In the modern workplace environment, coordinating the boundaries between work and life has become a crucial issue. Nowadays, employees are still frequently disturbed by work affairs after finishing their work. This situation not only disrupts their personal lives but also brings about occupational stress.
相关研究表明，高达76%的员工认为下班后的干扰令人厌烦，83%的员工表示此类打扰每周至少出现两次。

Faced with this situation, how can leaders provide employees with work flexibility while safeguarding their private time? This article will offer three practical strategies for managers to help their teams properly handle the issue of work-life boundaries.
面对这样的现状，领导者该如何在给予员工工作灵活性的同时，保障他们的私人时间呢？本文将为管理者提供三种实用策略，助力团队妥善处理工作与生活的界限问题。

I. Why do employees resent being disturbed during non-working hours?

一、员工缘何反感非工作时间被打扰

When work invades personal life, the degree of employees’ resentment towards this should not be underestimated. Research shows that 76% of employees consider being contacted after work as an interference with their own lives. 83% of them are disturbed at least twice a week, and this phenomenon has become even more frequent since the outbreak of the pandemic. The blurring of the boundary between work and life not only troubles employees but also poses challenges to leaders.
当工作侵入个人生活，员工对此的反感程度不容小觑。研究显示，76%的员工将下班后被联系视为对自身生活的干扰。83%的人每周至少被打扰两次，且自疫情发生后，这种现象愈发频繁。工作与生活界限的模糊，不仅让员工困扰，也给领导者带来挑战。

Employees expect both flexibility in their work and a clear demarcation between work and life. Although flexible working hours are highly favored, frequent interruptions will compress their rest time, which in turn affects job satisfaction and occupational well - being, and may even lead to employee turnover. Therefore, managers need to master the method of skillfully setting boundaries to protect employees’ rest time while ensuring flexibility and achieve a balance between work and life.
员工既期望工作具有灵活性，又渴望明确划分工作与生活的界限。虽然灵活的工作时间备受青睐，但频繁的打扰会压缩他们的休息时间，进而影响工作满意度与职业幸福感，甚至可能致使员工离职。所以，管理者需掌握巧妙设定界限的方法，在保障灵活性的同时，保护员工的休息时间，实现工作与生活的平衡。

II. The Difficulty of Defining Interference During Non - Working Hours

二、非工作时间被干扰的定义难题

Defining “non - working time interference” is far more complex than imagined. Research has found that in 44% of cases, employees have different views on whether their personal boundaries have been violated. This is a highly subjective issue, and the same employee may have different reactions in different scenarios. About one - third of the time, their acceptance of one interruption is completely different from the next. This difference poses great difficulties for managers in formulating unified standards.
界定“非工作时间干扰”远比想象中复杂。研究发现，44%的情形下，员工对于个人界限是否被侵犯存在不同看法。这是个高度主观的问题，同一员工在不同场景下可能有不同反应，约三分之一的概率，他们对某次打扰的接受程度与下次截然不同。这种差异给管理者制定统一标准带来极大困难。

Even more surprisingly, many managers themselves are victims of after - work interference. Facing urgent work needs, managers often bear great pressure. They not only need to respond promptly after work but also strive to return to normal life after being disturbed. In fact, after - work interference not only affects employees but also makes it difficult for leaders to balance work and personal life.
更出人意料的是，不少管理者自身也是下班后干扰的受害者。面对工作中的紧急需求，管理者往往承受巨大压力，不仅要在工作之余及时回应，还要在被打扰后努力回归正常生活。事实上，下班后的干扰不仅影响员工，也使领导者难以平衡工作与个人生活。

These situations indicate that relying solely on rigid rules is difficult to cope with the modern complex situation of the integration of work and life. In this context, managers need to explore more flexible strategies to help the team and themselves effectively manage the boundary between work and life. By paying attention to the different needs of each employee and formulating a more personalized work style based on the actual situation, managers can better deal with this complex boundary management challenge.
这些情况表明，单纯依靠硬性规则难以应对现代复杂的工作与生活融合局面。在此背景下，管理者需探寻更灵活的策略，助力团队及自身有效管理工作与生活的边界。通过关注每位员工的不同需求，并依据实际情况制定更个性化的工作方式，管理者能够更好地应对这一复杂的边界管理挑战。

