“9 to 5”: A Vision of the Future of the US Workforce?
“ Tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen // pour myself a cup of ambition…” The thematic opening scene of the 1980 film, “9 to 5,” is cinematic gold. It’s hard to not stomp your foot to the pulsating, optimistic beat.
Some three decades after the film’s premiere, many of the tropes explored throughout the movie still, unfortunately, ring true today. Judy Bernly, Violet Newstead, and Doralee Rhodes are representative of such systemic issues like gender inequality and workplace harassment that still plague today’s workforce.
** Spoiler Alert ** By the end of the movie, the three protagonists of the film start to institute “radical, new” office place changes while their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot boss” is, quite literally, tied up.
Here are some of the “radical, new” changes that the iconic trio implements in spite of the bossman’s efforts to return to workplace normalcy:
1. Closing of the gender pay gap. All employees, regardless of sex, receive equal and fair wages.
2. “Flexible hours” mean that employees can work “9 to 5, 10 to 6, or 8 to 4.”
3. Relaxed workplace dress code makes the workplace “very livable and very personal.”
4. A job-sharing program that allows for 2 part-time workers to fulfill the duties of a full-time employee.
5. Daycare centers are placed within the office for “working parents.”
6. An alcoholics rehabilitation program for workers struggling with addiction.
7. The hiring of minority groups to boost inclusivity and diversity.
The film notes that these changes have “increased productivity by 60% over the course of six weeks,” decreased employee absenteeism, and even caught the attention of Consolidated Corporate’s CEO.
It would appear that Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and, Lily Tomlin are the workplace freedom fighters that we still need today. While corporate America is “still working” on improving the gender pay gap, not a huge amount of progress has occurred at all levels of the workforce.[1] Additionally, different generations of Americans still view workplace flexibility with extremely divergent sentiments, “Younger Boomers and Traditionalists are more likely to strongly disagree/disagree that people who use flexible work options are viewed as being less serious about their career.”[2] I’d argue that many US firms have still yet to reconcile their internal cultures and norms with a culture of flexibility.
“9 to 5” is as relatable today as it was three decades ago. A lot of effort is still needed to eliminate the gender pay gap, see to the hiring and promotion of minority groups and, rid the workplace of “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” bosses.
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/amynelson1/2019/04/02/not-satisfied-to-wait-100-years-corporate-america-working-on-the-gender-pay-gap/#c6d56e943789