“Always On, Always Exhausted” — Why the Digital Work Era Is Breaking Employees
According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index 2025, 67% of professionals feel pressure to reply instantly to messages — even outside work hours.
We call it digital burnout.
Employees call it “my normal.”
Here’s the twist: 55% of employers think they support work-life balance — but only 23% of staff agree.
💡 Real Story: The 11PM Email
Ella, a marketing manager, says she replies to late-night emails just to avoid being seen as “uncommitted.”
Her reward? A stress-induced leave of absence three months later.
This isn’t rare. The World Health Organization now classifies digital overexposure as a top cause of workplace anxiety and sleep loss.
🧠 The Bigger Issue
We created “hybrid freedom” — and replaced it with constant availability.
Slack, Teams, Zoom, and email notifications keep brains in a state of near-permanent alertness.
The result:
💥 Higher burnout rates
💥 Declining creativity
💥 Falling morale
🎯 The Shift Forward
Forward-thinking companies like Google, Salesforce, and Atlassian are now introducing “Right to Disconnect” policies, limiting work communication after hours.
Early results show a 41% drop in stress and 27% increase in job satisfaction.
The future of productivity isn’t more access — it’s more balance.
Learn how to build healthier, high-performing teams with VH Courses’ Leadership, Communication, and Wellbeing programs at www.vhcourses.com.