Interestingly, several countries, most recently France and Portugal, have introduced legislation to limit the extent to which employers can expect their staff to be available outside their normal contracted working hours. Clearly no one wants to be a clock-watcher, downing tools the second home time arrives. And obviously there will be times when there’s a need to stay and complete a job, or when an emergency piece of work requires extra attention, but these times should be the exception rather than the rule.

At one time there was a strong culture of dedicated, good employees being seen as the ones who arrived first and were the last to leave, even if they spent their time simply walking around the building with a folder under their arm! But as more people work from home or have less defined, more flexible working arrangements there’s not the same monitoring of how much time people actually spend in the office or on the job.

In April 2024 the UK government introduced new working regulations, enshrined in The Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which has given employees the right to request flexible working from the start of their employment. This covers many aspects of employment, from working patterns or hours, including part time, flexi-time, term time, compressed hours and variable start or finish times. It also covers employee location, as in working from home, and employers have to respond to any such requests within two months.

UKGov ONS recorded that during the period April-June 2024 the number of job vacancies was 889000, a decrease of 30000 from January-March 2024 and down by 14.5% or 151000 from the previous year, although still 11.6% or 93000 above pre-pandemic levels. However from April-June 2024 vacancies have decreased in 14 of the 18 industry sectors, so it would appear that some work-related pressure is starting to ease.

On paper, the flexibility afforded by offering the option to work remotely or to choose their hours to suit their lifestyle suggests that, so long as the work’s done appropriately, employees can commit to a more flexible working arrangement to suit them best. However, the reality often means that employees feel more compelled to respond to work requests as and when required, even if it’s the weekend or they’re on holiday.

One third of the office staff who undertook a nationwide YouGov 2024 survey of 1000 people said that their bosses expected them to be available for work outside their normal hours. As many as 78%, complained of being expected to reply to emails in their own time, after receiving alerts on their devices which they felt couldn’t be ignored. Interestingly, another recent survey has revealed that 19 million days of annual leave remains untaken each year in the UK.

Are staff experiencing too much work-related pressure, do they suffer from imposter syndrome, are afraid of being found wanting in their absence? Whatever the answer, 54% responded that they’d replied to work emails whilst on holiday.

Yes, sometimes checking-in online whilst on holiday can be beneficial, as it helps alleviate worry and can support the ongoing, smooth running of an important piece of work. However, this should only be the case during exceptional times. It can relieve pressure, by ensuring that there’s no hold-up with an important piece of work. The job’s progressing rather than playing on your mind and disturbing your time away.

But, whilst you may think that it only takes a few minutes to reply to an email, it often involves more than simply logging into your email account. Clarifying your thoughts, deciding what to say, structuring your response and appropriately tailoring feedback, comments or advice is a serious matter, often requiring focus and consideration, as there could be far reaching, long-term implications for the business. It’s rarely a quick, box-ticking exercise.

It’s still the case that one in five people work approximately seven hours of unpaid overtime each week, with this statistic not reflecting the long hours regularly worked by the self-employed and small business owner. Interestingly, civil servants, health care workers and teachers say they have the best work life balance, rarely being disturbed once they’ve clocked off.

Craig Jackson, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at Birmingham City University said, "It’s up to each organisation to develop rules on expectations of employees working outside normal hours and it’s always best if staff are consulted on any rules on responding to emails. Studies show people work best if they have the freedom to work the way they want to, within reason and in a way that’s healthy for them."

But, whatever sector someone works in, mutual respect is an important factor, where employers lead by example and both employers and employees are ready and willing to provide some degree of flexibility. Employees need to know that they can clock off from work and spend their free time undisturbed.

About the Author - This piece was written by Susan Leigh, Counsellor and Hypnotherapist Find out more by visiting her website here