Right to Disconnect: What Leaders Need to Know Before Your Team Burns Out
It's 11:47 PM on a Tuesday.
You just thought of something for tomorrow's meeting. It'll only take two minutes to send the email. You're up anyway. Might as well get it off your plate.
You hit send.
What you don't see: Three team members' phones light up. One is finally falling asleep after struggling with insomnia. Another is having dinner with their family for the first time this week. The third is trying to decompress with a show, but now their brain is back in work mode.
None of them will respond tonight - you didn't ask them to. But all three will sleep worse. All three will feel that familiar knot of anxiety. All three will wonder if they should have checked in, if they're falling behind, if they're not as "dedicated" as you are.
And tomorrow, all three will show up more depleted than they needed to be.
You didn't mean to do this. But you did.
Here's what most leaders don't realize: your after-hours emails aren't just inconvenient. They're not just "a little annoying." They're systematically eroding your team's nervous systems, their cognitive capacity, and - whether you see it yet or not - their commitment to staying at your organization.
And there's a growing movement saying this needs to stop.
The Always-On Crisis We're Not Talking About
Let's be clear about what we're dealing with: we've normalized a work culture where being available 24/7 signals dedication, where boundaries are seen as lack of commitment, and where "just checking email real quick" has become so automatic we don't even notice we're doing it.
The pandemic made it exponentially worse. When our homes became our offices, the boundaries didn't just blur - they disappeared. The laptop is always there. Slack is always open. The line between "work time" and "life time" dissolved, and we collectively decided that was just how things are now.
But here's what the research is showing - and what countries around the world are starting to legislate: this always-on culture isn't just unsustainable. It's making us sick, stupid, and significantly less productive.
India just passed Right to Disconnect legislation. Australia is implementing it. France has had it since 2017. California attempted AB-2751 (though it didn't pass, the conversation isn't over). Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal - the list of countries protecting workers' right to disconnect is growing.
These aren't feel-good policies. These are responses to a public health crisis.
And if you're a leader in the United States, you're watching this movement and probably thinking: "But we're not there yet. We don't have to change anything."
Here's what I want you to consider: by the time legislation forces your hand, you'll have already lost your best people.
The Neuroscience: What After-Hours Work Actually Does to Your Brain
Let me explain what happens in your brain - and your team's brains - when work never actually ends.
Your nervous system operates in two primary modes: sympathetic (threat/activation) and parasympathetic (rest/recovery). You need both. But you're supposed to shift between them, not get stuck in one.
When you check work email at 9 PM, even if you don't respond, your brain shifts into sympathetic activation. Your body releases cortisol. Your heart rate increases slightly. Your prefrontal cortex - the part responsible for complex thinking and emotional regulation - comes back online when it's supposed to be powering down.
This isn't neutral. This is physiological stress.
And here's the part most people don't understand: your brain needs complete disconnection to restore executive function. Not "sort of disconnected but checking phone periodically." Not "relaxing but available for emergencies." Complete. Disconnection.
Research on cognitive restoration shows that your brain consolidates learning, processes emotions, and restores decision-making capacity during genuine rest. When you interrupt that process - even briefly - you compromise the next day's cognitive performance.
Think about what this means for your team:
Decreased decision-making quality
Reduced creativity and problem-solving
Impaired emotional regulation (more reactive, less thoughtful)
Slower processing speed
Increased errors
You're not getting "extra productivity" from after-hours availability. You're borrowing from tomorrow's capacity. With interest.
And the sleep disruption compounds it. Evening screen exposure - especially work-related stress exposure - disrupts melatonin production. Even if your team member doesn't respond to your 11 PM email, their sleep quality suffers. Which means their cognitive function suffers the next day. Which means their performance suffers.
You're creating a downward spiral, one late-night email at a time.
The Real Cost: What After-Hours Expectations Are Costing Your Organization
Let's talk about what this is actually costing you, because I don't think most leaders have done this math.
