A Smart Breakaway
Over the last couple of years a lot of our time has been spent online. Work, connecting with friends, shopping and even exercise classes have all moved online. Largely this was due to the Covid-pandemic lockdown, but that simply accelerated a process that has been ongoing for a while now.
Before the lockdown regulations came about many companies were moving towards a work-from-home environment, whereby employees would be allowed to work online from the comfort of their home. At the time this seemed like the ideal setup; not having to spend time in traffic every day, being more productive, less carbon emissions and saving money on fuel, the benefits seemed to vastly outweigh the disadvantages. Enter 2020 with the dreaded lockdown regulations and suddenly we realized that working online is not all it was made out to be. Suddenly working hours extended to pretty much all day, meetings happened at all hours while deadlines remained as they were before. Along with platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, more and more apps were developed that would allow people to manage their lives from their phones. More shops offered online shopping with home deliveries, streaming services flourished and personal trainers started offering online gym sessions and instruction videos. Being online seemed to be the way to go.
Unfortunately the old adage still rings true; too much of anything is bad. Being online all the time does have its disadvantages. Always being connected means less time to ourselves and our family, less time to relax and rest as well as increased stress levels. Studies have also shown an increase in mental health problems due to the increased time spent online, along with other problems such as lack of sleep, less focus and a decrease in people’s ability to communicate properly. Now it seems some people has had enough. On 24 January 2022, BBC News published an article about people that decided to ditch their smartphones. Some went back to the archaic models that can only make calls and receive texts (and play Snake), while others snubbed phones altogether, opting to only be available on email on their desktop computers. These individuals reported better sleep, better concentration and less stress.
Lately there has been a focus on the mental health of employees and the various programs companies implement to ensure their employees are taken care of. Finding ways for employees to be online less often might go a long way to assisting with their overall well-being. Obviously there will still be work that needs to be done and tasks that needs to be completed, that is why companies exist. However, there are some policies companies can implement to allow their employees some downtime. Some policies to consider are:
1. Maintain office hours
It has become a common occurrence to schedule an online meeting at a time that would have been considered “after hours” not too long ago. Some employees start their day with a meeting at 06h30, others sit in meetings until 20h00 or even 21h00. The prevailing attitude seems to be that since an employee is home and online, they can be expected to attend meetings. The other occurrence is having meetings that last the whole day. This may be attributed to individuals missing the constant contact they had with colleagues at the office, or it could that individuals feel the need to micromanage out of fear that employees will not do what they are supposed to. Either way, spending a whole day in meetings means that employees now have to work after hours to complete their tasks. Maintaining office hours and not allowing meetings to take place outside of those hours will allow employees sufficient time to complete their work within normal hours and also have some time to spend away from the screen.
2. Encourage “offline” time
Many employees remain online for hours out of fear that this is what the company expects from them. Implementing policies that allow and even encourage “offline –time” will go a long way in assisting employees manage their screen-time. Hosting team events, encouraging in-person meetings and discussing time management with employees will go a long way in assisting employees taking time away from their screens.
3. Employee wellness benefits
Another option would be to implement benefits that encourage employees to be more active and take some time away from their phones. Some options could be to have a gym at the office, offer employees gym memberships or access to a personal trainer, schedule time with a life coach or host team building and/or outreach programs during which employees will not be required to constantly be on their phones. These programs will not only assist with the employees’ mental health, but also makes employees feel taken care of, which in turn can lead to an increase in productivity. It may also lead to more engaged employees and a more cohesive company culture.
It may be argued that it is each person’s own responsibility to monitor their screen time and their phone usage. That may be the case, but considering how much time is spent on work — especially since offices went online — it can also be argued that companies can take measures to ensure their employees are taken care of. With the recent shift to working from home, it has become more difficult for employees to feel connected with the company, and may therefore be unsure of what they may or may not do. By taking the first steps the company can set the standard of what is expected and acceptable. Not only will this show employees that their employers care about their well-being, but it will also encourage them to take further additional steps to take care of themselves.
