It’s often taken for granted that you and your work colleagues will be reachable at all hours, and CEOs’ habits tend to support this assumption. According to a recent Inc. survey, 56% of senior executives say they check work-related communications “almost constantly” when they’re not in the office.
As the boss, you might never be able to fully unplug from your phone, email, or Slack. And though one-third of respondents to Inc.’s survey say they also ask their employees to be available during non-work hours, you can’t always expect around-the-clock responsiveness. So how do you build healthy boundaries into your company’s culture while making sure all the work gets done?
One solution is for employers to reduce their expectations for after-hours communication, or at least come to a clear understanding with employees regarding when they will and won’t be expected to respond.
Bosses should also be wary of praising employees who are online at all hours, since that can come across as celebrating overwork, says Rob Waldron, CEO of North Billerica, Massachusetts-based education technology company Curriculum Associates.
Additionally, while most bosses would agree that work-life balance is important, some believe that formal policies to protect that balance can be counterproductive. Scott Jordan, founder and CEO of Ketchum, Idaho-based clothing company ScotteVest, implemented a “no emails after work” rule at his company in 2016. However, Jordan found that certain things fell through the cracks. Now, he says, the company sets expectations for after-hours communication on an as-needed basis by asking each other their plans for off hours. Read the full story.
