Two thirds of people struggle to disconnect from work

A new poll claims that two-thirds of workers feel powerless to disconnect from work to fully manage the blurred boundaries between work and life, leading to stress, burnout, and anxiety. On average, this results in five days of sick leave per employee each year. The UK government’s planned ‘Right to Switch Off’ for employees is just the beginning for organisations aiming to tackle the negative effects of ‘unboundaried’ work on both businesses and employees. According to the report titled The Work-Life Boundary Gap – Why it Matters and How to Fix it [registration], published by Protime UK, work-life balance is critical for overall wellbeing. The report, based on a survey of 2,000 UK employees, found that 93 percent of respondents believe maintaining this balance is vital. However, 67 percent of employees feel they are unable to fully switch off or maintain their own work-life boundaries.

The research also highlights that poor work-life balance is taking a toll on employees, with 41 percent reporting daily or weekly negative impacts on their wellbeing, and 65 percent experiencing such effects at least monthly. Over the past year, employees took an average of 5.4 sick days due to stress, anxiety, or burnout, and only a quarter of workers (26 percent) have never taken time off for these reasons.

Unwanted messages and alerts are a primary cause of out-of-hours interruptions, with 58 percent of employees citing the urge to check work emails outside of working hours as a major issue. Additionally, 54 percent suggest that removing push notifications would help them mentally switch off.

Employees feel that maintaining work-life boundaries is largely the responsibility of employers, with 62 percent saying that managers should ensure workers can mentally disengage outside of office hours. Furthermore, 59 percent believe organisations should enforce these boundaries.

Beyond respecting work-life boundaries, employees also want organisations to take additional steps to support their ability to switch off. Key actions include ensuring manageable workloads (52 percent) and fostering a culture that encourages employees to disconnect (48 percent).

The research found that only 24 percent of employees believe that employers and staff should jointly decide how work-life boundaries are maintained, while less than one in five (17 percent) think a one-size-fits-all approach is detrimental to business.

The concept of a ‘Right to Disconnect’ is widely supported, with 72 percent of employees backing the introduction of a policy similar to Ireland’s, which many believe would significantly enhance their work-life balance.

Despite the clear need for better management of employee wellbeing, only 11 percent of workers said their employer does an excellent job in this area. Additionally, 26 percent reported receiving no meaningful support for their wellbeing. Few organisations take a comprehensive approach to managing work-life balance, with only 21 percent of employees saying they are consulted on realistic workloads, and similarly low numbers reporting the existence of policies protecting work-life balance (18 percent) or enforcement of such policies (20 percent).