How to turn always-on culture off

There’s no master switch, so I spoke with a master of worker wellbeing

Technology has freed us from the office and trapped us in a state of constant connection. Now, we’re paying the price.?

Dr. Damien Clarke , wellbeing coach at Meta, confirmed this in a Needl webinar in 2022. He explained that always-on culture has negative repercussions inside and outside of the workplace. People are suffering, and it’s not long before businesses do too.?

So strong is the tether to our tech, countries across Europe like France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium have legislation in place to encourage disconnection. Back in April 2021, Ireland also introduced a code of practice that gave workers the right to disconnect.?

But despite the policies, many people still feel like they can’t fully tap out of work. This is especially concerning for companies that depend on Irish talent, since three in 10 Irish employees feel burnt out ‘very often’ or ‘always’.?

We need to turn the always-on culture off. Not just through policy, but through understanding and action.?

What is always-on culture??

Always-on culture is the state of being digitally connected to work, at all times.?

Examples of always-on culture include using your personal phone to check work emails, responding to Slack messages after work hours, or monitoring a Google doc for edits.?

Always-on culture primarily affects knowledge workers (people who can fulfil work responsibilities with a laptop and mobile phone). Since the pandemic, the lines between personal and professional life have blurred. Work moved into the house, but it never really moved back out.?

This makes disconnecting from the day job much harder because work is no longer a physical place you can leave at the end of the day. Instead, it’s something you carry in your smartphone or stash in the cloud, readily accessible at any given moment as long as you have an internet connection.?

What are the risks of always-on culture??

Constant contact is like rocket fuel for anxiety and stress. Many people, especially millennials and Gen Zs report feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of notifications.?

Cortisol spikes when we’re stressed. And workers get a double whammy of disruption if they're checking their phones at night. Exposure to blue light at unsocial hours is a guaranteed way to wreck your sleep cycle. No sleep, more stress, more out-of-hours working.?

According to an Aviva survey of 2,000 employees, nearly half of the respondents claim they never fully switch off from work.?

Constantly checking your inbox elevates stress levels, and as Damien points out, stress is a precursor to numerous mental and physical illnesses. People who are intentional about when and how often they check their inbox feel less stressed, and more in control.?

According to Damien, the longer people pursue an always-on lifestyle, the harder it gets to break the cycle. Leave always-on culture to fester and your people will be stressed, anxious, and performing well below their capacity.?

What leaders and their teams can do to nip always-on culture in the bud

Damien says there are seven steps to creating a better work-life balance. They are:?

• Acceptance: The perfect schedule doesn’t exist. Strive for one where you nurture your professional and private life.?
• Finding your passion: You don’t have to love your job. But you shouldn’t hate it either. If you dread getting out of bed, you’re probably in the wrong role.?
• Prioritising your health: If it’s a choice between health or work, choose health. That might mean leaving your desk a little earlier for a therapy session or seeking help with physical or mental illnesses.?
• Unplugging from tech: Cutting ties with the outside world from time to time will help you manage your stress and reconnect with the things that matter most to you.?
• Focusing on family: You’re an individual, not a job title. Prioritise the activities, hobbies, and time with the people you care about.?
• Setting boundaries: Find a way to differentiate between work time and personal time. Try a separate work phone or an automatic do not disturb notificatioEmbracing time management: Intentionally schedule work and personal time. Take note of when you’re most productive and block that time for key tasks.?

It’s time to stop making short-sighted choices like skipping your lunch breaks and hoarding your annual leave. Regular breaks recharge us – whether that’s a coffee break or a cruise. If you want proper productivity, you need proper rest.?

Leaders have a responsibility to make saying ‘no’ socially acceptable. And that means demonstrating those healthy behaviours yourself. If your team sees you switching off the work phone, booking time off, and turning down tasks that compromise your boundaries, it makes this behaviour look acceptable.?

Giving your people a glimpse of your personal life and talking about your boundaries normalises healthy behaviours – and makes the opposite behaviours, like compromising your boundaries and overworking – seem problematic instead.?

Understand that routine and working patterns differ between people. Get to know your teams’ communication styles and working routines, and be respectful of their time.?

We already have resources that help us regain control of our time. Out-of-office and do not disturb features enable us to set digital boundaries on our tech, and show others when we’re unavailable. Use these tools, and encourage others to do the same.?

As Damien insists, no one should feel guilty looking out for themselves. Leaders can encourage healthy behaviour by rewarding and recognising it. Thank your people for taking leave, acknowledge their hard work, and assure them that they’ve more than earned a break.?

Damien made it clear in our webinar that the only way to beat always-on culture is to use our empathy. To be empathetic with each other and ourselves. To normalise taking care of ourselves so we can live a good life first, and be better at work second.?

It’s time to reframe how important our work is, and the consequences of not answering an email in 30 seconds. So we can all – finally – switch off.