Do you accept calls from work after hours?
We understand that the nature of 'work' has evolved since the introduction of work from home, but still there should be a line...
The work sphere has changed a lot over the past few years, with many employees working from home exclusively, while some have hybrid work set ups.
This has prompted a world of adaptation for many people, both from the employee and employer standpoints.
Trying to figure out a firm boundary between managing your home life with your work life has been challenging to say the least, but it is certainly something of a requirement.
But it seems not for everyone.
According to Nicol Myburgh, head of the HCM Business Unit at CRS Technologies, the harmless act of contacting your employees after hours comes with negative effects.
We agree with his testament that employers should not be contacting their employees outside of their working hours.
However, that is within reason. If your job requires you to be online at varied times, then perhaps there is a loophole.
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“South Africa has strict labour laws that protect the rights of employees. According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, employees are entitled to a maximum of 45 hours of work per week, which includes any time spent responding to work-related communications outside of working hours. By contacting employees after hours, employers are essentially asking them to work for free, which is a violation of their rights.” (MSN)
But as you know, even though this is a legal violation, you still find employees succumbing to their employers.
Answering the calls after their work hours isn't always looked at as an invasion, but rather an understanding, as some employees fear not answering, or perhaps there is a longstanding expectation that has been set and they don't know how to stop.
“Myburgh said, In fact, expecting an employee to always respond to communications at any hour of the day or night could even be perceived as a form of bullying, and the employee could invoke the Code of Good Practice on Harassment as a means of protecting their rights to stay off-line after hours.” (MSN)
When it comes to the effects, striving to be accommodating and hence being online all the time can lead to burnout, as well as mental and physical health issues.
The aftermath of contacting employees after hours can have a snowball effect. Not only on their mental state of mind, but also on their levels of motivation, as well as their home life.
In short, if you are an employer, avoid contacting your employees after hours, and if you are an employee, set healthy boundaries, you have every right to.
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