As mobile technology becomes more ubiquitous, especially with more people working from home and works enacting hybrid work models, the clash between family life and work life will increase because the demands, responsibilities, and expectations are different. Unfortunately, we are all limited in our energy and time regarding where we place our focus. As result, employees will start to make tradeoffs between these two facets of their lives. Further exacerbating this effect is if one is in a job with high levels of competition.
A team of researchers published their results exploring the consequences omobile devices for work encroaching on family life. Their results were published in journal Information Systems Research.
For their study, investigators survey 324 participants and their live-in partners. Participants first completed a survey measuring the extent of conflict between work and family life and the competitiveness of their workplace. Two weeks later, they completed a second survey about productivity, physical symptoms they experience, need for recovery from work, and unpleasant behaviors towards their family members.
Their live-in partners separately filled out a survey regarding the mobile phone use for the participants for work-related activities outside working hours.
The researchers found that heave work-related mobile device usage led to increase self-perceived productivity while also led to increase work-family conflicts, increase in physical symptoms, and requiring more time to recover from the stresses of work.
“Individuals tend to show off their availability and willingness for work when they perceive an organizational climate that fosters competition among employees,” said Massimo Magni, one of the authors of the study. “If you are part of the competition, you have no choice but to play the game.” Unfortunately, playing the game comes at a cost, Magni continued, “While these employees report significantly improved productivity, they also tend to suffer from stress-related physiological symptoms like headaches and have a higher need for recuperation. Unfortunately, they were also obnoxious at home.”
It is very important to draw boundaries from your job. When we don’t draw boundaries, not only does it bring more stress and harm to our lives and those we love around us who are basically our support system, but it also incentivizes employers to push those boundaries and encroach into time for ourselves and family. Trust yourself that you are important enough to draw healthy boundaries with your job without any significant consequences. Because at the end of the day, what is worse, losing your job or losing your health and the family and friends you love?
And if you’re an employer, it is your duty as a leader to not hurt the health of your team members by not overburdening them with work.
M Magni et al. Excessive mobile use and family-work conflict: a resource drain theory approach to examine their effects on productivity and well-being. Information Systems Research (2022). DOI: 10.1287/isre.2022.1121
