"Always On": How Productive Technology Has Made Us Less Productive
As Technological advancements to
make us more productive in the workplace continue to abound, it can be
difficult to disconnect and find ourselves in an “always-on” state. Even for myself, prior to COVID, my occupation by design is a work-from-home position. This is a huge advantage to me personally, and to my family. Not
having to fight traffic, being master over my daily schedule, and having
everything I needed technologically at my fingertips made the
transition from pre-COVID times to government mandated quarantine status an
almost non-disruptive item. In fact, there are many others cited
in a 2013 study conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) as being happy about the ability to blend their work and personal lives. About 71% surveyed said they had control over their hours and 56% said technology makes it easier to get their work done.
However, while being always-on may feel like a reward to some, others view it as a disadvantage. For myself, when I began my current role, I had to learn, and even teach myself, about boundaries between work and home life. I can only imagine the immense struggles some people went through during the heat of COVID to adjust, or configure, boundaries within their home for work and family time. Add to that, the internal struggle people are enduring to not check work emails or voice message during family time.
In fact, 5 years before COVID appeared (2016), the BBC published an article on how technology means we can work anywhere and at all times, which creates ambiguity about what constitutes a typical workday. This is referred to now as "Toxic Productivity" and can actually make a person less productive than those who take regular breaks and seek balance in life between personal and work tasks. Because working hours are now indistinct and intertwined with personal hours, it is important to strike the right balance of work and home life. Having lived in Seattle during the height of COVID, I was receiving news and notes from friends that worked for large companies such as Boeing, Microsoft, and Amazon who are allowing employees to be more flexible with their time throughout the day to ensure life tasks are just as important as work tasks and are completed with the same level of priority. Employers assisting its employees to strike this balance will and not fall into the trap of toxic productivity, in my opinion, assist their company, in the long run, by creating loyal, happy employees for years to come.
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