Beat Mid-Year Burnout

You work, they pay. Fair? Not if your employer asks for more than you can give. Fight back against overtime culture with these rules, endorsed by Josh Cohen, author of Not Working: Why We Have to Stop

01 Be Second Up on Slack Being “always on” sounds simple, until your colleagues start trying to one-up you. First, your ops team starts sending its daily update at 8.30am instead of 9am, and now everyone’s following suit. Make sure that you’re not part of the problem by never being the first online. And if you’re working late, schedule emails to go out in the AM. 02 Take a Mental Health Day Tell your boss that you intend to take a day off to compensate for working extra hours (see Manage Your Managers for tips on how to ask). Don’t have that kind of boss? “Family emergency” works, too. Just remember to write down which relatives you’ll be using.

03 Don’t Work on Holiday Seriously. Check your email, but only to redirect things to someone who can assist. Research collated by Harvard Business Review found that people who use up all of their allotted leave have a greater chance of a promotion – though briefing colleagues before leaving plays a crucial role. Delegate, then celebrate.