Working these days means always having to be online?

In an age where online presence is seen as a measure of engagement, workers are increasingly caught up in the cycle of 'being online to be seen'. So does the right to switch off still exist?

Many workers today are required to be online to handle work, regardless of time.

Technology was once expected to help people work more efficiently and have more time to rest. But the reality is the opposite: many digital workers are forced to live in a state of "continuous online", both technically and mentally.

Every profession is "forced" to be online

From "traditional" professions such as accounting and marketing to emerging forces such as technology drivers, content collaborators, online sales... "always be ready to respond" has become an unwritten requirement.

According to the work trend index report published by Microsoft in mid-June, the rate of employees having meetings after 8pm has increased by 16%, and about 29% of employees have to check email at 10pm. On average, each person has to send and receive more than 58 messages outside of working hours, in addition, they are interrupted on average every 1.75 minutes, equivalent to 275 times/day...

Ms. Quynh, who works in administration at a logistics company, shared: "After finishing a meeting at 6 p.m., the boss still called to ask for urgent files. I wanted to turn off my phone but was afraid of being judged as 'irresponsible'. Gradually, I didn't dare leave my phone."

Technology drivers, livestream sellers, online consultants - people who seem to have the freedom to manage their time are the ones most likely to be "forced online".

"If you don't turn on the app, you won't get any orders. If you don't accept them quickly, someone else will take them. If you turn off the app, you'll have to take the day off," said Quoc, a tech driver.

Technology platforms operate on algorithms, and algorithms favor “hardworking” people. That means those who are online a lot, receive orders continuously, and maintain a high response rate will be rewarded, or at least not punished.

The freedom of choice that many people have for freelancing has become an invisible trap. Workers are controlled by systems, clocked by data, and constantly evaluated even when they are not in the office.

When the "right to remain silent" becomes a privilege

In many developed countries, the concept of the “right to disconnect” has been legalized. France is a pioneer with a law that allows employees to refuse to answer emails outside of working hours without being penalized.

Ireland, Italy and some global companies such as Volkswagen and BMW also limit internal email systems after business hours.

In Vietnam, although the Labor Law regulates working and rest time, "shutting down" still depends a lot on corporate culture and the invisible pressure of the digital environment.

A mid-level manager in the communications industry shared: "Although it is not mandatory, if employees are silent after 8 pm when the team is busy, they will hardly be appreciated. Even though it is not said, everyone understands."

Shutdown: Right or Risky Choice?

The problem is not just technology, but also a shift in the way we think about productivity. As data, results, and presence become the criteria for judging people, “online” has become synonymous with “responsible,” and “off” with “indifferent.”

What is worrying is that workers themselves are gradually forgetting that they have the right to rest. Late night calls, unexpected messages and urgent responses outside of working hours have become the 'normal', a dangerous 'new normal' that blurs the line between life and work.

Online has become the new definition of productivity. But that kind of productivity cannot last forever, if people can no longer disconnect to recover, to rest, and to be human.

Shutting down, sometimes is not a way to avoid work, but the only way to preserve yourself.

SINGLE INTELLIGENCE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/lam-viec-thoi-nay-la-luc-nao-cung-phai-online-20250704115407539.htm