Since January 1, 2017, companies with more than 50 employees are obliged to facilitate the disconnection of everyone outside of work shifts(1), that is to say, to no longer respond to emails and other professional requests. This “right to disconnect” stems from an alarming observation: according to a study Technologia (2014), 3.2 million French people experience burn-out, mainly because of the intensity of the work.
Disconnect your employees and improve their capabilities
Not disconnecting is a negative thing that affects the quality of life of employees, blurring the line between professional and private life, affecting their health, and reducing their effectiveness in a dangerous vicious circle. Management must be alert to their employees and understand the limits in their abilities to work: an attitude that benefits both parties, since it fights against the counter-productivity caused by overwork and improves well-being.
Does it seem like a fancy concept? Not quite, 80% of company managers are already convinced that the right to disconnect is a good idea(2). The French initiative even acts as a global precursor: a good first step, but how do we make it happen?
The micro-nap, a simple recipe for a guaranteed disconnection
In his book Ne vous tuez plus au travail, Jean-Denis Budin, president and founder of CREDIR(3), highlights the 3 factors of contemporary overwork: «overactivity, prolonged stress, insufficient sleep». In fact, the French have lost 18 minutes of sleep in 25 years (Insee, 2012), mainly because of invasive work.
The micro-nap is an ideal solution to disconnect, responding simultaneously to each of the 3 factors: in 20 minutes, it fills up the lack of sleep and allows one to escape while being in a bubble without anxiety, phones or computers. Some companies have already understood this, and napping spaces are multiplying(4).
Disconnect before, after… and during!
Especially since the flash nap, unlike the blocking of servers or professional mails, allows for flexibility in disconnection. Does an employee have to work later in the evening to connect with contacts in other time zones? The micro-nap does not require a specific time to disconnect, it doesn’t have to be in the evening or after work. It simply serves as a form of disconnection in the workplace at any time that allows workers to take a break and recharge.
The micro-nap fits everyone’s routines and allows the company to offer employees autonomy in their disconnection and the organization of their working time.
So, let’s not wait any longer: let’s disconnect!
Companies and disconnection, they talk about it :
Our Nap references :
(1) Article L2242-8 of the Labor Code, modified by the Labor Law of 08/08/2016
(2) Opinionway survey for the Observatoire de la performance des PME-ETI
(3) CREDIR Professionals in Transition, training center fighting burn-out in companies:
(4) « French companies get involved » in Le Monde