Ever feel like your workday never really ends because of late-night emails or weekend messages? Welcome to the always-on culture that is quietly eroding your (and the team’s) well-being.
Researchers dove into the topic in a study of 315 full-time U.S. employees, published in the Journal of Communication Management. Their findings were exactly what you can imagine here: Just the expectation of being reachable off-hours is enough to cause stress, burnout, and tension at home, even if employees don’t actually respond. Always-on work culture might look productive on the surface, but it comes at a high cost: employee burnout, strained relationships, and lower engagement.
Quality of time and why it matters
The American Psychological Association conducted a survey over a decade ago and found that more than half of American employees were already checking work messages at least once over the weekend. It’s a long-standing problem that has only gotten worse as new technology offers new opportunities to creep into our personal time.
All the leave, paid time off, or vacation days don’t mean a thing if an employee doesn’t feel like they truly have the time off. They may be physically away, but mentally and emotionally, they are still tied to their work. Forward-thinking companies are now thinking about paid time away, and even personal time during the week, differently. They are not just focusing on the time, but more importantly, the quality of that time. How is the quality of time off in your workplace?
- Do you get after-hours instant messages, emails, texts, or calls? How many on average?
- How many times did those messages disrupt your time?
- How many did you respond back to?
- How many times do you hear from someone when they were supposed to be enjoying time off?
- Did you ever see a person at a meeting when they were supposed to be off? Was the meeting one that warranted the behavior, or could they have missed it?
These self-assessment questions are a great starting point to understand where the problem is and how severe it may be.
Lead through the opportunity
There is good news when it comes to an always-on culture. You have a high amount of influence on fixing the problem. This doesn’t mean that you start a rule today of absolutely no after-hours messages, or putting the rest of the team at risk when a serious matter comes up unexpectedly. It means being intentional and clear about expectations, so your team can breathe, recharge, and maintain a strong level of well-being.
Some tips to consider as you begin to set the right tone with your team:
Set the tone with boundaries: As a leader, your team takes cues from you. Communicate what those boundaries are and avoid sending non-urgent messages after hours. Schedule emails to go out during work hours or keep them in your draft folder instead. One of the first things that I cover with a new associate is the expectation in this area. My rules for the team are:
- It’s ok to work after hours, but save any communication in your drafts or schedule them to send.
- Be mindful and considerate of people in other time zones.
- It’s ok to communicate with someone in off-hours, but make sure that it’s something that warrants the reach out and a topic that can’t wait until the next business day.
“What about a co-worker who is a fellow night owl?” is a question I get sometimes. If that’s the case and both are ok with it, I’ll typically let them do their thing. I also check in to ensure that they aren’t overusing that time and that they are taking care of their time in other ways. Simple guidelines reduce ambiguity and guilt.
Make it safe to unplug: Let your team know they’re not expected to be “on” 24/7. Build that expectation with your team as well, because you won’t be truly effective in this change if you aren’t reaching out in off-hours, but the team is constantly peppering each other with questions and asks while a person is out. You’ll find it helpful to understand what types of questions the team is reaching out for and then do some additional training or knowledge transfer to better equip the rest of the team.
Check in on your team agreement: Boundaries are never a set-it-and-forget-it item. You need to check in periodically to ensure things are still in a healthy place. Have a quick discussion about communication expectations from time to time. Are we doing ok internally in our own team? Is the team getting pulled in after hours from a particular group or person? Having this knowledge helps you understand with whom you need to have a follow-up discussion.
What about other groups that you can’t directly influence?
You may work in a larger organization where you can influence a respectable number of people or teams, but you can’t fix it for the whole organization. Don’t lose hope here! You can still make a meaningful difference in those that you lead. I’m going to give some proactive advice here for those that you can’t influence and still send after-hours messages that are of low importance and of little consequence.
Don’t respond until the next business day. This one can be really tough! You may feel a sense of obligation, or you just want to get the email out of your inbox as quickly as possible so you don’t have to deal with it later. When someone sends you an email late into the night and you send a quick response, do you know what you just told the other person? “It’s ok to send me something late, and I’ll still get back to you.” You’ve now set a precedent and given the person the go-ahead to continue in their bad behavior.
Have an honest conversation with the person. If you have the rapport and trust with the other person, have an open and honest conversation about their behavior and the impact that it is having on those with whom they interact with. More than likely, they are damaging other relationships, and they may not even realize it. Although it may be a difficult and awkward conversation, it’s one worth having for the betterment of the other person.
Respecting personal time isn’t just a perk—it’s a leadership responsibility. If you want people to bring their best selves to work, you have to give them space to not work and the freedom to rest and recharge.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
