Omnipresent work: how to separate job and private life

In a large-scale intervention study, we will investigate how working people can draw a health and performance-enhancing line between their job and their private life. We will target three different intervention groups: a smartphone app can help individuals draw a line between their work and their private life; an e-learning tool can assist managers in defining boundaries for their employees; workshops enable teams to develop meaningful standards and guidelines. All three intervention groups will be interviewed four times over a six-month period to analyse short-term and long-term effects. The project is supported by a panel of representatives from seven major Swiss companies.

Digitalisation is increasingly blurring the boundaries between our professional and private lives. This development offers opportunities for more flexibility and thus an active shaping of the work-life balance, but it also presents risks, both in terms of health and performance. Organisations therefore need solutions for a sensible use of information and communication technologies and a clear demarcation between the different areas of life.

The aim of the study is to develop and evaluate measures for a health and performance-promoting demarcation between work and private life. In a large-scale study involving approximately 1000 professionally active people, we will study three intervention groups and a control group to identify success factors for an optimal demarcation between the two areas of life, and to assess their effectiveness. The instruction material developed as a result of this study will be made available to the public.

After completion of the project, three evidence-based, evaluated interventions will be available for working people: an app for individuals, an e-learning tool for managers, and a workshop manual for teams. These products will contribute to a healthier and more productive work/life balance and to an improved handling of constant availability.

Information and Communication Technology and Boundary Management - A Multilevel Intervention Program to Promote Work-Nonwork Balance, Well-Being, and Performance