By and large, the consensus suggests that remote work improves our wellbeing by giving us a better work-life balance and lower stress by removing our commute and giving us more control over our lives. As research from Ruhr-Universität Bochum reminds us, however, it can also erode boundaries between our personal and professional lives, thus also contributing to stress and poorer sleep.

They explain that there has been considerable research into the impact digital technologies have on our lives, especially on the challenges we face in switching off. The researchers questioned whether this is due to the technology itself or some other factor.

Daily lives

The researchers asked participants to complete a questionnaire three times per day over a typical working week. They were asked how often they used their phones for work, how common it was that they had unfinished tasks at the end of the day, and how well they were able to switch off each evening.

The results show that it wasn’t the fact that we use digital technology that was causing us stress, but rather the volume of unfinished tasks at the end of the day that prompted us to keep using the technology. In other words, for many of us, it’s not that we can’t switch off because of our devices, but rather we use our devices because we can’t switch off from work.

As a result, the researchers believe that managers are crucial to our work-life balance, as if they create the impression that people need to be permanently available then employees will act accordingly. For instance, if managers regularly send emails late at night, this behavior will trickle down to the team.

The researchers tested this by engaging managers on a training course where the participants were made aware of how their behavior can influence their team. The training suggested that managers make explicit agreements with their team around availability out of hours.

The training appeared to be effective, as when employees were interviewed after managers had completed it, they appeared to be able to achieve a better work-life balance.

“The results were conclusive,” the authors conclude. “The employees felt much better after the intervention. This came as a surprise to the managers. They hadn’t been aware of the impact of their own behavior.”