Workers who implement small measures to enforce work-life balance may suffer reputation consequences. A study found that while managers view these employees as less stressed and more productive, they simultaneously regard them as less dedicated and thus less promotable. This conflict arises despite the managers’ acknowledgment of the importance of work-life boundaries. The study illustrated these dynamics through scenarios that involved fictional characters as well as real team members, reinforcing the paradox of valuing diligence while penalizing necessary detachment.
"We were only looking at stuff that happens when the worker is not supposed to work, such as evenings, weekends, and vacations. What we still see is that the more the worker detaches, the more harshly they get evaluated."
"The same people who said that [the workers] are going to be more productive also said that they were going to be less promotable. So even the people who say this is really important and even encourage work-life balance penalize them [for detaching]."
#work-life-balance #detachment-paradox #employee-evaluation #manager-perceptions #burnout-prevention
Collection
[
|
...
]