The advancement of technology means that, for many of us, we no longer need to be at a desk to work. This offers us great flexibility, but it also means that work can easily blend into our home life. Contributor Pablo Vandenabeele, Clinical Director for Mental Health – Bupa UK.
Our research found that three quarters (74 percent) of employees check their work emails first thing in the morning and last thing at night: 33 percent even check and respond to work emails despite being off sick, and 29 percent.
Although employees might feel that they are being productive around the clock, all of this time online can affect other important elements of our lives, such as sleep, exercise and socialising, which all play a vital role in employees’ overall mental health and wellbeing.
Down time from work is crucial to maintaining good mental health – as it gives both the mind and body the opportunity to reset and recover. We partner with businesses across the UK, safeguarding the mental health and wellbeing of their employees and boosting their mental resilience. Many of these organisations have taken steps to help ensure their employees have a good work-life balance. However our research indicates that employees still believe that the best way to progress is to be available around the clock. A fifth (18 percent) of employees believe that they would be viewed as uncommitted to their job if they did not respond to emails outside of work hours.
Over the long-term, the pressure employees put on themselves to respond to work emails at all times can lead to irritability, anxiety, depression and even physical symptoms like aches, chest pains and stomach issues. Wellbeing should be a cornerstone of any workplace health policy, and promoting the importance of switching off from work is a key part of that.
Here are some tips for employers on how to support employees taking tech breaks:
Be realistic – switching off from technology completely is virtually impossible for many of us in the age of smartphones and social media. Setting unattainable goals can lead to further feelings of stress and despair. Instead, encourage colleagues to set achievable goals for cutting back on their technology use, which they’re more likely to stick to.
Set time limits – setting boundaries for when employees can respond to and send emails can help to encourage breaks, and prevent technology from taking over their whole day. There are apps available which help you to track how often you pick up your phone or log into certain apps – promoting these to colleagues can help them to map progress, and highlight areas to work on.
Talk about it – if you notice a colleague is always ‘switched on’ and it’s impacting their overall wellbeing, try to start a conversation about how they’re feeling, if they need support with their workload, or advice from a health professional.
Lead by example – business leaders play a key role in helping employees to strike a good work-life balance. From the businesses we partner with we know that employees feel more empowered to work regular hours and take breaks if they see senior leaders displaying the same behaviour.
Advertise the support available – Bupa’s Mental Health Advantage provides employees with support and treatment to manage long-term mental health issues, giving them confidence that they can access care when they need it.
