Whoever said that work and pleasure should never be mixed is in for a shock as that is exactly where we’re all heading in the next decade, according to trend forecasters, The Future Laboratory. Long gone are the days of rat race; the daily grind of the 9-5 became a thing of the past as we all jumped onto the bandwagon that carried us towards a healthier work-life balance. But just as we thought we’d achieved it, we’re now told that ‘businessleisure’ is the new way forward – so log on and tune in.

Already dubbed ‘the decade of change’ by The Future Laboratory, the way we work now and in the future will be totally different, thanks to huge breakthroughs in technology. Where once we dreamed of being able to check emails while at the gym, take conference calls while helping our children with their homework or browse the internet while out shopping, now we can, and this is just the beginning.

“Everything has changed now,” says Chris Sanderson of The Future Laboratory. “Because of the way technology has shifted our lives. The traditional line between work and leisure has shifted away from the typical office-based way of task management to one where we manage our work and our life at the same time.”

John Pearson is a project director who has been combining work and leisure time for a while. “I work for a small design consultancy team who all work remotely. I am at home 80% of the time where I regularly make conference calls and update plans and documents via skype. Not being in the office is an advantage in many ways because I can fit my work around my own time. I might start work in my pyjamas at 7am and still be working at 10pm, but I might also have fitted in a gym visit, cooked supper for my wife and got round to fixing that leaky tap in the bathroom.”

New technology means we can tap into our different worlds wherever we are. For Susan Heyward, a working mother of three, this is essential. “As a journalist, I need to stay connected all the time. This might mean keeping up with emails while on holiday, researching on the internet while at I’m at the park with my children, or taking a call while they have their tea. It’s all about fitting my work around my life and vice versa. I used to think I had the right work-life balance when I worked three days in the office but now it’s even better – I can pick my children up from school, enjoy some time with them and still achieve everything I need to do for work.”

While this blending of home and work life may seem ideal to many, it’s not for everyone, especially if you like routines and structure. Working mum, Caroline Warner, quickly retreated back to the office after just a couple of months working from home. “I realised that I needed more defined roles – me the PR consultant and me the mum. By trying to do it all, all the time, I wasn’t being productive at anything. I much prefer now having my work days and my mummy days, and never the two shall mix!”

However you envisage the next ten years of your career, there’s no denying that technology has given us more freedom to be able to choose how we live and work. “I think this is all about freeing more time for yourself,” concludes Chris Sanderson. “Businessleisure gives people more flexibility, as long as they are still effective: get up when you want, have a cup of coffee, then get down to some work. There’s no strict regime. It is a subtle shift, but a significant one.”

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