Why Organisations Need to Establish Workplace Boundaries

Boundaries are the rules that govern interpersonal relationships in different spaces. Setting professional boundaries at the workplace is one of the most difficult tasks, especially when there is a lack of structure or framework regarding the same. Most workplaces have laws and codes of ethics that govern such relationships but lately the lines of personal-professional have been blurred with changing circumstances of working. In this context, it is important to discuss the various boundaries one needs to set at the workplace in order to lead a healthy and enjoyable work life. 

There are two types of boundaries one needs to implement at the workplace and these include- 

1) Professional Boundaries- This refers to boundaries that need to be set in the relationships with your superiors and your colleagues. The manager-employee relationship is very important and one must start off by clearly defining the latter’s roles and responsibilities. People exercise more fluidity in interpersonal relationships. Some maintain good friendships with their team members while others prefer to not discuss their private life at the workplace. Either way, one must respect and understand the needs and boundaries of the other. 

2) Personal Boundaries- These are boundaries individuals set for themselves in order to have a healthy and efficient work/life balance. These include having a designated time for work or not talking about personal preferences, political ideas, religious beliefs and so on at the workplace. 

Why are Workplace Boundaries Important?

In simple terms, setting boundaries leads one to feel happy and efficient at work, making it a pleasurable experience that one looks forward to doing every day. 

Constant change in working conditions, coupled with evolving interpersonal relationships at the workplace, leads to a lack of clarity in what constitutes appropriate behaviour at work. Harmful behaviours such as sexual harassment, bullying and shaming have taken a backseat in the virtual workplace and while they haven’t been erased, they have been replaced by other problems such as burnout, work stress, anxiety and a lack of work/life balance. Technology allows us to lead work lives for 24 hours a day and the leisure breaks that existed in a physical setting do not exist anymore. Employers and companies that use surveillance technologies to monitor working hours, limit agency and personal time of the individuals even more. 

 

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Following a survey of over 6,000 workers, the latest Microsoft Work Trend Index report found that India has the second highest percentage of workers facing increased burnout, with 41 per cent of workers citing the lack of separation between work and personal life as negatively impacting their well-being, resulting in increased stress levels. The LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index points out that women have been impacted much more than men in this regard, with the added responsibilities of managing their homes and children. 

How Can Organisations Establish Workplace Boundaries?

In order to create a safe environment where employees feel respected, it is necessary to open lines of communication between managers and employees and amongst employees. Companies can set up their internal policies on behaviours at the workplace, establish a code of ethics and cultivate leadership that encourages co-existence of different personalities and working styles. In the absence of an institutional framework, individuals can task themselves with setting a few boundaries that have proven to go a long way in keeping workplaces healthy and increasing worker productivity. 

AUDIT: Create a list, in consultation with your boss, and detail the responsibilities and activities that lie within your job description. This is a great way for both you and your superior to acknowledge the limits of your work, allocate tasks accordingly and prioritise goals which can be done most efficiently. 

COMMUNICATE: It is necessary to communicate the personal and professional boundaries you have set for yourself to your teammates in order for it to be respected. For example, giving an early notice that you will not be available during the weekend for any work related affairs. 

DELEGATE: If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the workload, it’s best to communicate that you need more time or to delegate the work amongst your team members. Take a call on whether or not a matter can be decided over text and avoid frequent meetings, especially in a work from home situation. 

CREATE STRUCTURES: If you find yourself in long drawn out meetings, create an agenda beforehand and make sure that everyone sticks to it. You can decide on a weekly check-in meeting with your employees/boss instead of being called every other day. Creating routines for yourself and your team relieves a lot of work stress related to planning and preparation. 

How to create a healthy workplace culture? Simple, by respecting personal boundaries! ✅

Not everyone is comfortable discussing their sexuality or personal preferences. Before asking someone personal questions, ask yourself “am I respecting their personal boundaries?” 🤔 pic.twitter.com/UeAKAQ5H4b

— Ungender (@UngenderTalks) September 1, 2021

ADDRESS BREACHES: There will be plenty of situations where your boundaries are violated and it is important that you address this breach with your colleagues/superiors. One has to be prepared for such incursions and be patient in explaining how it cannot occur again. For instance, if your working hours are from 9 am to 7 pm, make it a point to emphasize that you will not be entertaining emails or calls after that time period. This can include turning off work notifications or taking a social media break to focus on yourself and spending time with family. 

SET AN EXAMPLE: A study notes that the work-life balance displayed by people in charge play a positive role in establishing boundaries at the workplace leading to a better balance for employees working under them. When managers maintain personal boundaries, employees do not feel the need to be available all the time. It will also encourage them to emulate this behaviour and implement it in their lives. 

FEEDBACK: The most effective way to uphold boundaries and implement them is to have feedback sessions with your superiors and colleagues. Consistent feedback which reinforces boundaries and gives constructive criticism can go a long way in aiding your working style. 

How Can Advisories Help in Raising Awareness about Boundaries?

Advisories like Ungender aim to provide training and awareness programs that are able to curate content blocks suited to unique organisational needs. These moreover help organisations understand and respect professional and personal boundaries. Advisories are also able to provide proper knowledge to D&I leaders when it comes to understanding what kind of behaviour is acceptable and what kind of behaviour is not through drawn plans of actions as well as through proper implementation of processes. 

Reinforcing workplace boundaries through strict company policy, practicing professional boundaries of one’s own and creating a safe space where employees feel trusted and respected is now important more than ever. With companies experimenting in hybrid forms of working- physically going to the office and working from home, conditions of work have altered drastically. People in charge need to understand the individual anxieties that each team member faces and implement a fresh approach to management. 

A recent report by Udemy, titled ‘2019 Workplace Boundaries Report’ suggests that the workplace is fraught with questionable behaviours and crossed boundaries ranging from oversharing of personal information to ignoring acts such as bullying and shaming. Incursions into your personal life, political opinions, religious beliefs or cultural background cannot be taken up in an individual manner and need to be addressed at the institutional level. This means, reporting it to your superiors and alerting both HR and D&I officers at the workplace. In tandem, implementing boundaries will allow both employees and managers to ease into this new normal and reap maximum dividends, both psychologically and professionally. 

Written by: Diya Maria Abraham

Ungender Insights is the product of our learning from advisory work at Ungender. Our team specializes in advising workplaces on workplace diversity and inclusion. Write to us at contact@ungender.in to understand how we can partner with your organization to build a more inclusive workplace.