III. Three Strategies for Managing the Boundary Between Work and Life

三、管理工作与生活边界的三大策略

(I) Set Clear Boundaries Through Communication

（一）通过沟通设定明确边界

Managing the boundary between work and life is not just about formulating rules but about building a clear and two - way communication mechanism. This kind of communication requires managers to not only understand the expectations of team members but also give employees the opportunity to express their own needs for the boundary between work and personal life. Through direct “boundary conversations” with team members, managers can reduce the ambiguity of expectations, avoid unintentional interruptions, and at the same time improve work efficiency and employee satisfaction.
管理工作与生活的边界，并非仅仅制定规则，而是构建清晰且双向的沟通机制。这种沟通要求管理者既要了解团队成员的期望，也要给予员工表达自身对工作与个人生活边界需求的机会。通过与团队成员展开直接的“边界对话”，管理者能够减少期望的模糊性，避免无意的打扰，同时提高工作效率与员工满意度。

First of all, the key to boundary conversations is two - way communication. Managers cannot simply infer employees’ preferences based on their own work styles. Team members have different life rhythms and work needs, and the boundaries between working hours and private time also vary. Some employees hope to completely separate from work after work and have a good rest; while some employees can accept limited contact during non - working hours, but only if the interruptions are not frequent and not urgent. Therefore, when setting communication rules, managers should actively ask each employee about their personal preferences and how they expect to be contacted outside working hours. Especially at the beginning of team cooperation, when new employees join, or when new work tasks start, managers need to take the initiative to initiate such conversations to ensure that employees’ needs are understood and respected.
首先，边界对话的关键在于双向沟通。管理者不能仅凭自身工作风格来推测员工偏好。团队成员生活节奏与工作需求各异，工作时间与私人时间的边界也不尽相同。有些员工下班后希望彻底与工作脱离，全心休息；而有些员工在非工作时间能够接受有限的联系，但前提是打扰不频繁且不紧急。因此，在设定沟通规则时，管理者应主动询问每位员工的个人偏好，以及他们期望在工作时间外如何被联系。特别是在团队合作初期、新员工入职或新工作任务开启时，管理者需主动发起这类对话，以确保员工的需求得到了解与尊重。

When discussing the boundary between work and life with the team, managers should be aware that they are both the ones who may interrupt others and the ones who may be interrupted. Therefore, managers should maintain an open attitude, share their own work styles while asking about employees’ expectations. This can not only enhance mutual understanding but also make both parties clear when it is appropriate to be interrupted and when to keep a distance. For example, managers can ask team members: “How do you usually arrange your working hours? If I need to contact you after work, in what situations do you think it is appropriate?” Through similar questions, managers can better understand employees’ work rhythms and avoid unnecessary conflicts when contacting employees.
当与团队探讨工作与生活的界限时，管理者要意识到自己既是可能打扰他人的一方，也可能被他人打扰。所以，管理者应保持开放态度，询问员工期望的同时，分享自己的工作风格。这样既能增进彼此理解，又能让双方明确何时该被打扰、何时应保持距离。例如，管理者可以问团队成员：“你平时的工作时间是怎样安排的？如果下班后我需要联系你，你觉得在什么情况下才合适？”通过类似问题，管理者能更好地了解员工的工作节奏，从而在联系员工时避免不必要的冲突。

