How to set workplace boundaries
With many of us working from home permanently or for the foreseeable future, the boundaries between work and home have become blurred. Maybe this has resulted in you working longer hours and you haven’t taken a long vacation since the start of the pandemic. Or maybe it has resulted in you feeling less pressure to be social with your coworkers and you’ve found you have better boundaries since you’re no longer grabbing drinks or attending in-person social events. Maybe you are more comfortable working odd hours to allow more time with your family or maybe it feels like work never stops.
Regardless of where you are in your career right now, it’s good to reevaluate your boundaries regularly. Are they working for you? What new boundaries might you need to set? What boundaries might be worth relaxing?
Types of boundaries you can set
Time Off
- Whether you stick to your working hours when things get busy
- Whether you check in on email/slack after hours
- Whether you take a sick day when you are sick
- Whether you take a lunch break
- Whether you cancel doctors appointments or other personal tasks when they conflict with work or whether you work your work schedule around them
