Hyper connection? The bubble worker syndrome It is directly related to the advancement of technology and they describe it as the one suffered by an employee who is not able to completely disconnect from their work tasks.
It is a concept that began to be known in recent years, especially with the arrival of the home office pandemic that some of us live where on many occasions the lines between the office and personal life were blurred.
Currently, although some have returned to the offices, the different companies have realized that they could adopt a hybrid work system and this new paradigm and new technologies make it much more necessary to take care of employees so that they are not affected or invaded by a feeling of always be connected.
Work stress
This perception can lead to work stress and bring with it other types of syndromes in the work environment.
According to the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), 75% of Mexicans suffer from fatigue due to work stress, surpassing countries such as China and the United States.
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Although there is currently the NOM-035 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS), whose objective is to identify, analyze and prevent psychosocial risk factors in workers and is working for an increase in the vacation period, it is important that bosses do not neglect the mental health of their collaborators under any circumstances.
In the context of world mental health daythe weekly survey of “Labor Thermometer”,of OCCWorld, in its week 124 (from October 1 to 7), asked more than 3,000 Mexican workers if their organizations give priority to their well-being, to which the 52% He assured that in his company they never worried about his physical and mental well-being, neither during the pandemic, nor now. A 35% said his company continues to offer them wellness programs and a 13% ensured that these types of strategies have decreased, ”says OCC Mundial.
How to identify that someone is suffering from bubble worker syndrome?
The bubble worker syndrome is related to the isolation that someone can feel while working from home, the physical disconnection with their colleagues and supervisors, as well as the hyperconnection online that this can cause.
Some of its characteristics are usually:
- Stress or fatigue from being constantly connected and having your schedules not respected when working from home.
- They are constantly on the computer or on the cell phone for any task that may arise.
- As a consequence of the above characteristic, they develop a high dependency on technology, the Internet and always being in places that allow them to have a digital connection.
- Feeling restless if they are not performing work-related tasks.
- Inability to distinguish work time between rest and family time.
What can we do to help them or avoid the bubble worker syndrome?
Undoubtedly and especially after having experienced a health emergency, where the best weapon against illness was staying at home, employers must be attentive to the mental health of their collaborators and those who make life in their company.
- Respect established work schedules.
- Talk with our employees constantly, open spaces for the feedback and talks about mental health. These can be one on one or even as a group therapy.
- In case someone is having organizational problems, suggest methods to help them eliminate distractions and better manage their time.
- Encourage them to digitally disconnect in their free time. Recommend activities that free them from electronic devices.
Without a doubt, to prevent our collaborators from falling into this syndrome, the main recommendation is to encourage them to manage the time they dedicate to their work activities.
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