The "always on" work culture was already a problem before the pandemic. It started with the advent of email, accelerated with smartphones, and exploded during the pandemic. Particularly for those with jobs that allow working from home, 8-5 isn't even a guideline anymore. Emails, texts, and Slack messages come in at all hours, making it hard to ever truly unplug from work.
A permanent culture of remote or hybrid work has its pros and cons when it comes to this new concept of "office hours." We probably won't ever go back to a world where workers are truly free from Friday evening until Monday morning. So to avoid burnout, workers should push to reclaim some of the inevitable lulls during the work week for personal time, such as Friday brunches. It's not about turning a five-day work week into a stealth four-day one, but acknowledging that we already have a stealth seven-day work week and trying to bring some life balance to it.
France made headlines several years ago by passing a law that required companies with more than 50 employees to come up with procedures that ensured work wouldn't spill over into after-business hours. It's the kind of idea that may be popular in certain circles, but doesn't stand a chance in the U.S. given the kinds of workaholics who run organizations and drive culture here. Anyway, have you seen how hard it is to pass legislation in the U.S. Senate lately?
