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The analysis here is very superficial. No evidence is provided that trying to enforce a work-life barrier would make those who don't currently enforce one happi

The analysis here is very superficial. No evidence is provided that trying to enforce a work-life barrier would make those who don't currently enforce one happier. The drivers of being a segmentor or an integrator could be a combination of personality traits and how demanding a person's manager is, rather than something someone could simply choose to change and expect benefits.

nawgz 5y ago
It seems a little facile to argue a person can’t change their approach to work. It’s not like we are creatures of pure instinct, and if your professional knowledge job isn’t a place you consciously operate I don’t know where such a thing would occur.
- civilized 5y ago
  Let me clarify. Yes, you can change, but the question of whether this is likely to be beneficial is not answered by this data.
- noirbot 5y ago
  But isn't the question also "will your team/manager/obligations allow you to change your approach?" Or, if you want to have more integration with your team, how does that work if they live in another country/state, or simply have very different interests?
kccqzy 5y ago
Well I did find some evidence in the linked article, albeit older evidence. > For example, in 2012 our Dublin office ran a program called “Dublin Goes Dark” in which they asked people to drop off their devices at the front desk before leaving for the night. Googlers said that this site-wide effort resulted in a shared sense of stress relief for many.
- Robotbeat 5y ago
  THAT sounds plausible. I think there are healthy ways to integrate work and life (if you work at a place that has some worker protections in particular), I think being friends with coworkers is good and helpful for both work and personal life, and I think it's good to daydream productively about work ideas, BUT being able to not feel like you're on-call all the time must be a big advantage in reducing stress levels.

nawgz 5y ago

It seems a little facile to argue a person can’t change their approach to work. It’s not like we are creatures of pure instinct, and if your professional knowledge job isn’t a place you consciously operate I don’t know where such a thing would occur.

civilized 5y ago
Let me clarify. Yes, you can change, but the question of whether this is likely to be beneficial is not answered by this data.
noirbot 5y ago
But isn't the question also "will your team/manager/obligations allow you to change your approach?" Or, if you want to have more integration with your team, how does that work if they live in another country/state, or simply have very different interests?

kccqzy 5y ago

Well I did find some evidence in the linked article, albeit older evidence. > For example, in 2012 our Dublin office ran a program called “Dublin Goes Dark” in which they asked people to drop off their devices at the front desk before leaving for the night. Googlers said that this site-wide effort resulted in a shared sense of stress relief for many.

Robotbeat 5y ago
THAT sounds plausible. I think there are healthy ways to integrate work and life (if you work at a place that has some worker protections in particular), I think being friends with coworkers is good and helpful for both work and personal life, and I think it's good to daydream productively about work ideas, BUT being able to not feel like you're on-call all the time must be a big advantage in reducing stress levels.