The bloated workweek is coming for Sundays—as some embrace flexibility, others worry about job security
A new report finds nearly half of workers are often logging in on Sundays. It is a boon for worker flexibility, or a sign of job-hugging insecurity?
Key points
- Nearly half of workers often log in on Sundays, per an Owl Labs survey of 2,000 people.
- Microsoft data shows messages outside the Monday-to-Friday workweek rose 15% year-over-year.
- Some workers say Sunday hours help them focus, while others fear burnout and job insecurity.
Sundays have become an unofficial start to the workweek for many office workers, according to a July survey of 2,000 people by video-conferencing company Owl Labs. Nearly half of respondents said they often work on Sundays, with 21% working the whole or nearly the whole day and 24% doing a few hours.
The findings come six years after work moved home during the Covid-19 pandemic. Microsoft's 2025 research found chat messages sent outside the standard Monday-to-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workweek rose 15% year-over-year, averaging 58 messages per user.
Why some choose Sunday work
Alessia Montanaro, 30, a public accountant in Austin, Texas, said she works Sundays from home during busy season, logging up to 60 hours a week. She said the workweek pulls her "in five different directions" with messages and requests from associates and higher-ups.
Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, said a distraction-free Sunday can help workers get more done, but may also signal that the Monday-to-Friday week is overloaded. Microsoft data shows employees are interrupted roughly every two minutes during core work hours.
If 40 hours become 60 hours, you know you're going to have burnout, you're going to have frustration
— Frank Weishaupt
Concerns about burnout and security
Kylie Gonzalez, 29, an account manager, said she works Sundays when she takes time during the week for appointments or school pickup, but keeps it to about an hour. She said companies may add more work if they see so much being done.
Weishaupt said Sunday work can also reflect worries about job security in a tough market. He warned that if 40 hours become 60, burnout and churn follow. LaToya Allen, 45, of Washington, D.C., said of 9-to-5 workers: "I don't see how working on a Sunday is going to save your job."
