The Win-Win of Healthy Workplace Boundaries

Helping employees identify, set, and maintain healthy boundaries at work enables them to build trust, improve resilience and well-being, and contribute to a higher-performing environment for everyone. Significant research shows a strong relationship between positive employee well-being and improved organizational performance (Emmanuel De Neve, J., Krekel, C. & Ward, G., 2019; Sears, L.E., Coberley, C.R., & Pope, J.E., 2016; Hamar, B., Coberley C. & Pope, J.E., 2015; Wright, T.A., Cropanzano, R., & Bonett, D.G., 2007). A lack of (or breakdown in) workplace boundaries is linked to burnout, lost productivity, poor performance, and turnover. However, when employees believe their voices are heard and their boundaries respected, they become more engaged.

Trust, respect, open communication, and boundary-setting knowledge and skill are needed for successful workplace boundaries. Effective workplace boundaries are those set and maintained collaboratively between employees and employer with open and clear communication about expectations and needs. It is important to note that it is not solely the responsibility of employees to set boundaries. Collaboration is essential. In some instances, it is important for the organization to take the lead and establish workplace policies that support, for example, employees’ physical and psychological safety. Employee input can be invaluable in establishing such policies, so there is a healthy buy-in and respect for such policies.

There are several other important workplace boundary issues that I and my consulting colleagues have witnessed (and that I have professionally experienced). These include role overload contributing to burnout, role uncertainty, work/life imbalance, patterns of unhealthy communication and conflict, unethical practices, and conflicting personal/organizational values.

Organizational leaders have the valuable opportunity and responsibility to model healthy boundaries, and to act as collaborative partners with their employees to create a workplace culture that supports employee and systems boundaries. An organizational systems boundary would be having an enforced policy that there is no work communication after office hours or on weekends, with any exceptions clearly outlined. This policy would be co-created with employees to intentionally include their needs and preferences. These workplace boundaries will have long-term positive benefits for both the employees and the organization, and contribute to increased employee well-being, retention, and performance overall.

Employees can initiate discussion around desired workplace boundaries related to such things, for example, as a lack of control over their calendars, concerns about patient care, ‘priority’ overwhelm, unrealistic time frames for deliverables, etc. Collaborative problem-solving and solutions around these may become beneficial workplace policies over time.

Collaborative workplace boundary-setting, in general, also helps to address the inherent power imbalance between employees and employers, when employees attempt to address a boundary matter with their organization.

In summary, there are many mutually beneficial reasons for both organizations and employees to develop the knowledge base and skills needed to establish effective boundaries in the workplace. A collaborative, ongoing approach with respect, trust, open communication, boundary-setting knowledge, and good faith intentions are important elements to the establishment and success of healthy workplace boundaries.