Picture this: it’s late at night, well after 5:00 p.m., and you suddenly realize—you forgot to pass on crucial information that your team needs for their projects, or perhaps there’s a financial plan that needs urgent tweaking from your accounting department. It could be that someone on your team neglected to submit a proposal for your approval.
In moments like these, it’s tempting to reach out. However, resist the urge to contact your staff after hours. It’s important to respect their time and maintain a healthy work-life balance. So, what’s the best course of action? Let’s find a solution that keeps everyone on track without interrupting their evening!
Why Work-Home Separation Matters for Your Staff
Researchers have discovered that employees receiving work-related communications at home often experience anger and other negative consequences. Many individuals prefer to keep their family lives separate from their jobs, and receiving texts, emails, or phone calls from coworkers or supervisors can disrupt their personal time. Employees want to relax with their families instead of worrying about work after hours. Contacting them outside of regular work hours hinders their ability to unwind and enjoy their personal lives.
How After-Hours Communication Affects Productivity and Morale
To help promote this separation of the workplace and home, implement policies that discourage after-work communications—21% of businesses have similar rules, according to Time. If you feel the need to send an email after hours, it also doesn’t hurt to conclude by telling the recipient there’s no need to respond or designating hours where you expect a response, the source suggested.
Setting Boundaries: How To Promote Work-Life Balance
If you work late, your employees will feel like they have to do the same. Harvard Business Review explained that when you send emails to your workers at night or on the weekends, they’ll feel required to respond. Time reported that the idea of telepressure makes people think they need to respond immediately to any communication, causing 52% of Americans to check their emails outside of working hours.
HBR explained that constant communication can deplete your employees. Employees need time to recharge and can’t do that when they expect work-related emails and texts at home. The lack of downtime hurts your workers and your business. Productivity, creativity, and motivation fall by the wayside when employees’ work brains remain on at all hours. While it may seem like after-work communication is necessary with your employees, you might want to reconsider. Your business and staff will benefit from designated work and home hours.