Why technology can harm your work-life balance
What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology in workplaces?
Technology has been instrumental over the last year when it comes to maintaining connection with a remote workforce. Without it, shifting to work from home would’ve been impossible. Workers would have been isolated, disconnected and utterly cut off from their colleagues. Workplace culture, employee engagement and productivity would inevitably crumble without the widespread implementation of tech we’ve seen in the last year.
But on the flip side, technology can be a source of stress itself.
Thanks to the ease at which we can download it to our phones and access work product at the click of the button, it is getting harder to switch off. The temptation to quickly check your email becomes that much stronger when you can’t tell where the office ends and home begins.
How to achieve work-life balance while working remotely
From an HR perspective, Reuda said when communicating the importance of setting boundaries, it’s far more effective if the message comes from the top down.One of the strategies initiated by the Lenovo GM during the pandemic was to encourage employees to organise meetings no later than 3pm. This suggested cut-off time aimed to give employees enough time to wrap up their day after the meeting and also make it easier to work flexibly when dealing with childcare or commitments at home.
Reuda said the GM has also led by example by switching off from work at the weekends. Avoiding communication with staff over the weekend sends a clear message that it is healthy and important to enjoy quality time away from the pressures of the office. Many businesses encourage employees, especially people leaders, to refrain from sending communications in the evening or early in the morning too. This normalises the “always on” attitude to work and sets an unhealthy expectation that someone is expected to be responding outside of the usual working day.
Gloss