Not nine-ish to five-ish. Not eight to five because you have to commute. Not nine to five followed by checking emails at home.

Not nine to five with a WhatsApp from your manager at 19:42 asking if you can “just quickly” send something through.

An actual nine-to-five.

The phrase has survived long after the working day it was supposed to describe.

For many South Africans, work begins before they reach the office. The phone lights up with emails, WhatsApp messages, calendar notifications and reminders while they're still drinking their morning coffee.

Image: Supplied

Then comes the commute. Then the workday. Then the commute home. Then the side hustle, household responsibilities or whatever else needs doing.

And somewhere in between all of it comes the inevitable: “Can you just quickly send that through?”

The modern working day isn't necessarily longer because employees are physically sitting at their desks for more hours. It's longer because work has lost its borders.

Technology was supposed to make employment more flexible. Instead, it gave work a spare key to the front door.

Remote and hybrid work mean people can work from almost anywhere. The problem is that “anywhere” can quickly become “everywhere”.Your office can be your kitchen table. Your lounge. Your bedroom. Your phone while you're having dinner.

Image: Supplied

And that creates a strange new question about productivity. If someone answers an email at 21:00, are they hardworking? Or have they simply forgotten how to switch off?

If someone doesn't respond after hours, are they protecting their personal time? Or are they suddenly considered uncooperative?

The line between commitment and availability has become increasingly blurry. Perhaps it's time to retire the phrase “nine-to-five”.

Because the modern working day isn't really defined by a clock anymore.It's defined by how difficult it has become to stop working.

The real luxury of modern employment may not be remote work, flexible hours or unlimited leave.

It might simply be being able to say: “I'm finished for today.”

And actually mean it.