One third of workers use electronic devices to perform work-related tasks outside official hours. A report titled Working Anytime, Anywhere: Impact on Business from Eurofound highlights this trend. In Spain, six out of ten employees check and respond to emails after hours, a pattern echoed by a survey conducted by Adecco in the same period. A large share of workers wake up and immediately check their mobile phones, while the same habit recurs at night, according to a study published last summer by UPF-BSM.
Information overload comes with the perks of digital life. Employees report feeling burnt out, tired, and facing a range of health issues as technology becomes ever more embedded in daily routines. The World Health Organization has recognized burnout as a health problem since 2019. Modern workplaces introduce new communication dynamics that blur the line between personal life and work, a shift that began with the factory era but now unfolds on screens and smartphones. The challenge is not just productivity but the well-being of people who are constantly connected.
Digital disconnection is described by researchers as a necessity to counteract the negative effects of constant tech use. It is seen as a safeguard for personal space, balancing work pressure with private time. David Gutierrez, in his article Workers’ Digital Disconnection, notes that the risk is real for both health and company outcomes. Esther Gonzalez of EAE Business School warns that without time to disconnect, fatigue grows and commitment wanes because the work never ends.
Legislative responses have followed suit. France, in 2016, restructured its rules to protect personal and family life, time for rest, and vacation. Spain began addressing the issue through the 2018 Data Protection and Guaranteed Digital Rights Act and extended protections with the 2021 teleworking law. A psychosocial risk called “technostress” is now recognized as something employers must assess to safeguard worker health. Eduardo Enrique Talens from the University of Valencia highlights the right to digital disconnect in his research, while studies in Molecular Psychiatry link excessive work with a heightened risk of depression. The message is clear: heavy workloads and constant connectivity can take a toll on mental health.
There is a paradox in the workplace. The more essential an employee is to daily operations, the harder it becomes to disconnect. Highly skilled professionals may earn good salaries, yet find it increasingly difficult to carve out personal time. This reality is prompting a rethinking of work culture and expectations, with academics warning about the long-term consequences for both people and business results.
How is disconnection guaranteed?
Guaranteeing disconnection involves limiting work-related technology use during rest periods and respecting the maximum length of the workday in line with applicable laws. A key strategy is for companies to deploy controls that restrict non-essential messages during off-hours. An example is setting up automatic filtering to prevent after-hours emails from reaching the recipient’s inbox.
Digital disconnection also requires internal organization, particularly among middle managers, to ensure information flow remains stable during vacations. Questions like, “Should I wait for that message?” or “Does the teammate on leave need to be copied on this now?” should be considered before contacting someone while they are away. A formal approach to communication helps implement these safeguards and makes it easier to extend them to external contacts. When messaging tools mix personal and professional use, it becomes hard to keep boundaries clear. Preferable options include enterprise messaging platforms or intranets that are easier to control and monitor.
While the law places the onus on the employer, workers themselves must resist voluntary over-connection. Reducing reliance on addictive devices is a practical step, given that a large share of employees check their status upon waking and right before sleep. The tension is real: workplaces are increasingly attentive to well-being, yet the everyday environment makes it hard to enact real changes that protect that well-being.
As discussions about digital well-being continue, the emphasis is shifting toward practical boundaries and clearer organizational rules. The aim is a healthier balance where performance and personal health coexist, rather than compete. This evolving landscape invites employers and employees to reconsider expectations, communication channels, and the daily rhythms that shape modern work life.