The month of July marks the beginning of the second semester and the traditional school holidays. Because of this, a large portion of professionals take the opportunity to enjoy a well-deserved rest. However, a common and extremely dangerous practice persists: influenced by the "Fear of Switching Off" (FOSO), or "fear of disconnecting," many workers continue to be plugged into work during vacations.
Predominant among digital natives, FOSO manifests in employees who, even on vacation, remain available for remote conversations and sometimes perform tasks and participate in meetings. The mistaken belief is that a disconnection for several days would harm the progress of the demands and increase the pressure upon return.
I believe this behavior is one of the inheritances of the pandemic, when the boundaries between personal and professional life virtually disappeared. Many professionals ate while working, extended their hours, and postponed tasks for the weekend. The impacts of this excessive work are already well knownburnout, anxiety, insomnia, depression”, warns Maria Sartori, associate director at Robert Half.
The consequences of FOSO can be disastrous
The medium and long-term effects of this difficulty in disconnecting tend to be disastrous and are associated with decreased productivity, lack of motivation, bad mood, among other physical and psychological harms. Ensuring a period of complete rest is important to recharge the batteries and ensure that mental and physical health remain in good condition for delivering good results.
The example must come from leadership
It is essential that companies do not view connected vacations as acceptable or desirable behavior. An organizational culture that respects and values rest, health, and workers' quality of life encourages attitudes in this direction.
“Leaders need to set a good example. If they disconnect during the holidays, their teams are likely to follow suit. It’s a good idea to set expectations for the time off and share that information with the rest of the team. If it’s clear that the norm is to stay offline, everyone will feel safe disconnecting,” says the Robert Half director.
Another important measure is the organization and delegation of responsibilities during absences, which helps both to avoid overload and failures and to encourage absolute rest to be seen as something positive, since teammates will provide cover.
How to deal with the return in a lighter way
It is normal for professionals to need a few days to get back into the rhythm of work after the holidays. To managers, it is interesting to promote a relaxed chat about how the rest period went, planning the next steps.
Furthermore, to update the professional on what happened during their absence and involve them in ongoing activities and projects, it is recommended to bring the entire team together.
Medium and long-term losses of “Fear of Switching Off”
