London’s traditional 9-to-5 workday is becoming a thing of the past as AI and digital tools reshape the modern workplace. According to Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index, the city’s professionals are increasingly working outside traditional hours, with 40% of UK-based ‘early risers’ checking emails before 6 am. The average user of Microsoft 365 receives 117 emails and 153 chat messages daily, a 6% increase from the previous year. Nearly a third remain online at 10 pm, while 20% are active on weekends before midday.
The Rise of the ‘Infinite Workday’
This shift, dubbed the ‘infinite workday,’ presents both opportunities and challenges for London’s business leaders. On one hand, AI-powered productivity tools enable asynchronous collaboration, real-time insights, and location-free management. However, this constant connectivity also leads to fragmentation, with 57% of meetings being unscheduled and disrupting focused work.
Rethinking Productivity
Experts argue that AI can be a double-edged sword. When used properly, it can eliminate low-value administrative tasks and free employees for strategic and creative work. Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO of Stemettes, emphasizes that AI should ‘act as a multiplier for human talent – not a mechanism for extracting more hours.’ The key is to redesign jobs around outcomes rather than hours worked.
Adapting to Change
London’s workforce is evolving, and leadership must move beyond simply layering technology onto outdated systems. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 report suggests that AI could automate 43% of repetitive admin tasks while increasing cognitive demands on knowledge workers. Business leaders who fail to adapt risk employee disengagement, decreased innovation, and talent retention issues.
The Path Forward
Ben Harrison, director at the Work Foundation, notes that ‘the idea that more hours equals more output is outdated.’ To compete in a high-skill, high-tech economy, firms must redesign work around outcomes, not online times. By doing so, they can unlock new levels of efficiency and create a more sustainable work environment. As the nature of work continues to evolve, London businesses have a ‘golden opportunity’ to rethink their structures and thrive in an AI-driven future.
