Communication and human skills specialist Leah Mether has all you need to know to carve out a culture where you protect personal time, and employees can recharge without guilt, creating better boundaries.
Boundaries between work and personal time have become dangerously blurred in recent years, with constant connectivity and flexible work arrangements making it harder for people to switch off. As an EA, you’re at the frontline of this challenge – balancing the needs of your exec(s) with the well-being of your team.
But now, with Australia’s Right to Disconnect laws in place for large businesses (and coming soon for smaller ones), the responsibility of creating better boundaries has taken on new significance. These laws, embedded in the Fair Work Act, grant employees the right to disengage from work outside of scheduled hours unless there’s an emergency or prior agreement.
Why boundaries matter
Clear communication boundaries are vital. These are not just for compliance but for the health and productivity of your team, too. We know that when people are allowed to disconnect and recharge, they perform better. They are more engaged. And they can deliver their best work.
Without clear expectations, confusion, frustration, and burnout can become the norm, with staff feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to always be available.
For the Right to Disconnect laws to be effective, leaders need to guide their teams in setting and maintaining boundaries. But this isn’t about imposing rigid rules. It’s about fostering a shared understanding of when and how communication out of hours should happen.
Co-creating boundaries with your team
Involving your team in setting boundaries is one of the most effective ways to ensure they’re respected. Collaboration is key. This isn’t just about telling staff when they can or can’t respond to work messages. It’s about open conversations to explore different scenarios. It’s about exploring what’s acceptable. And it’s about creating shared expectations that make boundaries easier to maintain.
Managing power dynamics
Leaders need to be mindful of power dynamics in after-hours communication. You might send an email late at night because that’s when it suits you. But appreciate that even if you add a note they need not reply until tomorrow, others – particularly junior or new team members – may feel compelled to respond immediately.
The solution? Use scheduling tools for out-of-hours emails. If you’re working late or early, organise for your emails to land in inboxes during work hours. This eliminates any implied pressure and helps your team respect their own personal time.
Leading by example
Your behaviour sets the tone for how your team approaches boundaries. If you’re breaking the rules by responding to messages after hours, you signal that boundaries don’t matter. It becomes a case of ‘do as I say, not as I do.’
Leadership by example is key here. You need to model the behaviour you want to see in your team. Don’t send emails yourself if no one is expected to respond after hours. And if you expect people to leave work on time, make sure you’re seen doing the same at least a couple of nights a week. It may be a change for you but it’s an important one.
Managing workloads is also critical. If your team feels overwhelmed, they’ll struggle to disconnect, no matter what boundaries you’ve set. Regular check-ins and workload assessments help ensure your people can switch off at the end of the day without worrying about unfinished tasks or looming deadlines.
Building a culture that respects boundaries
As a high-level assistant, you’ll be partly responsible for ensuring the Right to Disconnect laws are respected across your organisation. Clear policies, regular communication and consistent leadership, will help embed these boundaries into your workplace culture.
Culture is the behaviour that is rewarded, supported, tolerated and makes people feel included. It doesn’t matter what you say if what you’re doing is different. You need to respect the boundaries you set, and you should also celebrate others who do the same – and not tolerate those who don’t.
Through collaboration, consistent leadership and clear communication, you can create a work environment where personal time is protected and employees can recharge without guilt. Ultimately, this approach will lead to a more motivated, productive, and resilient team that performs at its best when it matters most.
A three-step guide to successful co-created boundaries:
- Define when contact is necessary
Establish clear guidelines on when it’s appropriate for parties (both leaders and staff) to reach out after hours. Explore different eventualities, such as in emergencies and when things can wait.
- Decide how communication should happen
Agree on preferred methods (phone, text or email?) so that everyone is clear on how to handle various situations.
- Know that when your team helps create these rules, they are more likely to understand and respect them
It’s not about top-down control but mutual agreements that everyone can follow.
Also read: Overworking is a thing | Executive PA Media
