Reflecting on why work should stay at work without haunting us in our personal life after working hours.
In our ever-connected world, where anyone who has their smartphone and can easily be reached, I have noticed everyone prefers to be contacted through WhatsApp. In work settings nowadays, whenever anyone asks for your number, and you gladly give them, they would ask if the number you just gave has WhatsApp. You would say “Yes, of course”, and little do you know of what comes next. To put things in context, I’ll tell you my story, and how I resisted at first opening my WhatsApp to work, and the Pandora’s box that gave me nothing but unneeded stress when I did open my WhatsApp to work.
In my previous job, I worked at a very sensitive place, where every single word has to be chosen carefully. My work had to always be reviewed and reviewed again by other people since the impact was fairly big. Every document that was out actually affected a certain group of people’s lives. So the “work” was stressful, the people were too. It was a stress-inducing work environment and there was no other way around it, but when working hours were up, everything work-related stops. You go back home, relax, unwind, and live your personal life.
Back in that job, a WhatsApp group was once suggested and I refused to be in it, as I don’t agree to have work-related things in my personal space. My co-workers urged me, again and again, to be in the group, but I kept refusing, which resulted in pointing out that “It’s not good for you to be resistant, and you should just go with the idea, and of course you don’t need to answer, just view—“.
No.
And it stopped. Until I resigned and left my job to jump into another job that I thought would finally be “a calm job”.
I started my new job this year, which wasn’t stressful at all in the beginning. It was calm, quiet and very smooth until they became comfortable with me. Slowly, the people I work with asked me if it was ok to add me into WhatsApp groups, you know, “so we can share anything urgent”. I agreed; because I couldn’t think of anything that can be urgent in this job. So I got more and more people I work with “telling” me this time (and not just “asking me”) that we would add you to this and that group. I ended up with four. Four “work-related” WhatsApp groups that are active all day, all week. I noticed people are discussing “important things” in the WhatsApp groups, and the groups are no longer a “bulletin board” informing us about updates.
It became stressful. I personally don’t check my phone when I get home from work, but now, “I’m required” to check, respond, and engage. People are different with how they cope with stress. Maybe some might think that I’m just overreacting, or you might agree with me, that work should stay at work. It shouldn’t follow you home through your WhatsApp or through your work email. I strongly disagree when I see people I work with answer their email way past their working hours. I tried speaking to some, and what I got is “I don’t have time at work, I get distracted with so many tasks and meetings.” I see the point, but until when will employers expect their staff to be reachable 24/7? And not only that, sometimes requiring them to just take your laptop home and finish your work there. The funny thing is that we are also expected to be creative and innovative. How?! I would ask you? Our brains are cluttered by work at work and after work.
Of course, I have mentioned so far instant messaging (WhatsApp specifically), which is what has affected me. Nevertheless, having your work email connected to your smartphone device has the same mimicking effect of “being available 24/7”. Which brings me to an interesting law that has been passed early in 2017 in France. The law grants employees a “right to disconnect” from work after their working hours. This law compels companies and organization to set rules and guidelines that would allow their workers to disconnect after working hours. This notion of being available 24/7 has blurred the boundaries between work and personal life. Not only that, now you might leave the office “physically”, but thanks to our “connectivity” you will always be bound to work.
In addition, two psychological scientists, Anna Arlinghaus and Friedhelm Nachreiner – from the Society for Labour, Industrial and Organizational Psychological Research in Oldenburg, Germany- have analyzed a massive dataset collected from nearly 24,000 employed workers in 31 European countries. They’ve noticed that when workers are contacted for work-related matters after working hours, it causes an interruption to the “biological and social rhythms needed for recovery, sleep, and social participation.” Furthermore, it showed that the higher is the frequency in which workers are contacted after working hours had resulted in a higher rate of health issues, such as musculoskeletal issues, cardiovascular diseases, leading workers to take more sick leaves.
As you can see, it’s a vicious cycle. This has an ending that organizations won’t wish for. Overworked and burnout staff would reach a point where they would resign or take frequent sick leaves. In both scenarios, organizations aren’t winning, and neither are the employees.
Reference:
Sign up to Sail Newsletter
Never miss another article!
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.