Moreover, boundary conversations are not a one - time thing. Even after the team has been operating for some time, such communication is still important. At different project stages or different periods of the development of work relationships, employees’ needs may change, and the work intensity will also vary. Therefore, continuous communication helps to maintain an understanding of each other’s expectations. This can be achieved through regular reviews of communication norms and discussions of problems and challenges in the current work process. If the team can regularly reflect on and appropriately adjust these issues, employees’ work efficiency and job satisfaction will be improved.
而且，边界对话并非一劳永逸。即便团队已运作一段时间，此类沟通依然重要。在不同项目阶段或工作关系发展的不同时期，员工需求可能改变，工作强度也会有变化。因此，持续沟通有助于保持对彼此期望的理解。这可以通过定期回顾沟通规范、讨论当前工作流程中的问题与挑战来实现。若团队能定期反思并适当调整这些问题，员工的工作效率与工作满意度都将得到提升。

In addition, managers also need to have a similar “upward communication” with their superiors. This can not only protect the boundaries of themselves and the team but also provide clear feedback to senior managers and help them understand the team’s needs in terms of work - life balance. Through such conversations, managers can ensure that their own work styles do not put excessive pressure on team members and let senior leaders know the operation status of the team.
此外，管理者还需与上级进行类似的“向上沟通”。这不仅能保护自己与团队的界限，还能为高层管理者提供清晰反馈，帮助他们了解团队在工作与生活平衡方面的需求。通过此类对话，管理者既能确保自身工作方式不会给团队成员带来过度压力，又能让上级领导知晓团队的运作状况。

In addition, managers should pay attention to sending the right signals. Their own work styles and time arrangements may not be applicable to other team members. For example, if a manager is used to handling work late at night and sending emails at 2 a.m., it may make employees think that they need to be on standby at any time during non - working hours. Therefore, managers can make full use of the email delay sending function to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on team members. They can also add the word “non - urgent” to the subject line of the email or indicate in the signature: “I sometimes send emails during non - working hours, but please reply according to your own working hours and don’t need to rush to handle it.” In this way, they can maintain work flexibility without disturbing others’ lives.
另外，管理者要注意传递正确信号。自己的工作方式与时间安排未必适用于其他团队成员。比如，若管理者习惯深夜处理工作并在凌晨两点发邮件，可能会让员工误以为需在非工作时间随时待命。为此，管理者可充分利用邮件延迟发送功能，避免给团队成员造成不必要压力。还可在邮件主题行添加“非紧急”字样，或在签名处注明：“我有时会在非工作时间发邮件，但请您按自己的工作时间回复，无需急于处理。”如此，既能保持工作灵活性，又不会打扰他人生活。

Through the above methods, managers can not only effectively manage the boundary between work and life but also reduce misunderstandings in daily communication and enhance the trust and participation of team members.
通过上述方式，管理者不仅能有效管理工作与生活的边界，还能在日常沟通中减少误解，增强团队成员的信任感与参与度。

(II) Adhere to the Boundaries to Prevent Work from Intruding into Personal Time

（二）坚守界限，防止工作侵扰个人时间

After clarifying the boundaries with the team, the biggest challenge lies in how to adhere to them and prevent work from intruding into personal time. Managers need to provide support for the team while ensuring that they can fully rest and recover their energy after work. Although it seems difficult, with a few simple strategies, they can better protect their time and attention.
与团队明确边界后，最大的挑战在于如何坚守，防止工作侵入个人时间。管理者既要为团队提供支持，又要保证自己在下班后能充分休息与恢复精力。虽看似困难，但借助几个简单策略，便能更好地守护自己的时间与注意力。

1. Develop a Communication Habit Before Leaving Work
2. 养成下班前沟通习惯
   To reduce after - work interruptions, you can develop a habit of dealing with potential problems specifically before the end of the working day. Spend the last 15 - 20 minutes of each day contacting those who may need your support after work and solve their immediate problems. In this way, temporary problems can be solved before leaving work, avoiding interference with rest time.
   要减少下班后的打扰，可养成在工作日结束前专门处理潜在问题的习惯。每天最后15 - 20分钟，与下班后可能需要自己支持的人联系，解决他们的即时问题。如此，临时问题能在下班前解决，避免干扰休息时间。

