Does time on personal smartphones reduce stress at work?

Does time on personal smartphones reduce stress at work?

A study by researchers at the University of Galway’s Business School has pointed to the advantages of turning a blind eye to staff using their personal smartphones at work.

Moderate amounts of time spent dealing with personal issues, around family or other arrangements, were found to have no real impact on performance levels. At the same time, employees felt less stressed and believed they had a better work/life balance.

Phone home

The research explored the situation within a particular company where smartphones had previously been banned — because they were considered too much of a distraction and a health and safety risk — except for among the senior management.

Employees were observed over the course of a year. They reported a large reduction in conflicts between work routines and demands and their personal lives; they felt more in charge of personal communications and messaging, leading to less feelings of being overwhelmed at home — and that it improved relations with partners.

Feeding the habit

EAPA UK chair, Karl Bennett said: “It’s no surprise that access to smartphones lowers stress levels. If smartphones have become a kind of drug in people’s lives, then letting people have more regular doses through the day is going to have that effect. Whether it’s healthy in general is another question entirely.

“The findings here are really just another example of why organisations need to be clear about boundaries. Otherwise, allowing more time on personal smartphone matters at work just means more blurring of work and home, and other signal that people have to do the same during out of work hours. “Clarity is so important for encouraging good mental health: when people might be able to use tech on personal things at work, and the very particular occasions when they might be expected to respond to work matters at home.”