How can an ‘always-on’ culture negatively affect employee wellbeing?
We’ve all been there – you close your laptop or leave the office for the day, and you get an email notification on your phone. As remote or office-based employees, it can feel really hard to switch off from work, even after you’ve done your hours for the week. This feeling of always being ‘on’ or available can also creep into our well-earned days off when we should be taking time away from our workloads.
While there are advantages to being able to do work away from your usual office (particularly with the benefits of increased flexibility), regularly feeling available beyond working hours isn’t good for our wellbeing.
Understanding how this ‘always-on’ culture impacts employee wellbeing is crucial for employers. After all, wellbeing is the cornerstone of a healthy, happy workforce, so understanding what can put that at risk is the first step to making the necessary changes.
It blurs the line between home and work
In today’s hyper-connected world, the line between work and personal life is increasingly blurred – especially for remote or hybrid workers. At its worst, employees feel pressured to respond to emails and messages at all hours. They can end up stuck in a relentless cycle of feeling like they aren’t doing enough at work or home – inevitably impacting their energy levels and morale.
Ultimately, being unable to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life can result in overall dissatisfaction with both. And while the balance may shift from time to time, it’s important for everyone to feel like they can be present and give their full attention to each area at the right time – not feel drawn away by distractions, such as notifications.
The impacts of screen time on sleep
Talking of notifications, it’s worth commenting on how technology has – without a doubt – played a role in the ‘always-on’ culture. With mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, we can take our work anywhere. But that’s not always a good thing.
This guide, helping employers to encourage responsible screen time, explains how vast the impact of screens is, affecting both our physical and mental health. One of the main issues of regularly looking at screens, especially late into the evening, is the trouble it causes getting to and staying asleep. This often results in increased irritability and challenges in coping with daily tasks.
Impact on team dynamics
The ‘always-on’ culture can also disrupt healthy team dynamics by creating an environment of competition, rather than collaboration and support. When some team members seem to be responding or working around the clock, it can lead to unhealthy comparisons and resentment among colleagues. A lot of this is based on assumptions and perceptions, but it can still be damaging to the team spirit. After all, psychological safety and the ability to be vulnerable is one of the five dynamics of effective teams, as outlined by Google. What you determine as important for your own teams may vary, but a strong sense of competitiveness isn’t great for long-term wellbeing.
It’s also worth noting that any pressure to respond quickly can easily hinder effective communication. As a result, rushed interactions can replace thoughtful, meaningful exchanges between colleagues.
What can you do about it?
We’ve touched on just some of the ways being ever-available impacts people, so it’s important to take a look at what can be done about it.
You might have noticed that an ‘always-on’ culture can become a bit of a cycle – for example, workplace notifications impacting how well people can rest and that, in turn, influencing how effective they are at work the next day. The result? Employees feeling like they may need to do some extra work once again in the evening.
As a starting point to break any such cycle, employers and managers should be considering how they:
- Encourage employees to switch off. To do their best, everyone needs down There needs to be boundaries on work hours and after-hours availability expectations. To send the right message that personal time is valued and respected, encourage employees to unplug and properly switch off, including turning off notifications on any personal devices.
- Set the right example. As a leader in the workplace, you’re in a position of influence. So you should be conscious of your own behaviours and whether they demonstrate healthy work-life boundaries too. And make sure you’re not the one who is putting pressure on employees to be available at all hours.
- Acknowledge people’s responsibilities away from work. One of the best ways you can cultivate a culture that respects personal time and underscores the importance of disconnecting from work is by considering flexible working options. Acknowledging that people have other responsibilities outside of work, such as childcare or looking after older relatives, is crucial to treating individuals as people – not just workers.
Wellbeing at work is a huge topic, so please check out our other resources designed to help keep you up-to-date with topics related to health and wellbeing at work.