Our concept of working hours likely stemmed from the industrial revolution, when we needed people to work in factories, performing simple physical/mechanical tasks. Instead of having people stream in at different times of the day to complete their individual tasks separately, it was (and still is) more efficient for everyone to be present at the same time, each performing his or her task in an assembly line. Semi-finished products can be left on the assembly line to be completed the next day.
However, do we really need such working hours in most of the work we do nowadays? One reason for having a common set of working hours is the requirement for meetings to coordinate effort. But unless you are holding meetings that last eight hours, you don't really need everyone to observe the same working hours. It is easy enough to have a "core" time when everyone is supposed to be present (physically, or today, virtually) for ad-hoc meetings.
In fact, given that everyone has a different biological clock, and their own personal commitments outside their working lives, it only makes sense to totally do away with working hours except in places like assembly lines and physical stores (which is not really working hours but more like opening hours). This allows people to better make use of their time, which leads to better productivity and more balanced lifestyles.
This is especially so with the current technologies that allow virtual working spaces. Do we really need everyone to turn up at the same time, and leave at the same time? I think it is time we understand how we came about with the concept of fixed working hours, and review its validity in today's circumstances. There is no point carrying on with legacy concepts that no longer have merits today.
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