

Jason Weiss
Apr 8, 2024
Beyond the Band-Aid Addressing the True Issue Behind After-Hours Work
In a recent article by LA Times Writer, Ruben Vives, a proposed bill by Assemblyman Matt Haney aims to establish a “right-to-disconnect” for California workers, offering a legal respite from the blur between work and personal life intensified by digital connectivity. While the intent to safeguard personal time is commendable, the bill feels like another superficial solution to a deeper problem: inadequate leadership.
The necessity for such legislation begs the question: Why would competent leaders require their teams to be tethered to their work emails and calls past work hours, barring emergencies or specific 24-hour professions? The answer, uncomfortably, points to a prevailing issue in the corporate world: a leadership culture that often prioritizes output over well-being, mistaking constant availability for dedication and productivity.
My own experience offered a stark lesson in contrasting values. When reprimanded by a former boss for not engaging in weekend email exchanges, it became a defining moment. My refusal was a statement: I am not my job title. Work is a chapter of my life, not the entire story, which also prominently features roles as a father, a husband, an individual seeking happiness, health, and fulfillment. He viewed his identity through the lens of his CEO title; I saw my work as a means to support my true priorities. This divergence in viewpoints eventually led to our professional parting, underscoring a profound mismatch in life-balance philosophy.
The root of the problem isn't the absence of laws but the presence of poor leadership practices. Implementing a “right-to-disconnect” law, while well-intentioned, does not directly address the underlying issue: leaders who fail to respect personal boundaries or recognize the importance of downtime for their teams’ mental and emotional well-being.
Creating laws to curb after-hours work is akin to putting a Band-Aid on a wound without treating the infection. If legislation were sufficient to alter behavior fundamentally, we wouldn’t witness crime. Instead of legislative mandates, the focus should be on cultivating leaders who can lead. Leaders who can create or approve realistic timetables, delegate responsibilities, rid their organizations of “meeting culture”, and provide training and support to assure their team members can achieve their goals during working hours.
Leaders should be elevated and trained to foster environments where the necessity to work after hours is the exception, not the norm.
Here are three unconventional yet practical solutions for fostering a healthier work-life integration:
Development Diversions: Allocate monthly hours for employees to engage in personal projects or passions, fostering their well-being and professional growth beyond their daily roles. This designated time encourages activities that spur personal development and innovation or contribute to community service. Employees are then prompted to share their discoveries and experiences, reinforcing the importance of a well-rounded development strategy that brings new perspectives and vitality into the workplace.
Incentivize Disconnection: Instead of rewarding employees for being always-on, companies could incentivize truly disengaging outside work hours. Think bonuses or recognition for teams that successfully complete projects without after-hours communication, emphasizing smarter work, not longer hours.
The Sabbatical Swap: Offer employees the opportunity to take a one-month sabbatical after every two years of service, with the catch being they must train and prepare a colleague to cover their role during their absence. This encourages cross-training and skill-sharing within teams, ensuring work continuity without falling into the trap of 24/7 availability. It also highlights the importance of individual well-being and personal growth, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to seeing employees as more than just their job functions.
Legislation can’t cultivate respect or instill values; that’s a leadership endeavor. Rather than imposing “disconnection” boundaries through laws, we should challenge our organizational cultures to redefine success, leadership, and productivity. It’s a more arduous path, undoubtedly, yet it’s the only way to ensure sustainable change and truly protect workers’ rights to disengage. We must look beyond quick fixes and commit to nurturing values-based leadership that inherently invests in the well-being of workers, ensuring work is a part of life, not its ruler.
"Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don't want to."
— Richard Branson
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