Workweek Creep
A drawback of technology is constant connectivity and constant workplace interruptions – to the point that many of us have lost our weekends. I came across Take 48! today in which entrepreneur John Battelle details this very struggle; “The weekend is when I catch up on work I can’t get done during the week, in particular work that requires long form thinking”. The result? “In an odd and most likely not very healthy way, the weekends have become two more workdays.”
Battelle, along with two other senior leaders at his company, have made a step in the right direction; they have agreed to not send e-mail (which they rely upon heavily) from 6 P.M. Friday until 6 P.M. Sunday.
The result? “by golly, it really worked… it felt as if (the company), as an institution, was taking time to breathe, to contemplate, to relax and feed itself.”
Reading between the lines, this company really needs to take further steps, though they should be given credit for recognizing a problem and taking action to solve it.
Let’s all aim to limit the workweek to its M-F boundaries, enabling ourselves and our staffs time to think and work within those boundaries. Having evenings and weekends to spend time with our friends and loved ones, and to take care of our responsibilities is what’s best for all and what’s best for our businesses.
