The use of digital information and communication technologies has grownin the workplace as a larger number of people are now working from home,following mandatory confinements during the covid-19 pandemic.  

‍

Weather a remote model will be the future of work is still an opendebate, but there is already evidence of a growing “always on” culture withinorganizations, that negatively impacts the personal wellbeing and health of theworking population.

‍

The team at Nova SBE’s Leadership and Wellbeing Observatory has beenfollowing this digital transformation and has now released insights on theoccupational stress that comes from the misuse of Information and CommunicationTechnologies.

‍

Their recent report on Technostress shows that a large number ofenquired professionals admit to feeling overload and invasion from technologyuse for work, with 47% stating they feel the need to adapt their work habits to keep intouch with advancing technology and 52% agreeing that their personal life isinvaded by work through technology use. This evidence of technostress is related to higher levels of exhaustionand health related symptoms, such as headaches, backaches and sleepingproblems. This correlation is explained in a higher extent by a technologyaddiction process in comparison to a motivational one. People who showaddiction to technology tend to neglect important activities, find it difficultto rest and see arguments rise about their constant use of technology. The same report also shows differences found across both genders andgenerations, indicating a varying risk of technostress between women and men inspecific dimensions.

‍

A few recommendations are put forward at different organizational levelsto fight this damaging effect of the use of technology. To prevent the invasionof work in the people’s personal lives and address the blurred boundariesbetween the two, managers should overview how workers are managing these twodomains and help them disconnect from work avoiding communications after workhours, acting as a role model to a more adequate use of communication devices.Both legislative efforts to regulate the work-life balance as well ascapacitation programs to provide professionals with the necessary tools to doit themselves are important ways forward towards a better digitalworkplace.  

‍

Read the full report here (Portuguese only)

‍