Other scenarios where HR professionals reported being on call included while visiting hospital patients, during an after-hours job interview and attending church, according to insights from a survey of 1,000 British people, commissioned by phone answering service firm Face For Business.
“As chief people officer, I have always viewed it as a personal responsibility to be accessible to the people I support,” explained David Cooper, chief people officer for healthcare provider Circle Health Group, speaking exclusively to HR magazine. “That extends to, on occasion, working outside of traditional business hours.
“This is a personal choice. However, HR professionals and businesses should recognise the importance of balancing personal time with the demands of a busy working life. That's why getting culture right is so important.”
Read more: Right to switch off: how HR can make it work
HR’s increasing responsibilities and seniority must also be borne in mind in relation to these findings, Cooper noted. Rebecca Ward, HR technical consultant for technology business AdviserPlus, agreed.
“In many companies, HR is seen as a vital partner, helping to guide decisions and make sure the right things are put in place for the business to thrive,” Ward told HR magazine. “This means HR’s input is often really relied upon for key decisions. That wasn’t always the case. I think that naturally makes them happy to pick up the phone, even outside of office hours.”
Face For Business’ survey also highlighted that HR professionals were the second most likely type of worker to pick up the phone to their colleagues outside of working hours (in first place were workers who identified as being ‘sales, media and marketing’ professionals.) This shows HR’s “strong sense of support and team spirit,” a Face For Business director told HR magazine.
“The level of commitment from HR is admirable,” Ward stated, “but is it sustainable long term? Constant availability can lead to burnout if clear boundaries aren’t established. There’s a balance to be struck between being responsive and ensuring that personal time is respected.”
Striking that balance requires an acknowledgment of the current work context, Cooper suggested: “It's no secret that the emergence of remote and hybrid working has led to change in the way people view working hours,” he said.
Read more: Should the UK adopt an out-of-hours work ban?
Andy Macgregor, a director at Face For Business, told HR magazine: "The notion of being available after clocking off has almost been normalised,” adding that the survey data points to this being the case across all of the 12 job sectors his team surveyed.
This change in perception of working hours could be formally acknowledged by the current UK government, if it chooses to follow the lead of more than a dozen countries by introducing ‘right to switch off’ legislation.
“If the UK government introduces ‘right to switch off’ legislation, HR has an opportunity to get ahead, and take the lead in promoting a culture where boundaries are respected, and self-care is prioritised,” said Ward.
“However, it looks like the government may lean toward introducing a code of practice, rather than strict legislation, as the latter could be too complex to mandate.”
For Cooper, ‘switch on’ business culture could either be an indicator of a high-performing organisation, or a sign of the opposite. “Each business will have its own needs and challenges,” he said.
But in either case, it is important for employee health and wellbeing that the lines between work and personal time do not become too blurred, Macgregor reminded. "While some employees may choose to have contact with co-workers outside of working hours, companies should avoid placing pressure or additional expectations on employees to be available even when not on the clock – unless it's written into their contract.
"As remote and hybrid work increasingly become the norm, it's important we retain boundaries, for the benefit of everybody involved."
Face For Business commissioned a survey of 1,000 British people in July 2024.