Turnover: Research shows that boundary violations are a top predictor of employee turnover. When people feel they can never disconnect, they start looking for jobs where they can. The cost of replacing an employee ranges from 50% to 200% of their annual salary depending on role and seniority. How many people have you lost who cited "work-life balance" as a reason for leaving?
Healthcare costs: Chronic stress from constant availability leads to increased rates of anxiety, depression, insomnia, cardiovascular issues, and autoimmune flare-ups. Your healthcare premiums reflect your team's stress levels. So does your short-term disability usage.
Productivity illusion: Here's what the data consistently shows - more hours does not equal better output. In fact, after about 50 hours per week, productivity per hour drops so dramatically that you'd get the same results with fewer hours. The "always available" culture gives you the appearance of productivity while actually reducing it.
Innovation death: Creativity requires downtime. Your brain makes novel connections when it's not focused on a task - that's why great ideas come in the shower or on walks. When your team never disconnects, you're killing the cognitive space where innovation happens.
The domino effect: When you as a leader send emails after hours, you create an implicit expectation. Even if you say "no need to respond now," your team knows you're working. They see it. And they feel pressure to match it. One leader's late-night email creates anxiety for five team members, who then feel they should also be available, which creates expectation for their reports, and suddenly your entire organization is trapped in an always-on culture nobody actually wants.
Add it up. The cost of maintaining an always-on culture is staggering - and most of it is invisible until you actually calculate it.
Why American Work Culture Makes This So Hard
Let's acknowledge why this is particularly difficult in the United States: we've built an entire cultural identity around the hustle.
Rest is seen as weakness. Boundaries are seen as lack of dedication. Working evenings and weekends signals commitment. Taking vacation makes you look less serious. "Rise and grind" isn't just a motivational phrase - it's a moral judgment about your worth as a professional.
We've been programmed to believe that:
More hours = more valuable employee
Immediate responsiveness = more professional
Saying "I'm unavailable after 6 PM" = career-limiting move
People who set boundaries = less committed to success
And remote work made it exponentially worse. When the office is in your home, when is work actually over? The laptop is always there. The boundary between "on" and "off" disappeared, and we pretended that was fine. That we'd all just "figure out our own balance."
But here's what actually happened: the people with the least power (junior employees, people in precarious positions, people from marginalized groups who already feel they have to prove themselves) felt the most pressure to be constantly available. The people with the most power (executives, leaders) modeled always-on behavior and expected everyone else to match it.
Compare this to European models - not just the policies, but the culture. In France, sending work emails after hours can literally result in fines. In Germany, some companies have servers that don't deliver emails outside business hours. These aren't just legal protections - they're cultural statements about what matters.
And here's what's happening right now in the United States: there's a generational collision. Gen Z is entering the workforce with radically different expectations about boundaries. They watched millennials burn out. They saw their parents sacrifice everything for jobs that didn't return the loyalty. And they're saying: no.
They expect boundaries. They expect disconnection to be respected. They expect that "work-life balance" isn't just something companies say in job postings but actually practice.
And leaders trained in hustle culture are struggling to adapt.
Here's what you need to understand: the talent you want to attract and retain expects this. You can resist it, and lose people. Or you can lead it, and become the organization people want to work for.
The Notification Trap: Why You Can't Stop Checking (Even When You Want To)
Before we talk about solutions, I want to validate something: this is genuinely hard to change. Not because you're weak or undisciplined. Because your brain has been trained.
Every time you check your phone and see a work notification, your brain gets a small dopamine hit - even if the content is stressful. The uncertainty ("Is it urgent? Is it important? Should I respond?") creates a compulsive loop. You check to relieve the anxiety. The relief reinforces the checking. The cycle continues.
There's also the fear component:
FOMO: What if you miss something important?
Dedication signaling: What if people think you're not committed?
Anticipatory anxiety: What if something goes wrong and you're not available?
Control needs: What if things fall apart without your oversight?
And if you're a leader, there's the superhero complex: the belief that you're the only one who can handle certain things, that your team needs your constant availability, that disconnecting is somehow irresponsible.
