Study Finds Personal Smartphone Use at Work Reduces Stress and Improves Work-Life Balance
Using smartphones for personal purposes at work can lead to reduced stress and lower levels of conflict between work and personal life, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Galway and the University of Melbourne. The research, carried out at the European branch of a global pharmaceutical company, tracked about 40 employees who embraced a new policy allowing personal smartphone use at work.
The company, which had previously banned personal phone use in the 1990s, altered its policy to grant open access to non-work purposes. Prior to the study, only senior management had the privilege of bringing personal mobile phones into the workplace. Over the course of a year, the research found that moderate mobile phone usage in the professional setting had no discernible impact on worker performance.
Workers with access to their phones reported a significant decrease in perceived conflict between work and personal life, with the ability to address family issues during the day, ultimately reducing pressure on their partners. The study also noted that spreading personal communications throughout the workday helped employees avoid feeling overwhelmed when checking their phones after work.
Professor Eoin Whelan, leading the research at the University of Galway’s JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics, emphasised that instead of enforcing a ban on smartphones, companies should establish clear expectations for smartphone behaviours in the workplace. Creating an organisational climate where such expectations are known, for instance, restricting phone use in meetings or the canteen, can be more effective, with adherence monitored by employees themselves. Professor Whelan highlighted the unintended consequences of enforcing a smartphone ban, which can increase work-life conflict and impact overall well-being, job satisfaction, absenteeism, and turnover intentions.
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