One in Four Workers Struggling to Switch Off From Work

More than a quarter of British workers are finding it difficult to mentally switch off from their work, according to a new study presented at a British Psychological Society conference.

The study found that while workers who feel “always on” are typically more engaged at work, they also suffer higher levels of stress and poorer work-life balances.

Of the 1,100 workers studied, 28 percent said they found it difficult to switch off mentally, 26 percent said work was interfering with their personal life, and 20 percent reported feeling mentally exhausted.

Workers were also asked on the advantages and disadvantages of always being connected, as well as behaviours like compulsive checking of mobile phones.

Study author Nikhita Blackburn said technology had revolutionised the way people communicate and that people “can feel under pressure to be available for work-related communication at all times”.

“This is unlikely to suit every personality. In the short term, people who are more engaged in their job may be tempted to be always on, but this may impair wellbeing and job performance over the longer term.”

“Organisations might consider helping their staff recognise the ‘sweet spot’ between using technology to increase engagement and becoming a slave to it, as well as setting clear expectations about technology use outside work.”

A 2018 study by Virginia Tech found that feeling pressure to check emails after hours was bad for a worker’s health and personal relationships (see related article).

According to their findings, employees didn’t need to work in their spare time to suffer from stress and anxiety. The mere expectation of constant availability was enough to trigger negative consequences for an employee’s health and personal life.

Employers are therefore being urged to state in job descriptions if email availability is a requirement, and to introduce out-of-hours windows where workers don’t have to check their inbox.