At the same time, it is recommended to plan the tasks for the next day in advance and formulate a simple work plan. This can not only relax your mind but also prevent you from being anxious about unfinished work after work. Reasonably arranging the transition between work and personal time is the key to ensuring that you can truly enjoy your private time after work.
同时，建议提前规划第二天的任务，制定简单工作计划。这不仅能让心态放松，还能使自己下班后不再为未完成工作焦虑。合理安排工作与个人时间的过渡，是确保下班后能真正享受私人时光的关键。

2. Make Good Use of Calendar Tools
3. 善用日历工具
   Calendars can be used not only to arrange work but also to help set clear boundaries between work and life. Clearly mark “working hours” and “personal time” on the calendar, which can not only help you consciously control the workload but also let your colleagues know your time arrangement and avoid being disturbed during your private time.
   日历不仅可用于安排工作，还能助力设置明确的工作与生活界限。在日历上清晰标注“工作时间”与“个人时间”，既能帮助自己有意识地把控工作量，又能让同事知晓时间安排，避免在私人时间被打扰。

A shared team availability calendar is also important. With this calendar, team members can understand each other’s time arrangements, know who is available at a specific time and who is on vacation, so as to arrange tasks more reasonably. Making effective use of these tools can not only reduce unnecessary interruptions but also improve the work efficiency of the entire team.
共享的团队可用性日历同样重要。借助该日历，团队成员能了解彼此时间安排，知晓谁在特定时段有空、谁在休假，从而更合理地安排任务。有效利用这些工具，既能减少不必要打扰，又能提升整个团队的工作效率。

3. Appoint a Deputy to Handle Emergency Affairs
4. 指定副手处理紧急事务
   Appointing a deputy or backup person for each important project is an effective measure to reduce after - work interference. This person does not have to be the project leader, but they need to have enough knowledge of the project progress so that they can answer simple questions or handle basic tasks when you are not available.
   为每个重要项目指定副手或备份人员，是减少下班后干扰的有效举措。此人不一定是项目负责人，但需对项目进展有足够了解，以便在自己不在时能回答简单问题或处理基本任务。

This strategy can not only reduce interference after work but also ensure that the project does not come to a standstill due to the absence of key personnel in case of unexpected situations such as employees taking leave or getting sick. It helps to form a culture of shared responsibility within the team, making all members responsible for the smooth progress of the project. Especially when dealing with large - scale projects or long - term tasks, ensuring that there is an alternative person who can take over the work at critical moments can not only reduce your own burden but also make the project more flexible and robust.
这一策略不仅能在下班后减少干扰，还能在员工请假或生病等意外情况下，确保项目不因关键人员缺失而停滞。它有助于在团队内部形成责任共享文化，使所有成员都对项目顺利推进负责。尤其在处理大型项目或长期任务时，确保有替代人员能在关键时刻接手工作，既能减轻自身负担，又能让项目更具灵活性与稳健性。

4. Set Up Automatic Replies During Non - Working Hours
5. 设置非工作时间自动回复
   For enterprises operating 24/7 or teams across different time zones, setting up automatic replies during non - working hours is an effective method. This can not only ensure the smooth flow of information but also prevent colleagues from waiting blindly for a reply during non - working hours.
   对于24/7运营的企业或跨时区团队，设置非工作时间自动回复是有效方法。这既能保证信息畅通，又可避免同事在非工作时间盲目等待回复。

The automatic reply can provide answers to common questions or guide the other party to contact a colleague who can provide real - time help. You can design standard replies for common questions and direct them to other team members or reference materials. In this way, you can reduce stress after work and effectively maintain the normal operation of the team.
自动回复可针对常见问题提供解答，或指引对方联系能实时提供帮助的同事。可针对常见问题设计标准回复，引导至其他团队成员或参考资料。通过这种方式，既能在下班后减轻压力，又能有效维护团队的正常运转。