None of this is your fault. But it is your responsibility to change it.
Because here's what you're actually teaching your team when you're constantly available: they should be too. You're training them to have the same anxious, compulsive relationship with work that you have. You're passing down your dysfunction.
And the relief that comes from actual boundaries - not fake ones, not "I'll try to disconnect more" intentions, but real, enforced boundaries - is profound. Your nervous system needs to know when work is truly off. When you can fully rest. When your brain can actually restore.
You can't think your way into that relief. You have to build structures that create it.
The Policy Landscape: What's Happening Globally (And What It Means for You)
Let's look at what's actually happening around the world, because this isn't theoretical anymore.
France (2017): Companies with more than 50 employees must negotiate with employees to establish hours when staff are not supposed to send or respond to emails. Violations can result in fines.
India (2023): The state of Kerala passed Right to Disconnect legislation protecting workers from after-hours contact. Other states are considering similar measures.
Australia (2024): Implemented Right to Disconnect laws giving employees the right to refuse to monitor, read, or respond to contact from employers outside working hours.
Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal: All have various forms of Right to Disconnect legislation protecting workers' off-hours.
California: AB-2751 was introduced (though didn't pass) to establish similar protections. The conversation isn't over - expect more attempts.
What these policies typically include:
Right to not respond to work communications outside designated hours
Protection from retaliation for exercising that right
Requirements for companies to establish clear policies
Penalties for violations
What they DON'T typically include:
Absolute bans on after-hours communication for genuine emergencies
One-size-fits-all hours (flexibility for different roles/industries)
Prohibition on employees choosing to work flexible hours
Here's what's important for U.S. leaders to understand: you don't have to wait for legislation to do this. In fact, you shouldn't. Because by the time you're legally required to change, you've already damaged trust, lost talent, and built a culture that will take years to repair.
The companies that are ahead of this - that implement strong disconnection policies before they're forced to - are going to win the talent war. The companies that resist until legislation forces their hand are going to be playing catch-up with a workforce that's already burned out and resentful.
Model It or Lose It: Why Your Behavior Matters More Than Your Policy
Here's the hard truth: announcing a policy means nothing if you violate it.
I've worked with dozens of organizations that have "work-life balance" policies on paper while leaders routinely send emails at midnight, schedule 7 AM meetings, and praise people who respond instantly at all hours.
Your team doesn't believe your policy. They believe your behavior.
If you say "no expectation to respond after hours" and then send emails at 10 PM, your team hears: "I expect you to be available at 10 PM but I'm giving you plausible deniability if you're not."
If you say "take your PTO" but you never take yours, your team hears: "Taking PTO makes you less committed."
If you praise the person who responds to your weekend email within minutes, your team hears: "Weekend availability is what gets rewarded here."
You cannot ask your team to do what you won't model.
So before you implement any policy, you need to ask yourself:
Are you willing to stop sending emails after hours? (Not "reduce" - stop.)
Are you willing to use delayed send features so your late-night work doesn't land in their inbox until morning?
Are you willing to explicitly say "This can wait until tomorrow" when it can?
Are you willing to address behavior that violates the boundary - even in high performers?
Are you willing to praise people for maintaining boundaries, not just for responsiveness?
If you're not willing to model it, don't announce it. Because announcing a boundary you don't enforce is worse than not having one at all - it breeds cynicism and erodes trust.
What About Real Emergencies?
I can hear the objection already: "But what if there's a genuine emergency?"
Fair question. Let's define it clearly.
A genuine emergency is:
Something that will cause significant harm if not addressed immediately
Something that cannot wait until next business day without serious consequences
Something where the person's specific expertise is required urgently
Not emergencies:
You just thought of something you want to communicate
A client email that's not actually urgent but feels pressing
Your own anxiety about tomorrow's meeting
Something you forgot to mention earlier
Anything that can wait 8-12 hours without serious consequences
Create a clear escalation protocol:
Default assumption: Everything can wait until business hours
True emergencies: Text or call (not email/Slack) with "URGENT" in subject
Emergency contacts: Designate one person on-call per week/rotation
Emergency criteria: Clearly defined and written down
And track your emergencies. If you're having "emergencies" every week, you don't have emergencies - you have a planning problem or a boundary problem.
