Should employers encourage staff to have a digital detox?

As we’re roughly at the halfway point of January, it may well seem that Christmas is a long and distant memory. The trees and decorations are down for another year, and you’re cracking on with your New Year’s resolutions. However, we’d like you to cast your mind back just a few short weeks and consider whether you really relaxed during the festive period.

Research by Oliver’s Travels suggests that the concept of a meaningful work-life balance remains lost on many British workers, with many apparently drowning under a digital overload.

Of the 1,400 UK office staff questioned, 50% confirmed they were looking forward to having time away from their work inboxes throughout the holiday time. They also said they would actively try to switch off from all forms of work-based communication in an attempt to detox themselves and recharge for the new year.

However, with 56% of those responding also admitting to being addicted to all forms of social media and emails in general, it is no surprise that 45% confessed they would be checking their emails throughout their downtime. With 20% of them suggesting they would be logging in at least once per day to stay on top of anything that was happening.

According to the stats, a staggering 37% of employees said they couldn’t go a single day without making sure they hadn’t missed something important.

It’s argued that the rise in flexible working arrangements has led to a culture where people often believe they are “always at work”, unsure of when they should and shouldn’t be logging on and touching base. With so many employees fearing that they are being judged on their commitment to their bosses and the people they work for, it is perhaps understandable where this pressure comes from.

As an employee, did you feel it was possible to shut down during the festive lull? Did you make the most of being off-grid, and really down tools? Or did you check in every now and then to make sure you weren’t missing anything important?

As an employer, did you make it clear to staff what you expected of them? Certainly if your offices were shut, or do you expect them to stay on top of their inboxes so there are no nasty surprises when they come back to the office?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on whether we are too available, and if it really is possible to take some much needed time out, no matter when that is.