Mere
expectation of checking work email after hours harms health of workers and
families
Research shows that
'flexible work boundaries' often turn into 'work without boundaries'
Virginia Tech
Employer expectations
of work email monitoring during nonwork hours are detrimental to the health and
well-being of not only employees but their family members as well.
William Becker, a
Virginia Tech associate professor of management in the Pamplin College of
Business, co-authored a new study, "Killing me softly: electronic
communications monitoring and employee and significant-other well-being,"
showing that such expectations result in anxiety, which adversely affects the
health of employees and their families.
Other studies have
shown that the stress of increased job demands leads to strain and conflict in
family relationships when the employee is unable to fulfill nonwork roles at
home -- "such as when someone brings work home to finish up."
Their new study, he
said, demonstrates that employees do not need to spend actual time on work in
their off-hours to experience the harmful effects. The mere expectations of
availability increase strain for employees and their significant others -- even
when employees do not engage in actual work during nonwork time.
Unlike work-related
demands that deplete employee resources, physical and psychological, by
requiring time away from home, "the insidious impact of 'always on'
organizational culture is often unaccounted for or disguised as a benefit --
increased convenience, for example, or higher autonomy and control over
work-life boundaries," Becker said.
"Our research
exposes the reality: 'flexible work boundaries' often turn into 'work without
boundaries,' compromising an employee's and their family's health and
well-being."
As negative health
outcomes are costly to them, what can employers do to mitigate the adverse
effects identified by the study? Becker said policies that reduce expectations
to monitor electronic communication outside of work would be ideal.
When that is not an
option, the solution may be to establish boundaries on when electronic
communication is acceptable during off-hours by setting up off-hour email
windows or schedules when employees are available to respond.
Additionally, he said,
organizational expectations should be communicated clearly. "If the nature
of a job requires email availability, such expectations should be stated
formally as a part of job responsibilities." Knowing these expectations upfront
may reduce anxiety in employees and increase understanding from their family
members, he said.
As for employees, they
could consider practicing mindfulness, which has been shown to be effective in
reducing anxiety, Becker said.
Mindfulness may help employees "be
present" in family interactions, which could help reduce conflict and
improve relationship satisfaction. And, he added, mindfulness is within the
employee's control when email expectations are not.
Becker, whose research
interests include work emotion, turnover, organizational neuroscience, and
leadership, is based at Virginia Tech's National Capital Region campus in metro
Washington, D.C.
"Employees today
must navigate more complex boundaries between work and family than ever
before," said Becker. "Employer expectations during nonwork hours
appear to increase this burden, as employees feel an obligation to shift roles
throughout their nonwork time.
"Efforts to
manage these expectations are more important than ever, given our findings that
employees' families are also affected by these expectations."
