Stress separation of work and closing time important

Separation of work and closing time important: avoiding stress, separating work and leisure

07/02/2012

Even after celebrations read the emails or go to the phone when the boss calls - the constant accessibility has become a significant psychological burden for many employees. After work should be finished work, warn experts. But for many it is not even clear when the closing time actually starts. Wolfgang Panter, President of the Association of German Plant and Factory Physicians (VDBW), described this phenomenon in conversation with the news agency „dpa“ when „Dissolution of work and leisure“.

The lack of separation between work and leisure prevents the shutdown and keeps the mental pressure high after work. According to the experts, this results in an increased susceptibility to mental illness such as burnout or depression. Therefore, some companies recently decided to send emails to their employees' smartphones after work. Even politicians, such as the Federal Minister of Labor Ursula von der Leyen (CDU), have spoken out repeatedly for a clearer separation of leisure and work. But through the use of modern information and communication technology, the borders are increasingly threatening to dwindle.

Dissolution of work and leisure favors mental illnesses
In order to counteract the delimitation of work and leisure time, the VDBW President believes that clear rules are required that employees must themselves impose on themselves when in doubt. After work, the service mobile phone should be turned off best, to log in to the corporate network is to renounce and the retrieval of professional mails is limited to the working hours. According to the expert, with such simple rules, mental pressure from work can be significantly reduced. And this seems urgently needed given the massive increase in mental illness. According to the DAK Health Report 2012, mental illnesses such as burnout or depression are now the second most common cause of illness in Germany - just behind the musculoskeletal disorders - with 16.6 percent of sick leave letters. According to statistics from the federal psychotherapy chamber in Berlin, 12.5 percent of all absences are due to mental illness.

Significant separation between work and leisure required
While the increase in mental health over the past several decades, while relatively certain, can not be attributed solely to stress and stress at work, experts have argued that there is often a significant link. To reduce the pressure, therefore, the strict separation between working hours and free time is helpful. Anyone who adheres to the self-imposed rules for turning off the service cell phone and the renouncement of email checking, the better shutdown and sleep as a rule, said VDBW President Panter. Usually it would be helpful to clarify, why the closing time is actually called, said the expert. Because after work, stand for: „I celebrate, so enjoy the evening.“ During this time, as pleasant as possible things should be on the agenda that have nothing to do with the work.

Health problematic culture of permanent accessibility
According to the experts, the reason for the criticism is above all the established culture of permanent accessibility. Many are happy for the first moment about the service phone, „but of course it's also about being able to reach them more easily“, explained Panter. If the employees have a smartphone with which the emails can be called up at any time, this will also be used. According to the VDBW President, superiors also shape the image of constant accessibility, as they are accustomed to make official telephone calls after work and to transfer this attitude to the employees. In the end, it's time to leave work, so employees should consciously say: „Now I turn off the thing“, stressed Wolfgang Panter.

Flexible working hours with advantages and disadvantages
According to company and career consultant Svenja Hofert from Hamburg, the dwindling transition between working time and leisure time is also a consequence of the modern working environment, with a mobile workstation and flexible working hours. However, this type of employment also offers benefits and benefits „Many workers expressly want that“, stressed the career adviser active in Hamburg. For example, for professions in the IT industry, this is nothing out of the ordinary „Core working hours from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm are very stupid“, Hofert told the news agency „dpa“. However, the expert also identifies the risks that, with such flexible work structures, can ultimately lead to more work being done. In the case of a lack of self-organization, working hours could quickly run out and extend far into the actual closing time. Therefore, the workers should urgently talk about it, according to Hofert, „when it just gets too much.“

Recognize excessive workloads and address them openly
Are the workloads too extreme?, „This should be addressed best to the direct supervisor - even if the inhibition threshold is high,“ emphasized the expert. According to Svenja Hofert, reluctance to overload is one of the reasons for the significant increase in burnout cases. Often the employees do not dare to openly address the heavy burden, for fear that this could negatively affect them. According to the Hamburg management consultant, this concern is understandable, because many bosses are not particularly well-placed to complain about excessive workload. Therefore, it would be better to talk about it, „which tasks have priority“, because „There are always things that do not have to be done right away“, explained Hofert. The VDBW president added that here also from the superiors one „mindful leadership“ is to be expected in order to recognize and eliminate too high a burden on the employees. Helpful in this context is a „intelligent information management“, That helps to reduce stress during operation, explained Wolfgang Panter. According to the VDBW president, „For example, ask yourself if every mail is really“ must be written - „and whether she should go to anyone she's usually sent to“ has been.

Performance pressure at work increased significantly
However, the growing pressure on the work is not only the result of the changed communication technology, but in the opinion of Wolfgang Panter goes back primarily to rationalization processes. The reduction in working hours in recent decades has led to a massive consolidation of work, but at the same time the complexity of the work has increased enormously. For many workers, rapid technological development means constant changes, explained the president of VDBW. Only just one technology was learned, it is already replaced by the next, Panter describes the problem. Modern communication technologies such as smartphones have made things much easier „but also a high degree of complexity“, Wolfgang Panter continues. In addition, many mobile workers make it easier to reach employees outside of working hours both by telephone and by e-mail. „Who was on vacation earlier, was gone, you could not call“, VDBW president explained one of the main differences. (Fp)

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