Most organizations discover that once they implement this framework, their "emergencies" drop by 90%. Because most things that felt urgent actually weren't.
Rolling This Out Without Chaos: A Step-by-Step Guide
Okay, you're convinced. You want to do this. How do you actually implement it without everything falling apart?
Step 1: Audit Current Reality
Before you announce anything, understand where you actually are:
When are emails actually being sent in your organization?
What are the implicit response expectations?
Who are the worst offenders? (Often it's leadership)
What do people believe will happen if they don't respond after hours?
Are there role-specific needs that require different boundaries?
Do an anonymous survey. Ask honestly. Don't be defensive about what you learn.
Step 2: Get Leadership Aligned First
Do NOT announce a policy that your executive team won't follow. You need 100% leadership buy-in, which means:
Everyone in leadership commits to modeling the boundary
Everyone agrees on consequences for violations
Everyone understands WHY this matters (share the research, the costs, the data)
Everyone practices for 2-4 weeks BEFORE announcing to the broader team
If you can't get leadership aligned, work on that first. Otherwise you're setting up the policy to fail.
Step 3: Define Your Terms Clearly
Create shared language around:
Business hours: What are they? Are there core hours when everyone's expected to be available?
Response expectations: How quickly should people respond during business hours? (Hint: "immediately" is not realistic)
Urgent vs. important: What's the actual difference? Give examples.
Exceptions: What constitutes a genuine emergency? Who decides?
Flexibility: How do people with different schedules/time zones navigate this?
Write this down. Make it specific. Avoid vague language like "reasonable hours" or "when appropriate."
Step 4: Announce It Clearly and Repeatedly
One email isn't enough. This requires:
Leadership announcement in team meeting (explain WHY, not just WHAT)
Follow-up written policy shared via email
Slack/Teams announcement with key points
Addition to employee handbook
Discussion in 1-on-1s for the next month
Regular reminders (this isn't one-and-done)
And frame it correctly: This isn't a "perk" or "benefit." This is how we operate because it makes us better at our jobs, more sustainable as an organization, and healthier as humans.
Step 5: Build in Accountability
How will you know if it's working? How will you address violations?
Track it: Are after-hours emails decreasing?
Survey regularly: Do people feel pressure to respond outside business hours?
Address violations quickly: If a leader is violating the boundary, address it privately and immediately
Praise boundary-setting: Publicly recognize people who model good boundaries
Review exceptions: Are "emergencies" actually emergencies?
Make it clear that violating this boundary - especially as a leader - has consequences. Not draconian, but real. Because if there's no accountability, there's no policy.
Step 6: Review and Adjust
Check in at 30, 60, and 90 days:
What's working?
What's not?
What needs to be refined?
Are there role-specific challenges we didn't anticipate?
How is this affecting team wellbeing? Productivity? Turnover?
Be willing to adjust. But don't abandon it because it's uncomfortable. Discomfort is part of culture change.
What to Actually Say: Scripts for Every Scenario
Okay, here's the practical stuff. Copy/paste/adapt these for your context.
A. Leader-to-Team Announcement Scripts
Initial Team Meeting Script:
"I want to talk about something important: our always-on work culture and why we're changing it.
Here's what I've realized: when I send emails at 11 PM, even if I say 'no rush to respond,' I'm creating anxiety and pressure. I'm signaling that working late is what's expected. And I'm contributing to a culture where none of us can ever truly disconnect.
The research is clear - and I've seen it in our turnover data, our productivity metrics, and honestly in my own exhaustion - this isn't sustainable. More importantly, it's not effective. We're not getting better work from being available 24/7. We're getting more burned out people doing lower quality work.
So starting [date], here's what's changing:
[Outline specific policy - hours, expectations, emergency protocol]
I'm going to model this first. You'll see me using delayed send. You'll see me not responding to after-hours messages. You'll see me taking my evenings and weekends back. And I expect you to do the same.
