New research shows that being too connected to work at home can hurt your job and creativity (let alone family relationships). "Phubbing," which means ignoring people around you because you're focused on your phone or computer, is a big part of this problem.
The research looked at how being too connected to work outside of office hours affects people’s jobs and personal lives. The researchers wanted to see if this "phubbing" habit at home leads to less creativity at work and worse relationship outcomes inside the family.
To find out, they studied employees and their spouses (62 working couples in the US). They looked at how much support employees got from their spouses at home and how this affected their creativity and job performance. They also measured how often people were glued to their devices and how it impacted their ability to balance work and family.
The researchers discovered that being too connected to work outside of office hours, especially through digital devices, negatively affects both personal and professional life. Specifically, "phubbing" led to strained relationships at home and reduced creativity at work.
The study also found that spousal support plays a key role in helping employees balance work and family life, which boosts creativity and job performance.
Gender differences: women more affected
The study found significant gender differences in how men and women benefit from spousal support at home. Women are more negatively affected when their partner is frequently distracted by digital interruptions but greatly benefit from a supportive home environment. This support helps women improve their social relationships at work, seize learning opportunities, and demonstrate greater creativity and proactivity.
For men, spousal support does not have the same effect on their creativity or work engagement. The study suggests these differences may arise from traditional gender roles, where women often face more home responsibilities and therefore require more resources and support to achieve a healthy work-life balance.
Overall, staying glued to devices at home makes employees less effective and less satisfied both personally and professionally.
Here’s what it means for managers and HR:
Work-Life Balance is Important: When people keep checking emails or working after hours, it strains their personal relationships and makes them tired. Managers should set clear rules to avoid this. For example, encourage employees to stop checking work emails after 6 PM.
Creativity Suffers: If employees are always connected to work, their creativity at work goes down. Managers can help by teaching time management and telling people it's okay to take breaks. A simple idea could be reminding the team to take weekends off to recharge.
Support from Family Matters: When a spouse or family supports the employee’s work-life balance, the employee is happier and more creative. Companies need to raise awareness (via workshops, trainings, coaching) to help employees and their families understand how balance improves work.
Limit Digital Overload: Too much screen time isn’t good for anyone. Managers can suggest "no work emails after hours" or encourage digital breaks during the day to reduce stress. For instance, telling employees to take a walk instead of checking their phones at lunch.
By focusing on these small changes, companies can help employees be healthier, happier, and more creative.
If you would like us to help your team be more creative and productive by developing better digital behaviour, reach out to Consciously Digital team.
We use evidence-based approach to measuring digital wellbeing.
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