Work-life blending: Why you should really switch off

Too much work on the table? You're not alone in that. According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), there is more work in Germany than ever before. In 2023, employees worked a total of around 55 billion hours — despite the downturn in the economy. Anyone who works that much should also be able to switch off while on vacation. But it is precisely here that employees with a high level of responsibility have a difficult time. In our article, we take a closer look at constantly increasing stress levels, a good work-life balance and how good, automated solutions ensure that even managers such as continuing education managers in the company can finally switch off.

Work-life blending: Fluid boundaries between work and leisure

Nowadays, many people identify more strongly with their work than in the past. This often means that employees find it difficult to really switch off and get away from their professional lives. Work is not just a job, but an essential part of life and one's own identity. Thanks to smartphones and modern technologies such as messaging and email applications, we are always available even on vacation. How can you clearly differentiate between professional and private time here? The borders are becoming increasingly blurred. The phenomenon is described as Work-life blending known.

20 x “Friends” or “How much do we actually work?”

In a typical working week of five working days and eight hours per day, the annual working time is approximately 1,680 hours. That's a whole lot. If this time were available to us as vacation time, there would be a lot of time to use. To make it easier to imagine, a small thought experiment: Anyone who sets out to run the 90s series “Friends” as a series marathon would have it easy with a time budget of 1,680 hours: You could watch all seasons just under 20 times (a total of 10 seasons with almost 236 episodes!) watch.

Why work-life balance is so important

Everyone has the right to rest. Especially those who work with the Responsibility for other employees are entrusted to the company. However, this does not only affect managers. Personnel developers, continuing education officers and compliance officers, for example, bear an immense burden on their shoulders. They are responsible for training and instructions and continuously implement necessary measures within the company. In doing so, they focus primarily on the safety, well-being and needs of employees. But what about their own work-life balance?

Compliance officers: Great responsibility, great stress

Compliance managers have a great responsibility: They ensure that companies comply with legal requirements and maintain ethical standards. Continuing education and instruction are indispensable elements with a high impact. This important task involves a great deal of stress.

Stress due to new roles

The risk of stress among employees is currently high. Almost half of the respondents to a study conducted by PwC report that their workload has increased significantly in the last 12 months (by 45%). In addition, they had to learn new technologies to complete their tasks. These changes in roles and responsibilities can quickly lead to overwhelming demands and burnout.
(Source: Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2024, study by PwC).

Typical compliance topics include overworking hours, data protection and occupational safety. Revision is widespread here - as in many other areas of the company - because it is easy to get lost in daily tasks and neglect your own recovery. Compliance officers often fight against windmills because Finally, training requirements must be met and do not happen on a voluntary basis like other development programs.

A one-time round of continuing education is often not enough: Compliance officers must Repetition cycles Keep an eye on and also for a correct implementation resp process safety worry. In practice, this is a major challenge. Resistance among employees must be resolved and at the same time visibility must be created for the importance and relevance of compliance — a mammoth task.

Stress due to constant availability and pressure to perform

Laptop closed, recovery on? It is not that easy for many employees on vacation. Because just as many companies are organized, employees often work ahead of time — after all, the long to-do lists should be completed before vacation if possible. And even though there is no compulsion, to be available while on vacation, colleagues continue to write emails. Just knowing that the mailbox is filling up can be stressful and interfere with much-needed recovery. The thought of the unanswered messages and tasks means that many can't really switch off. All of this comes at a price: Relaxation? Bad news.

Workers in standby mode

Only 41% of employees manage to completely ignore working while on vacation. More than a third (35%) have worked on vacation at least once, and 13% even do so regularly. Particularly popular: E-mails and administrative tasks. For many, holidays therefore only mean switching off to a limited extent.
(Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung, 2024)

In many companies, high performers are often considered to be those who regularly overtime Go on and put your vacation behind. This behavior not only increases your own stress level, but also puts pressure on other colleagues to make similar sacrifices. However, a culture that rewards overwork can be harmful to the entire workforce in the long term.

3 tips for switching off: How to have the perfect vacation

1. Turn off push notifications: Turn off push notifications on your phone. This way, you won't be constantly distracted by new emails and messages.

2. Close browser tabs: When you're at home on your tablet or computer, close your email app and messaging apps like Slack & Co. This helps you focus more on your free time.

3. Limit screen time: Why not just unplug it? Have you ever heard of “digital detox”? Set an offline day and avoid all electronic devices. Whether on the beach or on balconies: Inaccessibility helps you to consciously relax.

Automation: Your key to relaxation

But you can relax even before you go on vacation. Because: Automating processes helps to reduce pressure on those responsible. By using automated tools and solutions, you can make large areas of continuing education and instruction more efficient. The Compliance College for example, offers comprehensive digital solutions that help save time and energy. Thanks to these learning solutions, compliance officers can delegate responsibility and focus on what's important: their recovery and mental health.