Health impact of off-hours email expectations

‘Killing me softly’ is a new research study from Virginia Tech that shows employer expectations of work email monitoring during non-work hours are detrimental to the health and wellbeing of not only employees but also their families.

Co-authored by William Becker, a Virginia Tech associate professor of management in the Pamplin College of Business, the study demonstrates that employees do not need to spend actual time on work in their off-hours to experience the harmful effects. The mere expectations of availability increase strain for employees and their significant others — even when employees do not engage in actual work during non-work time.

“The insidious impact of ‘always on’ organisational culture is often unaccounted for or disguised as a benefit — increased convenience, for example, or higher autonomy and control over work-life boundaries,” Becker said.

“Our research exposes the reality: ‘flexible work boundaries’ often turn into ‘work without boundaries’, compromising an employee’s and their family’s health and wellbeing.”

In order to mitigate these risks, Becker advises that the employer should set policies that reduce expectations to monitor electronic communication outside of work or to establish boundaries on when electronic communication is acceptable during off-hours. This could be achieved by setting up off-hour email windows or schedules when employees are available to respond.

“If the nature of a job requires email availability, such expectations should be stated formally as a part of job responsibilities.” Knowing these expectations up front may reduce anxiety in employees and increase understanding from their family members, he said.

For the employee, he suggested they practise mindfulness as this may help employees “be present” in family interactions, which could help reduce conflict and improve relationship satisfaction. And, he added, mindfulness is within the employee’s control when email expectations are not.

The full report has been published: Killing me softly: electronic communications monitoring and employee and significant-other well-being.

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