Do you check your email first thing in the morning………. or last thing at night? Then you are not alone. Our research, funded by the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, shows that flexible workers operating in multiple spaces and at non-traditional times often get involuntarily ‘sucked into’ checking their work email at almost all hours of the day. On the one hand, the flexibility to work (almost) whenever and wherever is part of the appeal of flexible working. On the other hand, it can easily morph into ‘working at all times’, and constantly checking one’s email can be a symptom of limited work-life balance. Hence, in this guest blog, we want to explore the checking of email at unusual hours a bit more critically and suggest ways to avoid the temptations of getting ‘sucked in’. 

First and foremost, flexible working allows us to work around other commitments or lifestyle choices, making time for family or caring commitments, for volunteering, meeting friends or simply some ‘me time’. But this also means spreading work across a longer ‘working’ day or week, catching up on work on the weekend or working on the move. Mobile devices such as tablet computers or smart phones have an important role here: they allow us to stay connected with work whenever and wherever. With so much of our lives nowadays taking place on smart phones, it is easy to just click into our work email first thing in the morning, last thing at night, during weekends or whilst on leave and then spending time and energy on work when, actually, we should be resting and relaxing. 

Everyone has heard the warning signs: global warming is real, and we need to act fast. From workplace cafeterias swapping out single-use plastics and styrofoam for regular plates and utensils, to creating workspaces that fully utilise natural light to reduce electric bills or merely opting to choose a more sustainable gas and energy supplier for your business, it seems that many employers are already doing their bit to be more sustainable. But, could the real eco-heroes be home-workers and the self-employed?

Conserving Energy

One of the most significant differences between those who work from home and those who work at the office is their conservation of energy. Gas and electricity consumption in the workplace are often extremely high given the number of people and the number of computers, laptops and printers in use at any one time.

For those who chose to work from home, however, it’s a different story. Those working from home are likely to use less energy which is going to save money as well as help conserve resources, which all, in turn, helps reduce their carbon footprint and be more sustainable.

There are several ways you can save on energy by working from home. One of the big ones is, of course, turning off electricals and appliances when they aren’t in use as this will go a long way to prevent unnecessarily wasting energy. Installing solar panels, purchasing refurbished or energy-efficient equipment and reducing paper usage and printing are also significant steps forward for sustainability at home.