5. Control Interferences to Ensure Concentration
6. 控制干扰，确保专注
   During off - work hours, external interferences should be minimized. For example, turn off work notifications on your phone or computer and switch to “focus mode” to avoid being distracted. At the same time, take additional measures to reduce self - interference, such as putting your work device in another room or closing the email client to prevent accidentally checking work tasks during personal time.
   下班时间应尽量减少外部干扰。比如，关闭手机或电脑的工作通知，切换至“专注模式”，避免注意力被打断。同时，采取额外措施减少自我干扰，如将工作设备放至另一房间或关闭电子邮件客户端，防止在个人时间无意查看工作任务。

Reducing external and self - interferences is a key step to ensure that you can relax and recover your energy during personal time. Through reasonable control, you can be more focused on your life during non - working hours and not be tied down by work affairs.
减少外部与自我干扰是确保在个人时间能放松、恢复精力的关键步骤。通过合理控制，可在非工作时间更专注于生活，不被工作事务牵绊。

6. Take Turns on Duty to Relieve Pressure
7. 轮流值班减轻压力
   If your work role requires you to handle affairs frequently during non - working hours (such as in customer support or 24/7 operating enterprises), taking turns on duty is an effective solution. By formulating a shift schedule, ensure that team members are responsible for solving emergency situations at specific times, and others are not disturbed during non - working hours.
   若工作角色需频繁在非工作时间处理事务（如客户支持或24/7运营企业），轮流值班是有效解决方案。通过制定轮班安排，确保团队成员在特定时间负责解决紧急情况，其他人在非工作时间不受打扰。

This arrangement can not only relieve personal pressure but also let team members know that there are others taking over the work during non - working hours, so that they can be more focused on rest and recovery. Through taking turns on duty, the entire team can handle emergencies more efficiently and ensure that customers and tasks are handled in a timely manner.
这种安排既能减轻个人压力，又能让团队成员知晓非工作时间有他人接手工作，从而更专注于休息与恢复。通过轮流值班，整个团队能更高效应对突发事件，确保客户与任务得到及时处理。

7. Cross - Time - Zone Cooperation Strategy
8. 跨时区合作策略
   If the team is across different time zones, the geographical differences can be used to advantage. Team members in different time zones can support and cooperate with each other. For example, after one part of the team gets off work, another part of the team can continue to handle work. In this way, the team can achieve all - day business operation while ensuring that individual rest time is not disturbed.
   若团队跨不同时区，可利用地理差异带来优势。不同时区内，团队成员可相互支持与合作。例如，一部分团队下班后，另一部分团队可继续处理工作。如此，团队可实现全天候业务运行，同时确保个体休息时间不被打扰。

For this purpose, the team needs to conduct knowledge sharing to ensure that each member has enough information and resources to handle relevant work when others are not available. This cross - time - zone cooperation strategy can not only improve the overall efficiency of the team but also reduce the burden on individual members during non - working hours.
为此，团队需进行知识共享，确保每个成员都有足够信息与资源，在他人不在时能处理相关工作。这种跨时区合作策略，既能提高团队整体效率，又能减轻单个成员在非工作时间的负担。

(III) Deal with Emergency Events and Handle Situations Where Boundaries Have to Be Infringed

（三）应对紧急事件，处理不得不侵犯边界的情况

In reality, even if you try your best to set clear boundaries, after - work interference is sometimes inevitable. In the face of such situations, the key lies in how to deal with them.
现实中，即便尽力设定清晰边界，下班后的干扰有时仍难以避免。面对此类情况，关键在于如何应对。

1. Use a Framework to Deal with Boundary Infringement
2. 运用框架处理边界侵犯
   If you have to contact employees during their off - work hours, it is recommended to use a “boundary framework”. First, admit that this is the other party’s private time, explain why this interruption is an exception, and state its importance and urgency. This can not only reduce the negative emotions caused by the interruption but also show respect for the other party’s time.
   若必须在员工下班时间联系他们，建议采用“边界框架”。首先承认此时是对方私人时间，解释此次打扰为何是例外，并说明其重要性与紧急性。这样既能减轻打扰带来的负面情绪，又能体现对对方时间的尊重。

