10 Work Traps That Stop People Switching Off (and the 2 elements of the felt experience that drives this!)

With the discussions around legislation giving everyone the right to disconnect from work raging on, I thought it would be useful to explore the data from our employee feedback surveys and, using our Px3™ framework, look at what influences people to be able to switch off from work. 

Why? 

Well, legislation is one thing, and employers can make sure they are not expecting people to reply, but if people feel they cannot disconnect from work, then this is likely to cause friction and conflict. 

• The law says I can 
• My employer is meeting the legislation 
• I do not feel I can disconnect 

In this situation, either they switch off and have likely feeling of guilt and the like or they stay switched on and do not get the benefit of disconnecting. 

According to the Mental Health Foundation: “The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture in the UK is perhaps the biggest and most pressing challenge to the mental health of the general population.” 

The Ten Things people need to be able to switch off from work 

According to the People Experience Hub Data and our Px3™ analysis the following are the ten things in the work environment that people need to believe to be able to switch off from work. 

People need to think that: 

1. In their team they work well together to get results 
2. If they were to raise an ethical concern, it would be dealt with effectively* 
3. That there is fair treatment around pay 
4. They trust the most senior leaders to act in the best interests of the organisation as a whole 
5. Senior leaders care about the people that work here 
6. Work processes make it easy to get things done* 
7. They have the tools and equipment that they need to do their job well* 
8. Change is clearly and openly communicated* 
9. Their organisation actively supports the wellbeing of its people* 
10. Their workload is manageable within their contracted hours* 

These questions are the 10 most influential questions on an outcome of being able to switch off from work. 

To help your team effectively disconnect from work and truly switch off, it’s essential to foster a supportive and collaborative team environment. 

Ensure that ethical concerns are addressed promptly and effectively and that fair treatment is maintained. 

Trust in senior leadership is crucial; leaders should act in the best interests of the organisation and show genuine care for their employees. 

Make sure that work processes are efficient and effective to make tasks easier to complete and provide the necessary tools and equipment for employees to perform their jobs well. Clear and open communication about changes within the organisation is vital. 

Actively support the wellbeing of your team and ensure workloads are manageable within contracted hours. 

Feelings – The Heart of the Experience 

Our data also shows that there are two key feelings that the environmental factors flow through to influence a positive outcome of being able to switch off 

1. Connection - They can count on their colleagues for support when they need it 
2. Autonomy - If they share their ideas or opinions they will be listened to 

When people know they can count on their colleagues for support, it creates a sense of security and trust. This makes it easier for them to leave work behind at the end of the day. 

Ensure they feel heard. When team members know their ideas and opinions are valued, they feel respected and appreciated. This sense of autonomy helps them feel more in control and less stressed, making it easier to disconnect from work. 

By focusing on these areas, you create a work culture that promotes balance and allows employees to disconnect and recharge fully. 

Focus on the Positive People Outcome 

Removing the barriers that get in the way of people being able to switch off from work, whether Right to Disconnect becomes legislation or not, just makes sense. 

It frees up your people to be their best selves at work, recover from their work and be present when they are outside of work. 

The data we have presented here is not a checklist for organisations; this is the aggregated data from all of our employee surveys, and we must recognise that different organisations will have their own drivers and influencers of this outcome. 

You can find out more about Px3™ and book some time to understand how we can help you get the insights to drive better people outcomes here