Tackling the problem of "always on": 7 effective measures to improve employee productivity

Have you felt like the general productivity of your team has been going down hill for some time now? Does it feel like your teammates are constantly struggling and making mistakes they wouldn't be making normally? If yes, then there's a good chance that they're suffering from the problem of being "always on." 

The reason for these problems is somewhat self-explanatory. Despite what the work culture is like, employees feel an invisible, and often self-imposed, pressure to be constantly available, especially in a remote or hybrid work environment. For instance, when an email comes up during off-hours, they feel the need to respond immediately, even if the matter at hand is not critical.

As a direct result, employees do not have enough time to disconnect, take some "me-time," and spend their off-hours the way they want to. Simply put, they are often unable to step away and recharge for the next workday. This is why in California, legislators are proposing a right-to-disconnect bill.

Naturally, this leads to a hyper-stressful work environment. Apart from seeing your team making more mistakes, you may also see effects like increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, and a drastically reduced bottom line. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there.

According to a paper published by the International Studies of Management and Organization, employees harm their professional, personal, and social lives as a direct result of this overwork.  

Don't get us wrong. If you're an employer, it's possible you've done everything right. You might have created a culture that fosters work-life balance, facilitates open communication, and has wonderful mental-wellness policies. In spite of everything, this problem may still be pervasive in your organization. Let's jump in to some solutions.

Seven surprisingly effective measures to battle the "always on" culture

We have a set of seven tried-and-tested methods that can help your employees feel less burdened, and as a direct result, lead to a significant increase in their productivity levels. These steps work wonders—so much so that we use them within the Zoho Projects team.

I. Harnessing the power of dedicated devices

One of the most obvious, yet often underutilized, strategies is to use separate devices for work and personal tasks. We're talking separate phones, laptops, computers, and whatever other devices that an employee might need for personal and professional use.

This approach can significantly boost an individual's mental well-being and productivity. By drawing clear boundaries between professional and personal responsibilities, employees can physically reduce their stress levels. It removes the temptation to check work emails, DMs, or any other requests during non-work hours, promoting a healthier work-life balance.

This also enables employees to get into a "switch-off" routine, allowing them to feel fresh, recharged, and energetic the next day. Fully embracing this practice can go a long way in increasing focus, productivity, and more importantly, satisfaction in both their professional and personal lives.

While this might seem like an obvious first step to take, separate devices are far from reality for most employees. In fact, according to Chris Balcik, VP and Head of Mobile B2B and Samsung Electronics America, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy continues to be the norm even in 2023. This is prevalent despite 81% of employees responding to his study feeling more comfortable using separate devices with separate work and personal spaces.

We strongly suggest that employers put device policies in place and cover the costs of new devices for employees. If you're worried about the costs involved, you might want to think twice! According to Balcik, the BYOD policy doesn't save as much money as most people think it does. It actually just puts company data at more risk, thanks to lack of MDM and malware that can find its way into personal devices.  

If you're an employee, on the other hand, we strongly encourage you to not only use separate devices but to go one step further: have a dedicated work space while working from home. This compounds the effects. It's just like you're going to an office, taking care of work, and leaving work behind at your desk, all without the commute or the need to leave your children, pets, or other household obligations behind.

Try it out for 15 days, and see how it works for you.

II. Strictly adhering to statuses

As face-to-face interactions start to become limited, using communication apps the right way is even more crucial. Apps like Zoho Cliq, Slack, and Microsoft Teams do a lot of work in the background.

By clicking on a colleague's chat window, you can now see if they're available, busy, or otherwise held up in something personal. We cannot emphasize this enough, but it is paramount that everyone respects and treats these statuses with a level of sanctity. Unnecessary interruptions can cause a significant amount of inefficiency.

In fact, these interruptions alone are taking $21 billion away from the global economy, according to a study conducted by Loom.

Respecting these communication boundaries is crucial to building a culture of respect and consideration within remote teams. It acknowledges the need for uninterrupted focus and mindfulness about other people's workflows, all while ensuring the essential flow of information between teammates.

