Microsoft boss warns of consequences of late-night emails

Citing a Microsoft study, Nadella said that about a third of white-collar workers are the third most productive in the afternoon, based on keyboard activity. Productivity typically increases before and after lunch, but this third peak shows that the trend of remote working has broken the blurred line between work and private life. Speaking at a conference on April 7, Microsoft CEO stated that leaders need to set standards and expectations for employees so that they are not pressured to respond to emails late at night.

“We often think of productivity in terms of collaboration and finished products, but health is one of the most important factors of productivity. We all know the effects of stress on employees. We need to learn soft skills, old-fashioned management methods so that everyone can get health care. I can set expectations for my employees to receive emails from the CEO at the end of the week but not feel they have to respond.”

A survey by online therapy provider Talkspace found that 2 out of 3 employees considering leaving say their bosses aren’t living up to promises made at the start of the pandemic to focus on mental health. employee god. And in Microsoft’s internal research, about 30% feel most productive in the morning, noon and around 10 pm. The average working day has been extended by 46 minutes or 13% since the beginning of the pandemic. Time spent on after-hours work even increased by 28%.

According to Mr. Nadella, people – especially those working in the technology field – increasingly demand more flexibility in working space and time. An ongoing survey of intellectuals such as software programmers, data analysts, etc., from the Future Forum organization, revealed that more than three-quarters of people want to choose a workplace, while 95% want to do it themselves. schedule your own.

Even so, when asked if he would stop sending emails over the weekend, Mr. Nadella was a little shy when he said: “I’m still learning that every day.”