Work-Time Boundaries Getting Cloudy

Have you noticed that you are receiving more and more work-related communications outside of working hours? 

You are not alone. 

As work-from-home situations have increased, so too have texts, phone calls, and emails during non-work hours. 

Maybe you are the culprit because you finally have time on Saturday afternoon to send out that email you’ve been trying to get out all week. Maybe you are the recipient, finally unwinding from giving it your all Monday-Friday when a text drops in on the weekend with a “quick question”. Or maybe you are both the culprit and the recipient. 

The boundaries that define work time and non-work time are becoming more cloudy.

In a recent team culture assessment performed by Beth Wonson & Company, 65% of the team reported that they are receiving significantly more communication from colleagues outside of standard work hours. Several people attributed this increase to their colleagues working at home and being impacted by their children’s schedule. The result is that they have more quiet time in the evening than during the workday.

Others stated that working remotely has changed the traditional workday boundaries and so people are working at night and in the early morning hours so they can take care of more personal things during the day. 

My own hairdresser validated this when he told me that since the pandemic, he is booking far more appointments between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays than he ever had before. He said people working remotely who previously could only come on nights or weekends are now booking Monday - Friday. 

At the same time, workloads are increasing as staff leave and new candidates haven’t been found. So even if there is more flexibility (which I fully support), there is also more work. 

A combination of factors is causing work hours to spill into personal time. 

I am fully in favor of people working when they are best able to get their work done. I support working remotely and flexible schedules. I have long supported measuring the quality of work completed rather than the number of hours in the seat. 

But the question remains, how do we set clear boundaries between work time and non-work time so people don’t feel that they have to be “on duty” whenever the text, call, or email drops in? 

Real conversations need to happen in the workplace. People need to be heard and respected on this topic. The person who is working at 10:00 p.m. because it is a great time for them to be productive, must learn to resist the urge to send off that “quick question” text to a colleague or direct report. 

Certain times must be designated as communication-free zones. Leaders, usually the biggest offenders, must take the lead on respecting these boundaries.

I hear from leaders all the time, “Well, I don’t expect them to answer. I just don’t want to forget my question.” 

But given the balance of power, even if the employee holds their own boundary and waits until the morning to answer, the question has already interfered with their focus on personal time. And that can’t be undone. 

One manager told me recently, “When the owner texts me with a quick question, I can’t just finish my meal with my family or focus on what I was doing. It’s just easier to answer it. But then my family is annoyed and it feels like I’m prioritizing work over them. Lately I’ve had some arguments with my spouse about this. I feel stuck.”

Part of valuing each other in the workplace is also valuing each other outside of work. 

The next time you feel compelled to send that email at midnight or text that quick question at 8 p.m., hit pause. 

Ask yourself, “Can this wait until morning? How would I feel if I received this right now? Does sending this now support my teammates to get the downtime, rest, and relaxation they need to be the best they can be?”

The first step in creating healthy work cultures is to look at yourself and determine what you can do differently. 

How are you keeping yourself aware of how communication is impacting your team?