If someone sets a "do not disturb" status, assume that they are engaging in work that requires their complete focus, and they simply do not wish to be disturbed. If you want to communicate something before you forget, check out the next point in our list.

III. Utilizing features like "schedule send" to enhance productivity

"Schedule send" is one of the most important features in any communication app. Be it email apps like Zoho Mail, Gmail, and Outlook, or instant messaging platforms like Zoho Cliq, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, this feature is crucial.

For those who haven't fully leveraged this feature yet, it allows you to send messages at a specific time of the day or after your coworkers change their status to say they're available. If this feature did not exist or was utilized incorrectly, almost a third of employees would struggle to find time to work in the midst of constant interruptions.

This capability allows individuals to respect both their own boundaries and those of their colleagues. You can schedule messages to be sent the following morning if you need to work late to catch up on certain tasks but don't want to disturb your teammates' evenings.

Team leads and managers can take this one step further. They can optimize message scheduling to ensure that recipients are most likely to be receptive when the messages are sent.

While this might seem like a small step, or even an inconvenience depending on how you look at it, it helps a lot. This is more than just clicking a button to send a message a little later and not expecting instant replies; it's about a slow paradigm shift towards asynchronous work.

IV. Leveraging your project management suite optimally

Most project management software like Zoho Projects offer extremely robust resource allocation modules. They help you identify how optimal your current resource allocation strategy is, allowing you to ensure that no employee is overworked.

While it is true that overworked employees can quickly lead to a stressful and an overall less productive environment, an underworked employee is also an obvious problem for a business.

Workload reports allow employers and project managers to ensure that no employee is overburdened. If a department, team, or particular employee is constantly over or underworked, it sends a strong signal to management to take corrective action. Steps like recruitment and training of new people, rethinking current processes, or reallocation of resources may be necessary.

Utilizing your project management suite not only helps create an optimized work-life balance for employees but can also save time. This is not a theoretical optimization we're talking about, as we've seen first-hand examples with Zoho Project users.

For instance, UnoMinda, a leading manufacturer of automobile parts in India, saved 10% of their workforce's time by utilizing the right project management tool for their business. 

As an employee, if you develop the habit of actively checking and completing assigned tasks for the day, you will eventually reduce the amount of work you bring home and can do away with constantly checking emails and DMs for non-urgent, work-related matters. You might also want to consider using calendars and other time-blocking resources to make sure you keep the necessary people in the loop about your availability.

V. Fostering a supportive work environment and enabling employee choice

Creating a supportive work environment is about more than just implementing practical tools and strategies. While it may seem a little counter-intuitive, as an employer, it is not about doing what's best for your employees. It's more about empowering your employees to choose what's best for their well-being and productivity.

Giving employees autonomy over their work schedules and environments is crucial. When employees have the flexibility to choose when and how they work, they're more likely to feel engaged and motivated. This flexibility allows them to balance their professional responsibilities with personal needs, leading to a healthier work-life integration.

According to Cătălina Radu, a professor at Bucharest University of Economic Studies, such positive work culture creates a ripple effect, amplifying work performance and organizational agility. 

Just like scheduling messages, flexible work environments help promote asynchronous collaboration. Asynchronous work is about letting individual team members complete tasks assigned to them on their own schedules. They won't be tied to a strict 9 to 5 schedule, where everyone works according to the same timetable. Supporting flexible work arrangements and understanding that productivity may look different for each employee are also important aspects of this culture.

This approach is especially effective for remote teams spread across different time zones. By promoting asynchronous work, organizations can reduce the pressure to be "always on" and enable employees to work during their most productive hours.

While the traditional, 9 to 5 model was the only way businesses could function several years ago, that's not the case anymore. With the rapid advancement in technology, asynchronous work is not only possible, but looks like the way forward for most organizations.

