Men’s Health: This habit can not only harm yourself, but your partner as well

Originally found at Men's Health by Scott Henderson

As tempting as it is to log on after hours to check your work emails, a new study has found that while it may please your boss, it’s going to have the opposite effect on your own wellbeing.

The new research, published in the journal Academy of Management Proceedings, surveyed 142 full-time workers, asking them to rate their over health, mental wellbeing, and relationship satisfaction.

Those who were expected (or felt the pressure) to respond to emails out of hours, effectively meaning they were ‘on the clock’ 24/7, reported higher levels of anxiety and dissatisfaction.

“..organizational expectations trigger frequent employee micro-transitions during nonwork [sic] time, eliciting negative affect and leading to decreases in well-being,” states the research.

Interestingly, negative impacts were not solely experienced by the workers themselves. The partners of the 142 subjects were also surveyed, with researchers finding that out-of-hours emailing also had a flow on effect, negatively impacting on their relationships. 

Continue reading original article at Men’s Health.

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• William J. Becker, Virginia Tech
• Liuba Belkin, Virginia Tech
• Sarah Tuskey, Virginia Tech