About

9 to 5 Is Actually 8 to 7 is a catchphrase used in memes criticizing the idea that the typical eight-hour workday runs from 9 to 5, instead claiming that it goes from 8 to 7 when considering preparation and travel time or commuting. Discussions about this concept started appearing online as early as 2021, with memes about the concept growing in prevalence between 2024 and 2025. Some of the most viral memes use the phrase, "9 to 5 is actually 8 to 7 since you cannot teleport to work."

Origin

On January 11th, 2024, Redditor u/Photoshops_Penises posted a meme to the /r/memes^[1] subreddit about being excited to start a 9 to 5 job, then realizing that it's actually 8 to 7 with an unpaid lunch, garnering over 1,500 upvotes in a year. This is the earliest known meme about 9 to 5 jobs actually being 8 to 7.

Spread

Memes about 9 to 5 jobs being longer than advertised became increasingly prominent on social media in mid-2025.

For example, on August 25th, 2025, X^[2] user @Harsh_humour posted a meme using an image of a monkey looking upset, captioned, "9 to 5 is actually 8 to 7 since you cannot teleport to work," garnering over 40,000 likes in just over a week.

The following day, the meme was then reposted to the subreddit /r/me_irl,^[8] receiving over 83,000 upvotes and 1,100 comments in eight days.

On August 26th, X^[3] user @Wangariiii_ quoted the post, writing, "I learnt that 9-5 doesn't actually mean 9am- 5pm, it means 9 hours a day, 5 days a week," garnering over 257,000 likes in a week.

Also on August 26th, 2025, Instagram^[4] user beanexplains posted a meme using a still of actor Willem Dafoe from The Lighthouse reading, "9 to 5 is actually 8 to 7 since you cannot teleport to work," garnering over 6,000 likes in a week. The meme was also posted to the /r/memes^[9] subreddit that same day, receiving over 7,200 upvotes and 270 comments in the same timeframe.

The Willem Dafoe meme was then cropped and reposted by Threads^[5] user vinamra_ab17 on August 27th, garnering over 15,000 likes and 500 reposts in a week.

That same day, X^[6] user @litteralyme0_ posted a clip of actor Cillian Murphy from Oppenheimer, writing, "When you realize 9 to 5 is actually 8 to 7 since you cannot teleport to work," garnering over 316,000 likes in a week.

On August 29th, 2025, the Wholesome Memeposting Facebook^[7] page reposted the The Lighthouse meme to over 3,800 reactions and 500 shares in five days.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References