Michael is a human resource consultant with Insperity. He specializes in team building, employee engagement and performance improvement.
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Although technology has changed every aspect of life and provided numerous benefits such as easy access to information, better communication methods, time savings, cost efficiencies and more, it has also served as a means to create more information than ever before that is distributed at a rapid pace.
People are faced with a constant barrage of information 24/7 that can overload the brain, leading to what is sometimes referred to as infobesity. Information overload, or infobesity, is especially rampant in the workforce due to the vast technological advancements that have transformed the workplace. While technology has afforded employers and employees many advantages, it has also led to a blurring of the lines between work and life because there is no off button.
The pandemic seemed to increase its trajectory, as many employees worked from home and felt a need to always be available via email and mobile devices, ensuring quick replies and losing all track of time—and workdays easily spilled over after hours. With endless tweets, pings, dings and other notification sounds, many employees felt obligated to check them immediately based on a fear of appearing unproductive, leading to retribution or even dismissal. On the other hand, many employees purposely felt compelled to work long hours to boost their career opportunities.
With more remote/hybrid work models, instant communication practices and blurred lines between work and life are here to stay and likely to increase, expanding the number of workers suffering from infobesity. Although the numerous avenues for communication are a boon for businesses, there are downsides to consider that are currently taking a toll on workers; affecting work-life balance, health and well-being, engagement and morale; and contributing to record levels of employee burnout and resignations.
Workers can only absorb so much information and burn the candle at both ends for so long before the side effects of infobesity kick in. Infobesity encourages high levels of multitasking, causing workers to constantly switch from one thing to another, which can drain their brains and reduce productivity and the quality of their work. In addition, when employees are not performing at their peak, it can have a domino effect on co-workers and teams, impacting projects and the overall success of a company.
In order to curb infobesity and regain work-life balance, employers and employees should consider ways to effectively manage the information overload that establish parameters, prioritize tasks and assign control.
Some ways for employers to do this include:
• Reviewing and streamlining internal communications efforts to avoid sharing too much information, targeting appropriate audiences with relevant information and providing enough time to process information.
• Establishing and maintaining a central repository of information that employees can access for important tools and resources they need to do their jobs, which saves them time searching for information.
• Practicing due diligence regarding the number/quality of emails sent to team members and the frequency of meetings.
• Encouraging employees to disconnect at the end of their workdays (allowing for flexible schedules and remote/hybrid models) and refrain from checking emails/voice mails/messages, if possible, depending on their role.
• Serving as an example by refraining from after-hours emails, phone calls, messages or new content/updates on company platforms.
• Scheduling occasional “no-meeting Fridays” to allow employees to catch up on emails and projects and spend time in the classroom of silence—reading, writing or reflecting.
Things that employees can do include:
• Limiting the amount of time spent on research because many times it can lead down a rabbit hole of too much information or unrelated topics.
• Learning to take more control over information and focusing on one task at a time to avoid having to refocus each time.
• Reducing distractions from email and social media by turning off notifications and designating certain times during the day to check them.
• Spending only as much time on decisions, tasks and activities as they are worth.
• Taking breaks to give the mind an opportunity to refresh and refocus.
• Practicing ways to disconnect and press the off button to regain work-life balance.
When employers and employees take the necessary steps to address and curb infobesity, it can help reestablish a demarcation between work and life, leading to increased employee morale, satisfaction and performance for long-term individual and business success.
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