In the evening hours, work encroaches on the sanctity of sleep, with phone calls persisting till bedtime.
In today's fast-paced world, the boundary between work and personal life is increasingly blurred, with many individuals finding themselves constantly connected to their jobs. This issue, often referred to as the long hours culture, has been highlighted in various sectors, from tech giants to government offices.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, made headlines when he suggested that the failure to work 17-hour days, seven days a week, was the reason government staff were "losing so fast" in the apparent war with bureaucracy-bashers. However, research indicates that such a work lifestyle can have detrimental effects on employees' mental health and work-life balance.
After-hours work communication, facilitated by the proliferation of smartphones and post-pandemic flexibility, can significantly increase employee anxiety. Persistent contact outside regular work hours, such as emails or messages, may cause employees to feel they must be constantly available or responsive, leading to elevated stress and anxiety levels. This is particularly true for younger workers like Gen Z, who may already be anxious about professional communication norms.
The blurring of boundaries between work and personal time reduces employees’ ability to disengage from work, harming their work-life balance and increasing burnout risk. This effect may be intensified in remote work settings, where isolation and emotion regulation difficulties combine with constant connectivity to worsen anxiety and stress levels.
Chronic exposure to such stressors also affects interpersonal dynamics and workplace mental health. Unresolved tension from continuous availability expectations can foster anxiety, reduce productivity, and harm social connections at work. Importantly, organizational culture and leadership play a crucial role in mitigating these negative impacts by promoting psychological safety and supporting mental health.
The long-hours culture is not exclusive to the tech industry. LinkedIn posts trumpet the virtues of an all-consuming work culture, while some start-ups are pushing for the 996 work pattern, 9am to 9pm, six days per week. Even high-profile figures like Donald Trump and Howard Lutnick have been reported to engage in late-night discussions about various topics, including trade and personal matters.
However, the movement for the right to disconnect is growing. The deteriorating labour market may allow business leaders to ignore boundaries between employees' home and work lives, but the increasing awareness of the negative impacts of the long hours culture may eventually lead to a shift towards healthier work-life balances.
In conclusion, the long hours culture contributes to higher anxiety and poorer work-life balance by eroding personal time, increasing stress about professional expectations, and fostering workplace tension. Employers and employees alike would benefit from a more balanced approach to work, one that prioritizes mental health, work-life balance, and sustainable productivity.
References:
[1] After-hours work communication and its impact on employee mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved from [URL]
[2] The effects of remote work on employee burnout and work-life balance. (n.d.). Retrieved from [URL]
[3] The role of organizational culture and leadership in mitigating the negative impacts of after-hours work communication. (n.d.). Retrieved from [URL]
[4] The impact of unresolved tension from continuous availability expectations on workplace mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved from [URL]
- The long hours culture, prevalent in industries such as tech and business, can have detrimental effects on employees' health-and-wellness, with research indicating that it can cause elevated stress and anxiety levels, particularly among younger workers like Gen Z.
- In the workplace, persistent communication outside regular work hours, facilitated by technology, contributes to a blurring of boundaries between work and personal life, which can lead to increased burnout risk and poor workplace-wellness.
- Organizational culture and leadership play a significant role in mitigating the negative impacts of the long hours culture, as they can promote psychological safety and support mental health, thereby fostering a more balanced approach to work that prioritizes employee well-being.
- The right to disconnect movement is growing, emphasizing the importance of balancing work and personal life, and research suggests that this shift towards healthier work-life balances could lead to improved employee mental health and sustainable productivity in the finance, business, and careers sectors.
