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campusreview.com.au
Beware of ‘work creep’
Doing work-related tasks
after hours makes it harder to
recharge for the next day.
By Dallas Bastian
“I
will just reply to this email.”
Professionals have likely found
themselves saying this in their head or
to a loved one, but a new study has warned
that continuing to work after hours affects
productivity, sleep and stress.
THE BAD
The University of South Australia study of
230 healthcare employees over two years
found that work-related tasks like emailing
and checking devices after hours make it
harder to recharge for the next day.
In a paper published in the International
Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, the researchers, along with
those from the Netherlands and Japan,
said employees seem to continuously draw
on identical resources as those needed
during working hours. This can empty an
employee’s resource reservoir, they said.
“Modern technologies such as
smartphones and tablets, as well as social
media, imply that employees stay tuned to
work while having leisure time,” the study
said. “This could create a 24/7 availability for
work-related tasks, and makes boundaries
between work and home invisible.”
The researchers said while there is
mounting evidence on the consequences
of high job demands, less attention has
been paid to the role of out-of-work
recovery from job strain. So they decided
to look into the different types of off-job
recovery activities to find out which help
people bounce back.
THE GOOD
While the study confirmed that work-
related activities affect people’s mental
and emotional recovery states after work,
other tasks that might seem exhausting
like housework, cooking and looking after
children are actually positively related to
sleep quality in the long run.
Lead researcher Adjunct Professor Jan
de Jonge said these latter activities are
both resource-depleting and enhancing,
helping people to disengage from the job
and get a better night’s sleep.
De Jonge said low-effort activities such
as reading, watching television or listening
to music also help people detach from
work and ensure good sleep.
“In general, we believe that employees
should spend leisure time on leisure
activities that they like most,” the study
authors said.
THE MIXED
De Jonge added previous research has
shown that a daytime nap of around
30 minutes helps to restore alertness and
improve productivity. But the researchers
were unable to confirm this positive effect
in their study and said only short naps
are able to restore daytime arousal levels
and improve cognitive functioning and
emotional state.
Naps taken during the post-lunch
dip seem to be particularly effective,
compared to those taken in the morning
or evening, they said.
The team also warned that frequent and
longer naps may lead to adverse health
effects in the long run.
The study also suggested employees
with sleep troubles be wary of working out
too close to bedtime.
“Adrenaline and cortisol levels are high,
the brain is active, and it is difficult to wind
down,” they wrote.
“If people fall into that group and have
experienced trouble sleeping after a
late-day workout, it is recommended that
physical exercise is minimised within three
or four hours of bedtime.”
Professor Maureen Dollard, director
of UniSA’s Asia Pacific Centre for Work
Health and Safety, said employers need
to take some lessons away from the
study findings.
“Managers need to create a climate
in which working beyond regular hours
is not ‘business as usual’, as taking work
home impedes cognitive function and
productivity,” Dollard said.
“Both managers and employees should
find creative ways to accomplish job
demands within regular work hours.” ■
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