Dive Brief:
- Technology plays a major role in today's modern world, but its effect on blurring the line between work and non-work hours can be a seriously negative issue for employees.
- The results of a recent survey found that 56% of workers feel technology has ruined the family dinner because employers and clients demand a response at any hour. Also, 40% of employees are okay with answering an urgent work email while sharing a family meal.
- With employees feeling the need to be "on-the-clock" 24/7, it's no surprise that survey results showed that only a third of employees strongly agree that they had a good work-life balance and 89% say said it is important that their employer support them when it comes to time "off -the-clock" (e.g. not contact them, or give clients their contact information).
Dive Insight:
The survey, commissioned by Workfront, a provider of cloud-based Enterprise Work Management solutions, and conducted online by Harris Poll with more than 600 full-time employees working a typical 9-5 schedule, points to the need for an acceptable work/life balance strategy for both talent acquisition (a recruiting tool), retention and engagement.
"Technology is infused throughout our modern lifestyle but we need to be conscientious about how and when to use it," said Joe Staples, CMO of Workfront. "More times than not, there are no parameters set by employers on what they require from employees after hours. So the default can be an 'always-on' lifestyle. The challenge this presents is a potential for burnout."
Staples noted that other studies show that employees are more focused when they get appropriate amounts of downtime. In order to curtail employee burnout, he said, employers should set acceptable email times and encourage employees to take time off of work so that they can focus on their personal interests and spend quality time outside of work.