While the traditional model also places emphasis on clear communication, it plays an even more vital role in the asynchronous model. It is pertinent that both the organization and the individual employees establish guidelines and expectations for communication in clear terms.

Team members should always know when to reach out to whom for what issues. Using project management tools like Zoho Projects to track progress and updates can replace constant real-time communication, which can often be draining. Maintaining thorough documentation of processes, decisions, and workflows also helps keep everyone informed and aligned, even if they're working at different times. 

VI. Leading by example

As a manager, team lead, or even the CEO of the organization, if employees see you leading by example, things will rapidly get better. If you, as a leader, set an example of working around the clock and always being available for anything work-related, then we have news for you: You are not helping your case.

You need to set strict boundaries for yourself and make sure that your team understands and respects them. This does not mean you need to completely vanish after work-hours. It can start with things like spelling out clearly in your email signature that you're working at a time that's comfortable for you, and there's zero expectation of an immediate response. Respect your own work-life balance, take frequent breaks, and do not send non-urgent communications outside of work hours.

When you prioritize your own well-being and demonstrate a commitment to work-life balance, it will invariably set a positive example to the rest of your organization.

Building a culture of trust and respect is fundamental to a supportive work environment. Employees should feel confident that their contributions are valued based on their output and not the number of hours they are visibly working. Trusting employees to manage their time and deliver results fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.

VII. Addressing presenteeism and round-the-clock operations

It's important to understand that presenteeism, where employees are physically present but not necessarily productive, is not synonymous with actual productivity. Just because someone is at their desk for long hours doesn't mean they're effectively contributing to the team's goals. In reality, this approach can lead to burnout, decreased job satisfaction, and ultimately lower overall productivity.

Presenteeism can be misleading. Employees who clock in long hours without delivering quality work are not benefiting the organization. True productivity is about the quality and impact of the work produced, not just the number of hours logged. Encouraging a culture where employees feel they must always be present can create unnecessary pressure and lead to diminished performance over time. This can especially be true if the employee is physically or mentally unwell, but the employer still adds on additional pressure to be "present."

The Institute of Employment Studies goes into a deep breakdown of this topic, including the numerous challenges that presenteesim presents with, and potential solutions on offer.  

In essence, it's becoming vital for organizations to focus on outcomes and results rather than merely tracking time spent on tasks.

In industries or teams that operate around the clock, there's a misconception that employees need to be available at all times. This expectation is neither realistic nor healthy. Continuous availability can lead to high stress levels, burnout, and a poor work-life balance. Instead, round-the-clock operations should be managed through well-structured shifts and clear communication protocols.

Implementing shifts ensures that work is covered 24/7 without requiring any single individual to be perpetually on call. This approach not only respects employees' personal time but also enhances their ability to perform at their best during their designated working hours. Clear handover processes and communication channels can ensure that important information is passed along smoothly from one shift to the next, maintaining productivity without overburdening team members.

To combat presenteeism and the "always on" mentality, it's essential to cultivate a culture of trust and results. Managers should set clear expectations and measure performance based on outcomes rather than hours worked. This shift in focus can help employees feel more valued and hence, more productive.

A shift in mindset essential

In spite of the various challenges presented by the hybrid work model (we are not just talking about the problem of "always on"), the future of this model seems exciting. Apart from the obvious benefits of employees getting to stay at home and organizations getting access to a global talent pool like never before, this model could soon be the lifeline for underdeveloped and developing nations to strengthen their economies. The benefits, in this case, obviously outweigh the risks for most organizations, especially if you can tackle these risks head on.

As we fully embrace the asynchronous work culture, a fundamental mindset shift is crucial for both employers and employees. Employers must move away from dictating what's best for their employees and instead empower them to make decisions that are best for themselves. Employees, in turn, need to prioritize setting aside time to disconnect from work, ensuring they return recharged for the next day. Without this shift, maintaining productive progress will be challenging.

Is there anything we've missed? Reply to us and let us know. We look forward to hearing from our readers about how these steps have helped you or your employees be more productive.