The expectation that employees will monitor their work email after hours and on weekends can lead to burnout, a new study shows.
The emotional stress and exhaustion that may result has a negative effect on the individual’s well-being and, ultimately, job performance, said William Becker, a Virginia Tech associate professor of management, who was a co-author of the study.
Even when there are no actual emails to act upon, the mere norm of availability and the actual anticipation of work create constant stress that precludes an employee from work detachment, the study notes.
“Such expectations — whether real or imagined — cause more problems, including burnout and work-life balance problems, than the actual time it takes to read and respond to after-hours emails,” said Becker.
He co-authored the study, to be presented at the Academy of Management annual meeting in Anaheim, California, this week with Liuba Y. Belkin, of Lehigh University, and Samantha A. Conroy, of Colorado State University.
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