Tomorrow I have to officially reconnect to work. During this winter break, I did my best to disconnect from work. I left (some) emails unanswered and piling up in my inbox. For someone who’s stress rises when I has more than 10 messages in my Inbox, I had over 60 at the end of break. I was able to wait until today, the day before school starts again.
I have found teachers have a hard time disconnecting from work outside of school hours. In all honesty, that’s because being a teacher is more than an eight hour a day job. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops have connected workers wherever they go. With papers to correct, lessons to plan, and so much more, educators take their work home with them.
An article caught my eye today from CNN: France gives workers ‘right to disconnect’ from office email. The reason behind the legislation is strikingly different from the reality that I see daily.
Marie Pierre Fluery, who works as a human resources director, said the law is necessary to help people avoid being overwhelmed by work demands.
‘I think it is essential in order to preserve the health of employees,’ she said.
Some French companies have already put rules in place to bar employees from using their work devices after hours. Some firms even completely shut down their email systems overnight.
I do not see the culture changing in American education to this drastic of a level. To go from email 24/7 in our pocket to working hours only makes me uncomfortable. Imagine the Inbox in the morning, even with just emails from outside of our system.
But, as educators, we need to find ways to take care of ourselves. Here are some tips that I can suggest:
- Unsubscribe from emails that you will never read.
- Create rules for recurring emails (help desk, HR, etc)
- Separate personal and work email. I use two different email apps on my phone. That way, I recognize when emails are coming from work and can wait.
Your perspective: What are the strategies you use to separate work and home? Please comment below.
Petroff, Alanna, and Océane Cornevin. “France Gives Workers ‘right to Disconnect’ from Office Email.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 2 Jan. 2017. Web. 03 Jan. 2017. <http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/02/technology/france-office-email-workers-law/index.html>.