Adapted by:
Rubén Andrés
WriterWriter at Xataka. I've been working remotely for more than a decade and I'm a strong advocate of technology as a way to improve our lives. Full-time addict of black, sugar-free coffee.
Karen Alfaro
WriterCommunications professional with a decade of experience as a copywriter, proofreader, and editor. As a travel and science journalist, I've collaborated with several print and digital outlets around the world. I'm passionate about culture, music, food, history, and innovative technologies.
One drawback workers attributed to remote work was that it blurred the boundaries between work and leisure time. However, a recent Microsoft study shows this phenomenon has reached offices. More and more workers say the workday never ends and that truly disconnecting feels like an unattainable luxury.
Thirty-three percent are headed for burnout. Microsoft has quantified the problem: One in three employees can no longer keep up with the pace imposed by the current work dynamic of the past five years, regardless of their schedule.
The Microsoft study draws on millions of anonymized data points from Microsoft 365 usage. As the authors warn, people are trapped in a seemingly endless workday. This reality hurts daily productivity and drives up burnout and anxiety.
A tsunami of emails. The study shows that 40% of employees who log on at 6 a.m. begin their day by checking email to determine priorities for the rest of the day. Each worker receives an average of 117 emails daily, most of which they process in less than 60 seconds. The problem is that the information often lacks relevance.
Mass emails sent to more than 20 recipients rose by 7% in the last year, while personalized conversations dropped by 5%. This shift points to an increase in “digital noise” that makes clear communication and deep focus more difficult.
Meetings at the worst times. Productivity takes a hit from both constant interruptions and poor meeting management. According to the study, 50% of all meetings take place between 9 and 11 a.m. and between 1 and 3 p.m.
A Harvard Business Review study that considers circadian rhythms found that most people reach peak productivity during this same window. In other words, teams often use the most productive hours for the least productive task.
The study also shows that Tuesdays have become the busiest day for meetings, accounting for 23% of the weekly total. Fridays account for just 16%. In addition, 57% of meetings happen on the fly, and 10% are scheduled at the last minute.
The triple peak day. Constant interruptions have given rise to a phenomenon Microsoft identified in previous reports: the “triple peak day,” which has now become the norm. This pattern shows spikes in productivity and office tool usage at around 10 a.m., 3 p.m., and after 8 p.m.
The study finds that meetings scheduled after 8 p.m. jumped by 16% in the past year. Tool usage after 6 p.m. also climbed, as many employees take advantage of reduced digital noise in the evening to focus on primary tasks. As a result, use of office software rises while messaging slows. This pattern worsens the sense of never truly having free time.
A quick look at email. The inability to disconnect shows clearly in one stat: Nearly 20% of employees check work email before noon on Saturdays and Sundays. More than 5% check email again after 6 p.m. on Sundays or holidays, extending the workweek into their days off.
Microsoft telemetry shows that employees use office applications more frequently on weekends, suggesting they take advantage of that time to work without the usual weekday distractions.
Image | Israel Andrade (Unsplash)
Related | Employees Value Remote Work So Much That They’d Accept a Pay Cut of 25% to Keep Working From Home
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