This isn't optional. This is how we work now. Because I care more about sustainable high performance than I do about the appearance of constant availability.
Questions?"
Follow-Up Email Template:
Subject: Our New After-Hours Communication Policy - What You Need to Know
Team,
Following up on our conversation about disconnecting after hours, here are the specifics:
What's Changing:
No expectation to send, read, or respond to work communications between [X PM - X AM] or on weekends
Use delayed-send features if you're working outside these hours
"Urgent" means [your definition] - everything else can wait
What's NOT Changing:
Your ability to work flexible hours if that suits your life
The quality and timeliness of work we deliver during business hours
Our commitment to supporting each other
What I'm Modeling:
I'm using delayed send for all after-hours emails
I won't respond to messages outside business hours unless it's a genuine emergency
I'm turning off work notifications on my phone from [X PM - X AM]
What I Need From You:
Honor your own boundaries - actually disconnect
Don't reward after-hours availability - if someone emails you late, respond during business hours
Tell me if you feel pressure to violate these boundaries
This is about building sustainable high performance. Questions, concerns, or feedback - let's talk.
[Your name]
Slack Announcement Template:
š¢ Important Update: Our After-Hours Communication Policy
Starting [date], we're implementing clear boundaries around after-hours work communication. Here's what you need to know:
ā° Business hours: [X AM - X PM, Monday-Friday] šµ No expectation to respond outside these hours šØ Emergencies only: [criteria] - use [method] to reach on-call person ā Use scheduled send for messages you draft outside business hours
Why we're doing this: Better rest = better work. And constant availability is burning us out.
Full details in your email. Questions? Drop them here or DM me.
B. Email Templates for Daily Use
Auto-Responder for After-Hours:
Thank you for your email. I've received it and will respond during business hours [X AM - X PM, Monday-Friday].
If this is a genuine emergency requiring immediate attention, please contact [emergency contact/method].
Otherwise, I'll get back to you within [timeframe] during business hours.
"I'm Sending This Now But Don't Expect Response" Disclaimer:
[If you must send outside business hours, use delayed send. But if you can't, add this:]
Note: I'm sending this outside business hours because it works with my schedule. There is absolutely no expectation for you to read or respond until business hours. Please protect your personal time.
"This Can Wait" Subject Line Approach:
Subject: [NON-URGENT] [Your actual subject]
This signals immediately that no immediate action is needed.
C. Response Scripts for Boundary Violations
When Someone Emails You After Hours (How to Respond):
[Wait until business hours, then:]
"Thanks for sending this. For future reference, I don't check work email after [X PM], so if something is time-sensitive, [alternative method] is better. I'll get to this by [timeframe]."
When You Need to Address a Direct Report Working After Hours:
[In your next 1-on-1:]
"I noticed you sent several emails last night around 11 PM. I want to check in - are you feeling pressure to work those hours? Because that's not the expectation. Part of your job is modeling sustainable work practices for your team. Let's talk about workload and how we can help you disconnect after hours."
When Your Boss Expects After-Hours Availability (Upward Boundary):
[This is harder, but necessary:]
"I want to talk about after-hours communication. I've been noticing emails and messages outside business hours, and I want to clarify expectations. I'm committed to being highly responsive during [business hours], but I'm not able to maintain availability 24/7 in a sustainable way. Can we discuss what actually needs same-day response versus what can wait until next business day?"
D. Meeting/Conversation Scripts
One-on-One Check-In About Workload/Boundaries:
"I want to check in on your workload and boundaries. On a scale of 1-10, how sustainable does your current workload feel? Are you able to disconnect after hours, or are you feeling pressure - from me, from the work, from yourself - to be available? What would need to change to make this more sustainable?"
Team Meeting Discussion Prompt:
"Let's talk about our after-hours communication. What's working about our new policy? What's not? Where are you still feeling pressure to be available? What do you need from me to make this feel more real?"
