Schedule a demo
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Home is home. Work is work. Just a dozen years ago, that was as clear as a lump. In a limited number of occupations, there was such a thing as “pager service”, but it was usually about the difference between life and death. Most of the Netherlands was able to literally leave work behind by closing the company door. So. Now it is me-time. But with the advent of technology, we have entered a completely different reality almost unnoticed.
Because let's be honest. That high-tech laptop and that brand new phone, which are presented to us like a delicious sausage in the vacancy text, are actually not secondary employment conditions.
They're meant to communicate wirelessly, and that's exactly what they do. Wherever you are and whatever you do.
In other words: you can be reached non-stop for company messages.
Is that bad? Not necessarily. It also offers flexibility. A shortage of office space, taking care of a sick child, walking the dog or moving your working day. Nowadays, it can all be controlled at the touch of a button.
You actually work from home just as easily (or maybe even better) as in the office. So you can also go anywhere in your online learning environment to learn something new or communicate.
And as long as the cat doesn't meow or run over your keyboard during a conference call, or the mailman doesn't ring the door when you've just made a difficult call, there's no problem.
But various studies show that there is also a danger in keeping employees' on 'anywhere, anytime.
As soon as an app from a colleague about that difficult file pops in late at night, you're dragged straight back to work in your head. Or you're just having fun emailing your aunt in America at the weekend and a message pops in from your manager asking you to solve a problem right away; then you still feel like you're in a rut. Because what do you do then?
Every time work seeps into your private environment, your “chill mode” is broken. And it takes time and energy before you can fully focus on the home front again.
If you don't set limits, it can be at the expense of your relationship and your health. Burnout is looming. So in that regard, the French had not had such a bad idea with their progressive legislation. And the collective labor agreement for Disability Care is likely to prove to be a trendsetter.
Don't wait until the next collective labor agreement negotiations, become that trendsetter yourself. Make the accessibility of employees a topic of discussion during the next work meeting. This not only provides clarity, it also makes the working climate a lot healthier.
Agree to respect each other's vacation and free time.
If you know that your colleague is staying in a tent in the Dordogne, don't app him on his private mobile about a difficult issue.
Will you run into each other at the fair? Then you're not talking about the price agreements with that new customer. It seems very obvious, but the border is sometimes wafer-thin.
Because how do you respond to a friend request on Facebook from your manager? Does that feel okay or does it feel a little awkward?
By playing out these kinds of situations in a team meeting, you will almost automatically come up with “house rules” how you want to deal with them.
Some situations are so urgent that it is natural to disturb someone in their home situation.
A death, bankruptcy, fire or other calamity may simply require immediate action. Discuss with each other in which cases it is necessary to scale up and who the right contacts are. Record it in a flow chart, including emergency numbers. Especially in crisis situations, it is useful to have such a document at hand.
Can things actually wait until tomorrow if you look at it objectively? Then don't expect someone else to respond immediately to an email or app that is sent outside working hours.
Because it's quite normal to sit quietly at the theater with your phone on in your spare time or work up a sweat at the gym without a laptop at hand.
Of course, every person has their own responsibility. And any phone can be silenced and any laptop left off. But it can also be tempting to check your mobile phone for new apps about a new prospect just before going to bed, or spend a few more hours at night to complete that project.
That is why it is good to make individual agreements about this. If an employee needs to be able to shift working hours, set the limits. Not just to get out of the discussion “does this fall under overtime or not?” to stay, but also to protect his health.
In France, there are companies where e-mails that arrive during a vacation are automatically deleted by default.
That may be a bit rigorous. But automatic forwarding to an acting colleague, for example, can be an excellent solution. Then the work phone and laptop can stay quietly in the desk drawer. And does that “work head” really stay out!
Pluvo is also happy to help you set up online solutions that suit your organisation and employees in this area! So feel free to contact us for an informal conversation.
As an educational expert specialising in online learning, I have been writing blogs for Pluvo for 5 years. My focus is on powerful learning solutions for organisations. Universal Design for Learning and inclusive learning are my passion; I believe that education should be accessible and fun for everyone.
I've been combining my 35 years of HR experience with copywriting for over 15 years. And even then, I learn new things over and over again. That's what makes writing blogs for Pluvo so incredibly interesting!
