All work, no love: Over 50% of employees check up on work during a date

Employees have been struggling to find a balance between their personal and work lives, but how much of that imbalance has affected their ability to date?

Fishbowl, a social network for professionals launched by career insights platform Glassdoor, polled over 1,000 young professionals and asked, "Have you ever checked up on work during a date?" Over half of professionals said they had.  

"It's no secret that with the rise in remote work, the separation between work and personal life has become increasingly blurred," says Tyler Murphy, a Glassdoor career trends expert. "When employees cannot disengage from work after logging off for the evening, they risk burnout or neglecting their personal relationships." 

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Already, most working professionals spend 40 to 60 hours a week at work, and only 60% of employees say they're able to effectively balance their work and personal commitments, including dating, according to career insights platform Zippia. But physically signing off from work is just as important as mentally signing off, according to Murphy, and the constant checking up on work while out of the office can harm well-being in and out of the office. 

"The inability to separate work from life, whether it's going on a date, spending time with family, or even going on a vacation, can cause burnout in employees," he says. "Even through hectic work schedules, it's important to ensure you're making progress toward your personal goals — if it's important for you to spend time dating and forming a relationship, then you shouldn't let work interfere with that."

But because employees can sometimes be unreliable when it comes to managing their own time, managers can also play a significant role in ensuring that employees aren't sacrificing too much of their personal time to stay on top of their work. It may feel like getting involved in employees' personal affairs — such as their love live — is overstepping, but done right, it can actually make employees feel better supported. 

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"When it comes to setting boundaries, there isn't a one-size-fits-all piece of advice — it comes down to doing what will work best for you and your team," Murphy says. "One thing managers can do to help employees set boundaries is to normalize work-life balance and make sure they aren't shaming employees for making progress toward their personal goals." 

Managers can also remind employees to plan ahead. If an employee knows they will be logging off a bit earlier and doesn't want to be checking up on work, urge them to notify coworkers that they will be away. Managers could even suggest employees remove workplace communication apps from their phone or put their phone on 'do not disturb' during a date.

"As far as sharing details about your love life in the team Slack, that remains a personal decision for employees," Murphy says. "But it's always a best practice to be transparent with your manager about issues you are facing at work, especially if they're impacting your personal life. A good manager will help you find a solution, and a bad manager is likely to see turnover if they don't prioritize their employees' well-being."