How to Help Remote Workers Avoid the Endless Workday

While remote work has ushered in a new era of human well-being – from flexible working hours to better work-life integration to more time with loved ones or for personal ventures – it has also created new complexities.

With work and life almost inextricably linked, human resources strained due to major layoffs/restructuring/reevaluations, and global virtual teams spanning multiple time zones being the norm, employees are now working longer hours than ever before. The possible biggest culprit? loss of commuting.

To offset lost employee downtime associated with remote work and reduce employee burnout, managers must:

• address technological challenges
• Formulate clear work expectations
• lead by example

Before COVID-19, most employees woke up, got ready for work, had breakfast, and walked, drove, or took public transportation to work. While some people may have worked during their commute, most likely enjoyed some downtime listening to their favorite music or audiobook, or hanging out with friends or family. This personal time may have given them a break from home or the pressures of work, at least for a short time.

For a large portion of workers now working remotely, life has changed without the commute. These remote workers may wake up to their smartphone alarm clock, start replying to emails while changing into casual clothes – or a more appropriate business top, have breakfast on the way to their home office where they switch to their laptops, to keep them working.

Remote workers are most likely to eat lunch the same way they eat breakfast (as opposed to a trip with co-workers or a walk), and if they don’t have dinner while sitting down, they can eat dinner like they had lunch. An uninterrupted day for these employees could end with a brief downtime with partners, kids, a book, or more time in front of the TV or a smartphone—only to return to email before bed to start the whole cycle over.

The ease and accessibility of technology combined with remote work makes it imperative for managers and businesses to address burnout in their organizations. Giving time back to employees is a necessary way to help employees balance their lives — whether remotely or otherwise.

The downside of technology

If you own a smartphone, there seems to be no escaping email, texting, or calling unless you turn it off — an option most of us shudder at, even if we don’t have a job or business to lead.

Although a large majority of US adults believe smartphones have improved their lives, nearly six in 10 say they use their device too much.

44 percent of Americans say they would be concerned if they lost their smartphone for a day. But unless you’re a trauma surgeon or other type of emergency responder, life goes on without you checking your device or responding to an email, text, or call.

Just over eight in 10 adults (83%) carry their device with them throughout their waking hours, with 72% keeping it close when they sleep and 64% checking it upon waking. Reading such statistics out of context could easily lead to a diagnosis of OCD.

This technological challenge is compounded by remote work. As a telecommuter, no matter how many hours you work or how hard you work, you may feel that because you’re out of the office, others don’t believe you’re working. This belief can lead you to feel like you need to be available 24/7 to prove that you work just as hard, if not harder, than your colleagues in the office.

Additionally, when you have smartphone notifications turned on, which many of us do, there’s always an urge to check out new emails or texts the moment they arrive. This urge to check notifications can mean disrupting a meal with others, time with your kids, a movie you’re watching, or it could just be worrying that you’ve missed something important or a message from your miss boss. You might even be expected to immediately answer a business email or phone call.

If your employees find it uncomfortable or inconvenient to turn off a smartphone outside of work hours, give them time back by asking them to turn off work notifications during off-hours.

Set work expectations

Employees need to believe it’s okay and be encouraged to do so Not work outside of scheduled hours and during mealtimes or breaks, but also feel empowered to work when they need to catch up, address urgent matters, or simply when they are best.

Emailing, texting, or working outside of normal or booked hours doesn’t always mean employees are overworked or burned out.

When employers focus on hours worked results, it’s not at all uncommon for employees to work when they’re at their best. This can be early in the morning, late at night or at the weekend.

However, if employees feel compelled to work outside of their working hours, they need to be aware of how this might affect others. Reinforcing work hours expectations, including “FOR MONDAY” in an email subject line, or saving drafts to send during regular office hours are helpful tactics for giving employees the breaks they need from work.

Setting a good example

The way leaders behave is the way employees will act. When managers tell their team to take some time off and not work, but to do the opposite on their next vacation, they set an expectation that work won’t stop during personal time either.

When managers send emails outside of work hours, on weekends, or on vacation, it affects others on their team as well.

Managers can give time back to their employees by leading by example, being aware of when to schedule meetings, focusing on the results of time worked, and encouraging them to participate in activities employees enjoy outside of work hours.

When organizations and managers consciously help their employees balance their personal and work lives by giving them time back, they can reduce employee burnout, stress and anxiety and improve employee well-being, employee retention, attractiveness and business results to enhance.