The shift to remote work in recent years has fundamentally transformed how businesses operate. Even companies that aren’t fully remote allow employees to work from home and are taking on additional remote employees and contractors. With this shift comes the inevitable use of smartphones and tablets for work. While these devices don’t seem that different from laptops, aside from their size, they can lead to employee burnout much faster.
If your team members use smartphones and tablets for work, here are some pro tips to create a healthy tech culture that supports productivity while preventing burnout.
Don’t issue smartphones unless absolutely necessary
First and foremost, only issue mobile devices to employees who actually need them. This includes sales reps who travel or other staff members who drive between locations or meet clients in person. For anyone in these positions, having a mobile device to use on the go is essential.
In this situation, it makes sense to spend money on a good device, like the Samsung Galaxy S25, and a well-tested protective case.
On the other hand, any employee who is expected to give you their full attention for the workday should not be given a mobile device for work. Employees who come into your office every day or work from home, for example, should be using a desktop or laptop computer to maintain productivity and focus.
When regular employees start using a mobile device for work, several things can happen:
• They’ll start using the mobile device to browse personal social media feeds and get distracted from their daily tasks
• They’ll download apps that aren’t necessary for their job, like games
• They won’t be nearly as productive due to the absence of a full-sized keyboard and a normal-sized screen
• Work-from-home team members will start leaving their workstations to run errands, visit friends, and multi-task on their mobile device
Employees who use laptops will walk away from their computer periodically to take breaks and rest their eyes. Employees who primarily use a mobile device won’t, and that makes them highly susceptible to burnout. Research has shown that excessive screen time disrupts sleep, impairs productivity, and causes emotional wellbeing to decline.
Don’t give your employees a reason to get distracted and spend all their time on their device. Know when to issue laptops and desktops, and reserve mobile devices for your mobile teams.
Give your team generous breaks
Breaks are essential for everyone, but they’re even more important for anyone using a mobile device for work. Most states don’t have laws that require employers to give employees breaks, and it’s up to each business owner to decide if and when they allow breaks. However, not giving adequate breaks will directly cause your team to burn out fast.
Generally, one 10-minute break every four hours is the norm, but many employers offer 15 minutes. If you’re not required to provide unpaid meal breaks, 30 minutes to an hour is typical. However, for employees who are required to stare at a screen all day, an hour for lunch is ideal.
Discourage working off the clock
When employees feel pressured to meet challenging deadlines or have excessive workloads, they often work after hours and during their free time. This is more common with mobile devices, and is a fast path to burnout.
To avoid burned out employees, prohibit working off the clock and make it a serious offense – like being grounds for termination. Write it into your company policy and include examples, like accessing work-related accounts or files on their device on personal time.
In addition to discouraging your team from working off the clock, make sure all workloads are reasonable. Don’t give anyone a reason to work after hours. If someone is behind, find a solution that can be implemented during business hours.
Avoid setting arbitrary goals
Most employees want to do their best each day, but are stuck altering their daily tasks to meet arbitrary numbers that don’t have any connection to their productivity. If you set unworkable KPIs for your team members, you can expect them to spend their days meeting those KPIs and using their mobile devices off the clock to get their real work done.
Sustainable productivity requires digital boundaries
While mobile devices are great for people on the go (like sales reps), remember that for most people, constant connectivity doesn’t equate to higher productivity. The best way to create a healthy mobile work culture is to limit access to mobile devices, discourage constant screen time, and encourage healthy habits, like taking regular breaks. By doing so, you’ll prevent burnout while providing your team with the support they need to achieve sustainable productivity.
Source: Cosmo Politian
