Gone are the days when the work environment was simply an actual space representative occupied during regular office hours. Technology is providing people with greater flexibility and autonomy in how – and when – they work. But digital working on multiple devices brings a downside of blurred boundaries between work and personal life, which can be a significant driver of stress.Spain has launched a four-day workweek trial. Everyone is talking about hybrid working these days, and no-meeting days are becoming more common. Clearly, major reforms are afoot to overhaul the digital workplace.

While all of these big changes are being proposed, many people are working longer hours and are becoming more burned out. It is estimated that, on average, they spend an extra four days in unpaid overtime per month. How do you manage break time remote in a digital workplace or remote frontline workers?  Taking breaks has been shown to be important in recovering from stress, which can, in turn, improve your performance. Recovering from work stress can restore energy and mental resources and decrease the development of fatigue, sleep disorders and cardiovascular disease. 

Time management has a lot of advantages

When we think of time management, we naturally think of increased productivity, completing more tasks, and reaching goals more quickly. That's all OK. But that's undervaluing time management. The benefits of effective time management in the digital workplace are numerous. For example:

Controlling the workflow

When you monitor all the steps and come to know how long a project, job, or assembly takes and break it down into its parts, you can identify where better efficiency may be made right away. This is something that manufacturers do all the time on the factory floor. Many other industries, as well as a small number of service organizations, do. Establish a baseline by observing your team in action on the project. It will make it easy for you to know the gaps and inefficiencies if you time monitor the workflow each time it's used, and you'll be able to tighten and smooth up your procedures.

Personnel management  

It is important to know what your team is capable of and who on your team is most effective at specific tasks, positions, and responsibilities. Determine whether or not someone should be moved from one role to another. It's possible that if someone appears to be trailing, it's because this isn't the right role for them. With a variety of jobs or responsibilities, the same person will fly through the work they enjoy.

Leadership in the digital workplace

Time management can help managers adapt their leadership styles as the digital workplace continues to evolve from the fully remote workplace of last year's lockdowns to the hybrid and flex models we are experimenting with today. Time tracking can warn executives of potential professional and even personal concerns, in addition to showing staff efficiency and job aptitude. For example, if a previously highly engaged employee begins to increase their web surfing during office hours, they may be suffering from isolation-related burnout. You can then intervene to assist them.

Profitability, pricing, and budgeting

This is especially important in professional services firms that charge by the hour and recruit new clients through proposals. It had a significant impact on my consultancy business. In the beginning, I priced based on intuition or what other service providers were charging. I had no idea how long each project would take. I knew exactly how long each deliverable would take once I started tracking my time. After that, I could present a proposal based on my hourly rate plus a guaranteed margin.

Employee break time in the digital workplace  

Presenteeism cultures have been supplanted with a need to be "always-on": about 44% of employees believe they never completely disconnect from their jobs.

And this isn't a new issue that emerged due to the current pandemic. We knew that remote workers were less inclined to take breaks even before 2020. Hubspot conducted a study of remote employees in 2019 and discovered that just one-third of them took an hour-long lunch break, with one-fourth had their lunch at the work desk.

This is a critical issue. Although it may appear that sitting glued to one's desk throughout working hours will increase production, the reality is that employees who take regular breaks are more productive.

Importance of employee breaks in the digital workplace

It's critical to make taking breaks a habit, and it is the employer's responsibility to take the first step.

People frequently refuse to take breaks because they fear it would reflect poorly on them.

According to a survey conducted by Tork, 1 in 5 workers did not take a lunch break because they fear that their superiors will think they are less hardworking.

The worst aspect about the study is that the employees were correct: more than 1 in 5 supervisors believed that staff who skipped lunch were more hardworking.

As a result, it is essential for all leaders to challenge these preconceptions. Allow folks to take a break from their computers and feel as if they are not obligated to respond to messages right away.

Of course, it isn't easy to prove that you're taking breaks while you're far away. However, changing your status on social applications is one way to show that you are taking a break.

Encouraging employee breaks in the digital workplace 

It's considerably more difficult to take breaks when you are working alone.

However, when you are in an office, you're more inclined to take breaks with others. And it's simpler to tell if someone is stuck at their desk eating a sandwich with a sad expression on his face.

And, most importantly, you must physically get up and leave the room at the conclusion of the working day, establishing a more effective separation between work and home life.

It is one of the most important reason why it's worthwhile to provide employees with opportunities to work outside the home.

A flexible workspace is a smart approach to do this because it allows people to work from home and eliminates the need for a costly central office that may sit underutilized.

If this isn't possible owing to lockdowns, virtual options should be considered. There are virtual office systems that use avatars to try to simulate the office environment and spontaneous chats.

Alternatively, you may just schedule a daily call where folks can join in for a talk.

Conclusion

If you've tried everything and they are still not taking breaks, you might have another issue.

It's possible that people aren't taking breaks because they have too much work on their desks.

Consider the absence of breaks as an indicator, and revise your workload and expectations accordingly. Otherwise, you'll be worrying about stuff other than employees not making time for a cup of tea or lunch before you know it.