It’s not okay – economy

Anyone who goes to the office every day – even if it is only in the so-called home office, where the company computer is on the kitchen table – knows this: As soon as you open the laptop in the morning, e-mails pop up, chat messages and sometimes there were already calls on the company cell phone. Once you have answered everything as best you can and tried to work, the next message comes and interrupts you again. Working in peace or even getting into the almost legendary flow is becoming more and more difficult. And if you’re unlucky, your boss will text you after work or at the weekend.

This constant accessibility, the constant interruptions and the flood of information through digital messages and devices are one of the greatest stress factors for employees. According to a study by the University of Bayreuth, every third person is exposed to such hardships to a great extent. And the digital stress is not without consequences. It makes you ill, from headaches to cardiovascular diseases and depression. It makes employees less willing to go to work, less productive and more likely to quit their job.

So what to do? A welcome recommendation in these hectic times: show more composure. A bright yellow poster from Google, which was widely distributed, became known for this. Under the heading “It’s ok to …” it says, for example, that it’s okay not to check emails, go for a walk during a video conference, take breaks or even cry at and because of the job. The US tech company was not the only one who came up with the poster; the idea goes back to British government agencies.

Some are overwhelmed by 50 emails a day, for others this is normal

As charming as the poster and the advice not to let technology, superiors and colleagues put you under pressure, they are just as wrong. Because they pass the problem of digital stress onto the individual employee. True to the motto: “Let’s just be five, then everything will be fine.” It could be argued that the perception of stress is highly individual. Some people are overwhelmed by 50 emails a day, for others this is normal. Some employees think it’s good if they can check their work e-mails again in the evening and write some. For them, the mix of work and free time does not mean stress, but simply more flexibility. For others, that is exactly what is horrible, they want clear boundaries.

In some countries, the state has already drawn them for companies: In Portugal, for example, the law stipulates that employees who work from home must be left alone after work. Managers who still call or send a message face a hefty fine.

In Germany, on the other hand, such laws that clearly regulate accessibility are not yet in sight. So companies have to take anti-stress management into their own hands and ensure that their employees are more relaxed when using digital tools and thus work happier and more successfully. Above all, organizational measures that are clear but do not patronize anyone help here. These are, for example, norms such that e-mails that arrive on Friday afternoon can also be answered on the following Monday. Or messages that arrive after the end of the working day must be processed on the next working day at the earliest.

Training courses are also very helpful – and not just for newly introduced software. Even those who have been working with the same mail program for years usually do not know all the useful functions. The number of messages in the inbox of many employees continues to grow. E-mails can also be automatically filed in folders. In addition, supervisors must clearly communicate who needs to be informed about certain processes and topics. The fewer addressees are in the notorious “CC field”, the less potential for disruption. But there are also ways that each individual can reduce their digital stress: It is still more efficient to simply call your colleague than to write 20 chat messages back and forth.

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