“The reimagined modern workplace is here,” Microsoft senior director Ryan Asdourian declared confidently this year. “Gone are the days of rigid schedules where workers are fixed to computer terminals between the hours of 9 and 5… with technology on our side, the opportunities are endless .” Ryan conjures up a brave new world where remote, technology-enabled workers drop in and out of flexible, friendly spaces to get their jobs done in the most efficient and enjoyable manner. His views are well-supported. A workplace experiment in New Zealand made headlines recently when staff at a company specialising in trusts and wills were allowed to work for four days a week, while getting paid for five. Academics found their job and life satisfaction rocketed in all areas, and the company benefited too – employees worked better and enjoyed their jobs more. Working 9 to 5? What a way to make a living …looks like Dolly Parton was ahead of the times when she sang the theme song for th...