How to Decline After-Hours Meeting Request:
"I'm not available for meetings outside [business hours]. Can we find a time during [available hours]? If the only option is outside business hours, let's discuss why and whether this needs to be escalated as an exception, because that's not our standard practice."
E. Slack/Messaging Templates
Status Messages That Set Boundaries:
"š“ Off the clock - back online [X AM] tomorrow" "ā° Business hours only - available [X AM - X PM]" "šµ Disconnected for the evening - urgent? Call [on-call person]"
How to Use Scheduled Send Features:
In Slack: Type your message, click the arrow next to Send, select "Schedule for later," choose next business day at 9 AM.
In Email: Compose your email, click the dropdown arrow next to Send, select "Schedule send," choose next business day morning.
Channel Guidelines for Expectations:
[Pin this in your team channels:]
š Channel Guidelines:
Messages sent outside business hours: no expectation to respond until next business day
@mentions should only be used during business hours unless genuine emergency
If it's urgent, use [emergency protocol] instead of Slack
"Urgent" means [your definition]
"But What About...?" Addressing the Concerns Leaders Actually Have
Let me address the real pushback I hear from leaders:
"But we're a global team - someone's always in business hours"
Yes. And that's fine. The policy is about personal boundaries, not organizational shutdown. If you're in New York and your colleague in Singapore sends an email at 2 AM your time (their afternoon), you don't respond until your morning. Time zones aren't an excuse to be always-on - they're a reason to be MORE disciplined about boundaries.
"But our clients expect 24/7 responsiveness"
Do they? Or have you trained them to expect it? Most clients are fine with next-business-day response if you set that expectation clearly. And if you genuinely have clients who require 24/7 coverage, that's what on-call rotations are for - you distribute the burden instead of making everyone always-available.
"But my team WANTS to work flexibly (including evenings)"
Great! Flexible work schedules are different from always-on availability. Someone can choose to work 7 AM - 3 PM or 12 PM - 8 PM based on their life. That's flexibility. What they shouldn't do is work 9-5 AND respond to emails at 9 PM. Use delayed send. Protect others' boundaries even if you're working.
"But what if there's a real emergency?"
We covered this. Define "emergency" clearly. Create an escalation protocol. Track whether your "emergencies" are actually emergencies. Most organizations discover they're over-using that word.
"But I'm not drowning anyone - I just send emails when I think of things"
Your intent doesn't matter. Your impact does. When you send an email at 11 PM, your team sees it and feels anxiety - even if you don't expect a response. Use delayed send. Your 11 PM idea can land in their inbox at 9 AM.
"But how do I compete with companies that don't have these boundaries?"
You compete by having less turnover, higher quality work, more innovation, and the ability to attract top talent. The companies grinding people into dust aren't your competition - they're churning through people and producing mediocre work from exhausted teams. You're building something sustainable.
For Individual Contributors: When Your Company Won't Change
Not everyone reading this is a leader. Some of you are individual contributors in organizations that haven't figured this out yet.
Here's what you can do to protect yourself:
Set Personal Boundaries Even Without Policy Support
You don't need permission to:
Turn off work notifications after a certain hour
Not check email on weekends
Use auto-responders that set expectations
Respond to after-hours emails during business hours only
Will there be some professional risk? Possibly. But there's also risk in burning yourself out trying to maintain unsustainable availability.
Use Scheduled Send to Protect Yourself
If you work evenings (by choice or necessity), use scheduled send so your emails don't land in inboxes after hours. You're protecting your colleagues' boundaries and not reinforcing an always-on culture.
Have the Conversation With Your Boss
Use the upward boundary script I provided earlier. Come with data about your productivity during business hours. Propose a trial period. But name what you need.
The "Minimum Viable Boundary" Approach
If you can't go all-in on boundaries, start somewhere:
No work email after 9 PM
No work on Sundays
One fully disconnected evening per week
Something is better than nothing.
