Gaby
Researchers spent months analyzing 62 individual studies on the use of work email. They recommend not responding to emails outside of work hours, as this can lead to decreased productivity and lower happiness levels. According to the researchers, everyone should choose a specific time of day to turn off their email and refrain from checking it outside of work.
Responding to Work Emails Should Be Scheduled
The researchers conducted a comprehensive analysis of 62 separate studies on work email and identified four key strategies. They selected these from a list of 13, only if they contributed to people’s well-being, such as work-life balance, and made them more productive at work.
The first strategy is to set boundaries and designate times when you won’t check your email, stick to it, and communicate this to others. Office workers should also turn off email notifications. Additionally, they should prioritize important emails rather than responding to every minor message as soon as it arrives.
Email Etiquette Matters
Moreover, people should be polite in their emails. This means avoiding passive-aggressively copying someone’s boss when there’s no immediate response and keeping messages brief and to the point. Finally, it’s essential to keep work emails related to work to prevent colleagues from getting sidetracked and to make messages more effective.
Lead author of the analysis and organizational psychology expert, Dr. Emma Russell, notes that email etiquette isn’t as established as conversational rules, but it’s important to understand how to be more courteous. This means everyone should take a daily break from emails and shouldn’t expect an immediate response.
However, the researchers do not endorse the French approach of banning emails during non-working hours. This doesn’t suit everyone, such as parents who need a break to run their kids to school and find it easier to catch up on work during part of the evening.
The Right Approach to Details Leads to Better Overall Productivity
The researchers emphasize that people should set boundaries. For example, they could include hours when they won’t respond to emails in their email signature or set an automatic reply during specific times when they are unavailable. All of this has been found to help individuals manage their workload and feel a greater sense of control.
Some may mistakenly believe that responding to emails at any hour, from midnight to 6 a.m., makes them more productive. However, studies included in the analysis suggest the opposite, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Therefore, the researchers suggest that colleagues could use a shared inbox so that emails are covered by the entire team, allowing individuals to take their time. Scientists also recommend setting time goals, such as checking email only every 45 minutes while working on a task. However, it’s crucial to deal with the inbox and not ignore it by deleting some emails while filing others away, as this can reduce stress and enhance work efficiency.
