Separating Home from Work when you Work from Home
The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting and drastic impacts on how people work. Organizations have had to pivot faster than ever before and continue to adapt to new and evolving safety measures and government guidelines. Mandates to work from home if possible are a notable change, and one that will likely continue as the pandemic eases.
Organizations are seeing the benefits of work from home, such as:
While working from home has many benefits, a dangerous drawback also exists. When employees struggle to separate work-life from home-life, their work-life balance can be negatively impacted. This could result in job dissatisfaction, disengagement, or mental health concerns. Learn More about Remote Work Best Practices. |
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When it comes to disconnecting outside of work, employees have the right to ignore emails, slacks, and instant messages when they aren’t on the clock
Not Separating Work and Home is Harmful
Work-life balance is not a new concept, and there have been various conversations about the benefits of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Ensuring you’re balancing work and life helps you maintain a healthy mental state. When you’re successfully managing the balancing act, you’re primed to bring your best self to both your personal life and your work efforts. But many people struggle to fully balance the two, and it’s because they aren’t disconnecting and creating a clear line between work and home. Email, slack messages, and texts are all ways that workers stay tied to their work, even when they’ve long left the office.
Answering emails during off-hours creates stress resultant from the expectation that emails be addressed at any time. As well, although some employers may believe that employees who answer emails during off-hours are more productive, the opposite is true.
Employees who fail to disconnect from work and achieve work-life balance are often less engaged and less productive at the workplace. |
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Learning to Disconnect
Encourage workers to disconnect in the ways that work for them. And don’t forget to follow your own lead! Some companies have successfully implemented programs that include automatic email deletion during holidays or blocking emails during off-hours. These rules may not work for all companies, especially global conglomerates, but they’re certainly helpful. Other companies encourage managers and CEOs to remind employees who send emails during off-hours that they should be spending that time relaxing, so they’re refreshed the next day.
Here are some tips for disconnecting:
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When it comes to disconnecting outside of work, employees have the right to ignore emails, slacks, and instant messages when they aren’t on the clock. In fact, disconnecting is a recommended measure intended to keep the work-life balance intact and ensure stress levels stay low and do not negatively impact mental health.
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MidSouthWest is your Online Training Solution Provider
Did you know that your employees can still complete health and safety training while working safely from home? With our extensive catalogue, competitive pricing, and user-friendly training platform, MidSouthWest offers an effective, efficient, and cost-effective online training solution. Courses can be purchased online and accessed from smartphones, tablets, laptops, or desktop computers.
Trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting
We are in unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, including the way we do business. We’re all in this together, and when it comes to providing training for your workers, you don’t have to go it alone.
To learn more about MidSouthWest Training and Consulting’s online training and distance learning options, contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.
To learn more about MidSouthWest Training and Consulting’s online training and distance learning options, contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.
Last updated April 14, 2021