birds. Additionally, 30 percent of the population are night owls.

The usual nine-to-five workday in the time before COVID did these employees no favors, as they would go to bed late and wake up before their bodies were ready. This caused sleep deprivation, leading to decreased productivity, health issues, and lowered job satisfaction.

Remote work and the night owl

There’s been nothing better for the night owl than switching to a remote work format. Some managers have been accommodating about allowing employees to sign into workspaces at their leisure and measuring productivity through tasks rather than hours worked. Other less progressive managers who relied on time tracking software found themselves amongst resourceful night owls who would wake up just long enough to log in, then go back to sleep and work on their own time. But all in all, night owls have been able to accomplish two things simultaneously that the pre-COVID world would never allow: getting a full night’s sleep and enjoying a full day of work.

Remote and hybrid environments are certainly better for night owls, but there are also ways to make in-person jobs work for these weary workers.

1. Accommodating your night owls

Chances are you’ve got night owls on your team or in your department. And even if you don’t, remember that many people don’t have a fixed chronotype. This means that sometimes, a night owl mentality might creep in during the cold winter months. No matter how many or how few night owl employees you may have, there are some techniques you can use to make sure everyone is working in their prime time.

2. Flexible schedules

The most important thing about night owls by far is their need for a flexible schedule. Whether you’re in person or working remotely, it’s unfair to judge an employee’s work ethic by how early they show up to the office. By allowing employees to log in and log out at their leisure, you’ll ensure that their workdays are more about the tasks they’re accomplishing than the hours they’re sitting in front of a computer. If you’re a manager who’s measuring job performance through a punch card, you’re setting the bar too low.

3. Thorough check-in meetings

Next, check-ins will be invaluable to both night owls and early birds. Keeping everyone in the loop and updating all team members on a project’s progress means that everyone can make a note of what to do moving forward and accomplish it on their own time. Additionally, when you make meetings, keep everyone in mind – if you scheduled a morning team meeting one week, try for an afternoon meeting the following week just to make sure you’re not catering to just one chronotype.

4. Having the right tools

The right tools will also make or break your night owl employee experience. Asynchronous communication, proofs and edits, and folders with up-to-date documents are all an invaluable part of an employee’s experience. And it’s even more important when one is working with a flexible team who needs different pieces of information and remote support at different times. A good project management software like Hive goes a long way when you’re working with night owls and early birds alike.

5. Be clear

Without legitimate expectations, your night owl employees will flounder – so make sure they know exactly what they need to turn in and when they need to do so. It might be new for many managers to work with employees who operate on a different schedule than they do, but it’s certainly not impossible. Ensuring that communication is fluid and specific is a surefire way to give your night owls what they need to take flight, so managers don’t feel like their flexibility is being taken advantage of.

6. Reward overtime

Managers might not notice when an employee is working late hours and clocks in with overtime. But night owl employees can be just as productive as daytime employees, and when they’re in their element, they might produce more than you ever thought possible. Laud these employees for their efforts and make sure that they feel valued by their coworkers.