When to Escalate vs. When to Job Search
If you've tried to set reasonable boundaries and faced retaliation, or if the culture is so toxic that boundaries are impossible, you're not in a sustainable situation. Start looking. Your health matters more than any job.
This Won't Be Perfect (And That's Okay)
I want to acknowledge something important: implementing this will be messy.
You'll forget and send an email at 10 PM. Someone will have a genuine emergency and need to reach you. A client will push back. You'll feel guilty about not being available. Your team will test whether you really mean it.
This is all normal. This is part of culture change.
What matters isn't perfection. What matters is:
Commitment: You keep trying even when it's hard
Accountability: You address violations (including your own)
Flexibility: You adjust what's not working
Persistence: You don't give up when it gets uncomfortable
Some people will struggle more than others. The people who've built their identity around being always-available will feel threatened. The people with anxiety will worry they're falling behind. The people who genuinely prefer working odd hours will need reassurance that flexibility still exists.
That's okay. Keep going.
Because here's what's on the other side of this discomfort:
Teams that are more rested and more creative
People who can actually be present in their lives
Reduced turnover and burnout
Higher quality work from people who have the cognitive capacity to do it
A culture where sustainable performance is the norm
The goal isn't perfect boundaries. The goal is progress toward a culture where people can actually disconnect, where rest is valued, and where being "always on" isn't confused with being "always excellent."
The Foundation for Everything Else
Here's what I want you to understand: disconnection isn't the opposite of dedication. It's the foundation for it.
You cannot sustain high performance without genuine rest. You cannot do your best thinking without time away from work. You cannot lead effectively when you're running on fumes.
The leaders who figure this out - who build cultures where disconnection is protected and modeled - are going to win. They're going to attract the talent that other organizations are burning through. They're going to see better retention, higher productivity, and more innovation.
The leaders who resist this, who cling to always-on culture because it feels like commitment, are going to watch their best people leave. They're going to deal with the costs of burnout, turnover, and decreased performance. And eventually, they'll be forced to change anyway - either by legislation or by competitive pressure.
You can lead this change or be dragged into it. Your choice.
But if you choose to lead it, here's what you're actually choosing:
To value your team's humanity as much as their productivity
To model sustainable high performance instead of performative busyness
To build a culture where people can bring their best selves to work because they actually have time to rest and restore
To recognize that the always-on culture isn't serving anyone - not you, not your team, not your organization
Your 11 PM email might seem harmless. It's not.
Your weekend Slack message might feel necessary. It's probably not.
Your expectation that people should be responsive at all hours might seem like the cost of doing business. It's actually the cost of losing your best people.
Build boundaries. Model them. Enforce them. Protect them.
Not because it's easy. Because it's necessary.
Your team's nervous systems - and your organization's future - depend on it.
Ready to Build a Culture of Sustainable Performance?
Understanding why disconnection matters is just the beginning. If you're recognizing that your team's always-on culture is unsustainable and you're ready to build boundaries that actually work, I can help.
Whether you're a leader trying to shift organizational culture, struggling with your own inability to disconnect, or wanting to implement right-to-disconnect practices that your team will actually follow, specialized support can help you navigate this culture change effectively.
š© For leaders and organizations: Executive coaching and organizational consulting focused on building sustainable high-performance cultures. Schedule your consultation to explore how to implement boundaries that protect both performance and wellbeing.
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Rae Francis is an executive coach and therapist helping leaders build sustainable high-performance cultures that don't burn people out. With 16+ years of therapeutic experience plus executive leadership background, she understands the intersection of organizational performance and human wellbeing. Through executive coaching and organizational consulting, Rae helps leaders implement boundaries that actually work, shift from always-on to sustainably excellent, and build cultures where people can do their best work without sacrificing their health. Her approach integrates neuroscience with practical implementation strategies for real organizational change. Whether you're implementing right-to-disconnect policies, struggling with your own boundary-setting, or wanting to shift organizational culture away from always-on expectations, Rae provides the specialized support that helps leaders build sustainable excellence. Learn more about her approach to sustainable leadership at Rae Francis Consulting.