Why do this? Because infringing on employees’ boundaries is not just a simple interruption but may also damage the relationship between the two parties. If handled properly, the risk of destroying trust can be reduced. Research shows that through this situational framework, the dissatisfaction caused by interference can be reduced by up to 35%.
为何要这么做？因为侵犯员工边界，不仅是一次简单打扰，更可能损害双方关系。若处理得当，可降低破坏信任的风险。研究表明，通过这种情境框架，可将干扰带来的不满情绪降低多达35%。

2. Reflect and Prevent Future Problems
3. 反思并预防未来问题
   Every time you encounter a boundary infringement, take some time to think about whether this interference was necessary and whether similar situations can be avoided in the future. For example, is there a single - point failure in the system? Which links in the process need to be optimized? You can discuss with the team how to reduce non - working time interference and improve the work mechanism.
   每次遇到边界侵犯后，花时间思考此次干扰是否必要，未来能否避免类似情况。例如，系统是否存在单点故障？流程中哪些环节有待优化？可与团队共同探讨如何减少非工作时间的干扰，改进工作机制。

IV. How to Establish Your Own Boundaries

四、如何建立自身边界

If you are the one being disturbed, you can better cope with it through the following points:
若自身是被打扰的一方，可通过以下几点更好应对：

1. Procrastination Strategy: When receiving a request during non - working hours, first judge whether it must be responded to immediately. If the task is not particularly urgent, it is recommended to postpone it to working hours for processing, such as telling the other party: “Let’s discuss it in detail tomorrow morning.” In this way, it shows that you have not ignored the problem and at the same time ensures that your personal time is not interrupted.
2. 拖延策略：接到非工作时间的请求时，先判断是否必须立即回应。若任务并非特别紧急，建议推迟到工作时间处理，如告知对方：“我们明天上午详细讨论。”如此既表明未忽视问题，又能确保个人时间不被打断。
3. Set Secondary Boundaries: If you have to handle something during off - work hours, set a clear time limit. For example, tell the other party: “I can handle it for the next 30 minutes, but I have other arrangements after that.” By setting a time boundary, you can prevent the task from occupying your personal time without limit.
4. 设定二次界限：若必须在下班时间处理某事，设定明确时间限制。比如告诉对方：“我接下来30分钟可以处理，但之后有其他安排。”通过设定时间边界，防止任务无限制侵占个人时间。
5. Cultivate Attention Agility: In the face of interference, it is crucial to cultivate the ability to quickly regain focus. Mindfulness techniques can help improve attention agility. After an interference occurs, through methods such as deep breathing, relaxing the body, and adjusting the environment, you can enter a relaxed state again more quickly.
6. 培养注意力敏捷性：面对干扰，培养快速恢复专注的能力至关重要。正念技巧可帮助提高注意力敏捷性。干扰出现后，通过深呼吸、放松身体、调整环境等方法，能更快重新进入放松状态。

V. Manage the Boundary Between Work and Life to Promote Organizational Success

五、管理工作与生活界限，推动组织成功

Effectively managing boundaries is not only to protect personal time but also to create a healthy working environment for the organization. When employees feel that their boundaries are respected, their work engagement and satisfaction will be significantly improved, and they will work more efficiently and motivated in the future. Ultimately, both the organization and employees will benefit from this, enhancing the team’s productivity and work participation.
有效管理边界，不仅是为了保护个人时间，更是为组织营造健康的工作环境。当员工感受到自身界限被尊重，他们的工作投入度与满意度将显著提升，进而在未来更高效、更有动力地工作。最终，组织与员工都将从中受益，增强团队的生产力与工作参与感。

By setting clear boundaries and actively dealing with relevant problems when necessary, managers can not only promote the success of the organization but also bring a better work - life balance to employees.
管理者通过设定清晰界限，并在必要时主动处理相关问题，既能推动组织成功，又能为员工带来更好的工作与生活平衡。