At home, switching off from work
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="glow">glow</span> <span word="emits">emits</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bed">bed</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="wife">wife</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="silhouetted">silhouetted</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="smartphone">smartphone</span> <span word="screen">screen</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="reads">reads</span> 2:30 <span word="am">am</span>. “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="doing">doing</span>?” <span word="I">I</span> <span word="ask">ask</span>.</p><p>“<span word="I">I</span>’<span word="m">m</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="replying">replying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="messages">messages</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="colleagues">colleagues</span>,” <span word="she">she</span> <span word="replies">replies</span>, <span word="clacking">clacking</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tiny">tiny</span> <span word="keyboard">keyboard</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="screen">screen</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="minute">minute</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="she">she</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="happens">happens</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="often">often</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="ended">ended</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="thought">thought</span> <span word="I">I</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="do">do</span> – <span word="agree">agree</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="French">French</span>.</p><p><span word="Our">Our</span> <span word="Gallic">Gallic</span> <span word="cousins">cousins</span> <span word="introduced">introduced</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="May">May</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="bans">bans</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="sending">sending</span> <span word="work">work</span>-<span word="related">related</span> <span word="emails">emails</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="employees">employees</span> <span word="after">after</span> 6 <span word="pm">pm</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="controversial">controversial</span> <span word="revisions">revisions</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="labor">labor</span> <span word="laws">laws</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="maximum">maximum</span> 35-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="working">working</span> <span word="week">week</span>.</p><p><span word="With">With</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="emergence">emergence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="smartphones">smartphones</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="devices">devices</span>, <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="constantly">constantly</span> <span word="connected">connected</span>. <span word="However">However</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="people">people</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="increasingly">increasingly</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="switch">switch</span> <span word="off">off</span>, <span word="figuratively">figuratively</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="literally">literally</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="experience">experience</span>, <span word="emails">emails</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="problem">problem</span>; <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="instant">instant</span>-<span word="messaging">messaging</span> <span word="apps">apps</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="WeChat">WeChat</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bigger">bigger</span> <span word="nuisance">nuisance</span>. <span word="For">For</span> <span word="chatting">chatting</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="family">family</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="friends">friends</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="free">free</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="overseas">overseas</span>, <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="godsend">godsend</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="habit">habit</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="add">add</span> <span word="virtually">virtually</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="meet">meet</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="WeChat">WeChat</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="colleagues">colleagues</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="wouldn">wouldn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="otherwise">otherwise</span> <span word="fraternize">fraternize</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="work">work</span>.</p><p><span word="Before">Before</span> <span word="mobile">mobile</span> <span word="devices">devices</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="us">us</span> 24-<span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="access">access</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="remembered">remembered</span> <span word="late">late</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="night">night</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="weekend">weekend</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="needed">needed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="talk">talk</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="co">co</span>-<span word="worker">worker</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="something">something</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="note">note</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ask">ask</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="office">office</span>; <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="urgent">urgent</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="d">d</span> <span word="pick">pick</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="call">call</span>. <span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="fire">fire</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="instant">instant</span> <span word="message">message</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="expect">expect</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="equally">equally</span> <span word="speedy">speedy</span> <span word="response">response</span>.</p>
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