The pandemic has blurred the line between work and personal life for many people across the globe. Fasthosts has released a research study which surveyed 2,000 office employees in the UK. It revealed that almost half of respondents receive 5 to 10 work emails per pay outside their contracted working hours.

The results found that 67% of people in the UK generally reply to after-work emails, with 26% stating they reply to emails at all hours, no matter what. Working from home has made it difficult for many people to switch off, with 60% saying that after-work emails impact their personal life.

After-work emails were found to make 19% of people feel like they are always at work, while 18% said it makes them feel like they have no time for themselves. Just over 10% said they are often anxious that not replying to these emails will negatively affect their career.

A poor work-life balance has a direct impact on employee wellbeing, with 46% of people in the UK having experienced or felt on the verge of burnout in 2021, according to a Statista study.  

In France, it is against the law for employers to contact employees with work during the weekend. Ireland also has a code of practice whereby employers should include a reminder that a reply is not required out of their contracted working hours. Last year Portugal passed a law which prohibited employers from contacting workers outside of their regular hours by phone, message, or email.

When asked if there should be a law in the UK to restrict after-hours work emails, 44% agreed there should be one in place. The study shows that a large proportion of UK workers receive after-work emails, but the negative impact is evident and potentially catastrophic for both employees and their employer.

Find the full report from Fasthosts here.