Disconnecting in a digital world: where do you start?

Disconnecting from work often proves easier said than done. For example, 64% of Belgian workers say they struggle with this. The government wants to encourage all workers to utilise their right to disconnect to once again separate their professional lives from their private lives. As from 1 April 2023, every employee is officially allowed to be ‘offline’ outside working hours.
 

Elita Schildermans: "More than half of Belgian workers experience substantial stress."

Elita continues, “More than half of Belgian workers experience substantial stress. This need not be problematic: stress hormones keep us alert and boost our immunity. But stress levels that remain high for long periods of time do have a detrimental effect on physical and mental well-being. Since many white-collar jobs have continuous digital capability to stay connected to work, it is important to discuss disconnection within the organisation. Moments of disconnection keep stress manageable, reducing our risk of health issues.”

“Safeguarding your boundaries and disconnecting regularly also leads to more motivation and concentration during working hours. As a result, productivity increases, and you achieve better results. So the employer also benefits when employees relax sufficiently outside working hours.”
 

“Employers are required to include the right to disconnect in a collective labour agreement as from 1 April 2023. Set clear rules of conduct for this, clearly describing what you expect from each employee. But keep in mind that employees also have individual expectations. Some work more productively at 7 a.m., while others prefer to continue working at 8 p.m.”

“In order not to chip away at employees’ autonomy, it is important that the rules of conduct allow for flexibility. Therefore, avoid rules that prohibit things, such as ‘you are not allowed to answer email after 6 p.m.’. It’s better to choose positive wording such as, ‘We expect employees to be accessible between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.’.  Whether they then actually flip the switch to ‘leisure’ at appropriate times is partly their own responsibility.”

“A targeted policy around disconnection first and foremost requires a clear understanding of employee behaviour, and how to support them. For this, it is best to conduct a risk analysis, paying sufficient attention to the strengths and improvements around disconnection in the broad sense of the word. For example, is the employees’ workload too high to disconnect? How do you view disconnection when working from home? And what is the manager’s role in this policy?”

“In addition, the industry is a determining factor in a feasible and thoughtful policy. Workers in a manufacturing company often disconnect from work after hours anyway. They can therefore put rigid guidelines around disconnection into practice more easily than office workers with, say, creative roles.”

“Once you have established a policy around disconnection, the crucial next step is to raise awareness about this. Behavioural change does not automatically flow from a policy. Make sure managers are well informed about the importance of rest periods and the concrete arrangements. This can be done, for example, by briefing them during short toolbox meetings. In turn, managers can then inform their team and raise their awareness. Evaluate policies regularly, and make adjustments where necessary.”