From the Director
Germany Rumored to Ban Emails After 6pm –
Or, Why You Should Put Down the Phone!
by Ryan Moore
A
new study, commissioned by the German minister
for Labor, Andrea Nahles, expected to come out in
2016 is projected to create new legisla on, which
won’t let you send work email a er 6pm.
At first blush, this seems a welcomed change. Wouldn’t it be nice
to totally disconnect at 6pm? But I am sure that I am not the only
one that feels a bit of anxiety from the idea of turning work off at
a point certain every night. All of the “what ifs” start to surface in
my mind and turning off just seems too risky. Take a look around
town and it seems impossible for the younger genera on to
make it through dinner, or walk across the street without
checking their mobile device. Even working professionals need to
be accessible to be produc ve, right? It seems counterproduc ve
to shut down at 6pm.
So why would Germany, a Na on known for its efficiency and no‐
nonsense hard work ethic consider capping the amount of me
its ci zens spend sending emails? Well according to Nahles,
there is an undeniable rela onship between constant availability
and mental health. So this hyper‐availability could be damaging
our health.
When you walk in the door to your house tonight, I encourage
you to hug your loved one (hugs lower your heart rate, blood
pressure, and levels of harmful stress hormone cor sol), turn off
your cell phone, and enjoy being unavailable for a change.
Summer
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