During a typical workday people engage in a variety of activities such as arranging meetings, checking emails and so on. Such activities require mental effort and prolonged engagement in such activities can lead to psychological and physiological reactions consequently generating strain and fatigue. A key element of replenishing vital mental energy is “psychological detachment”.This refers to the act of mentally switching off from work during non-working hours, and requires the absence of all work-related thoughts and activities. Workplace digitalisation poses serious threats to remote workers’ ability to psychologically detach and recover from work as the use of ICTs blurs work and non-work boundaries. Thus, actions need to be taken to help remote workers disconnect from work while developing their skills on how to use digital technologies effectively to make it easier for them to disconnect from work.
The SwitchOff project aims at helping managers and VET trainers acquire the appropriate competencies and knowledge on how to facilitate recovery in the workplace and help remote workers disconnect from work and restore their personal resources (emotional, cognitive, physical) at the end of their working day. The SwitchOff project focuses on assisting remote workers and managers on how to effectively use ICTs and disconnect from work, during non-work hours.
Project objectives
The SwitchOff project focuses on assisting remote workers and managers on how to effectively use ICTs and disconnect from work, during non-work hours. Partners will create a set of activities, including a Toolkit, training programme, an e-learning platform (including a self-evaluation tool) with rich material and practices on how to best recover from work. These will support all the selected priorities since the general objectives are to:
Raise awareness of managers, HR professionals, and remote workers on the importance of facilitating recovery from work and disconnecting.
- Enhance remote workers and managers’ ability to disconnect from work during non-work hours by providing them with the appropriate knowledge, tools and resources.
- Prevent remote workers from feeling ‘used-up’ at the end of their working day and reduce outcomes relating to insufficient recovery (e.g.burnout) by using OERs.
- Build capacity of HR practitioners and managers to implement policies, practices and procedures and support their worker’s right to refrain from engaging in work-related activities, during non-work hours.
- Develop innovative quality learning material for HR practitioners and managers to support remote worker’s recovery process.
Impact
The participating target groups including in-company VET trainers (e.g. Company Owners, HR Specialists) will be trained and better equipped to incorporate best practices and adjusting their organisational policies, and procedures to embrace a culture where worker’s right to be able to disconnect from work is supported. Also, they will support and empower remote workers to understand the value of disconnecting from work and ways in which this can be achieved.
New co-operations and networks among In-company VET trainers will also be facilitated, for better understanding of practices, procedures, and policies in organisations across countries. More than 10,000 stakeholders will be informed about the outcomes of the project, 180 remote workers and 120 HR professionals/VET Trainers will have direct impact of this project.
Project outputs
As material results, the SwitchOff project will develop a toolkit addressing the effective use of digital technologies and other practices for fostering employees’ ability to disconnect from work during non-working hours. Also, it will develop a Training Programme for HR Professionals and managers and an e-Learning platform focusing on best practices, policies, and procedures through which managers and HR professionals can support their worker’s effort to disconnect from work at the end of their working day.
The resources will be easily and freely accessible to all those interested and their adaptability will contribute to proper exploitation and sustainability beyond the project’s life cycle.
Project Partners
Akademia Humanistyczno – Economiczna w Lodzi (POLAND)
The University of Humanities and Economics in Lodz (AHE) is an accredited higher education institution, which in addition to traditional university programs (BA. MA, MSc, PHD) provides also postgraduates studies and courses for various target groups, included adult unemployed job-seekers, youth, students, disabled, seniors, teachers, trainers, people of various professions, migrants, children, disadvantaged youth, unemployed. As one of the largest private universities in Poland, AHE has 23 faculties and offers a wide choice of subjects, over 100 courses, including 5 of them in English. The curricula of the courses are constantly updated according to market demands. The University is an expert in research and analysis; designing of curricula; implementation of courses, e-learning and development of e-learning platforms, tools, materials; dissemination; courses of creativity, self-development, workshops, seminars; EU projects management.
Universita Degli Studi Di Verona (ITALY)
The present project is supported by APRESO (Applied Research in Society and Organizations) and CARVET (Center for Action Research in Vocational Education and Training) a group of research and a research center of the Department of Human Sciences of University of Verona, respectively. APRESO (Applied Research in Society and Organizations) is the name of a group of researchers and professionals at University of Verona that deals with conducting investigations and interventions in the psychological field. CARVET instead brings together researchers and teachers working on or belonging to the VET system. It has the purpose of carrying out research, counseling, and training in the field of vocational education and training. The Center acts as a hub for advanced interdisciplinary research and promotes the dialogue between different methods, combining theoretical and empirical research, at an interdisciplinary level (psychology, education, philosophy, sociology, laws), adhering to qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method research approaches.
Neophytos Ch Charalambous (Institut of Development LTD) (CYPRUS)
The Institute of Development (IoD) was established in 2003 with a vision to contribute to the improvement of the society’s quality of life through the continuous development of the individual, the family, and the human resources of organizations. The Institute promotes resilience, career counselling, mindfulness, mental health, and a positive outlook to life, the boost of creative skills, increasing performance, and experience of happiness. It offers training, mentoring and counselling for human resources in schools, enterprises and other organizations in the public and private sector. he main activities of the Institute include trainings on subjects such as cooperative learning, digital skills, youth empowerment, self‐awareness, self-esteem, values and creative thinking, life and employability skills, positive psychology applications, career guidance and educational programmes.
Mindshift Talent Advisory Ida (PORTUGAL)
Mindshift was founded in 2017 as a consulting company specialised in Human Capital seeking to boost the digital and interpersonal maturity in organisations and society. Mindshift operates both, at national and international markets, in the following core areas of business: • assessment and development of competences & upskilling paths • training, coaching & mentoring • career management & personal development plans • preparation of workforce for the new labour market demands • onboarding of young talent into trainees’ programmes • design of communication strategies in social networks. Mindshift is currently co-owner of The Key Talent Portugal, a Spanish consultancy company focused on digital talent strategy, which also operates in the Latin American region (Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Dominican Republic). Besides, Mindshift is the representative in Portugal of the German-based group, cut-e (an Aon company) which provides cutting-age online tests and gamified assessments, in 90 countries and 40 languages.
Elliniki Etaireia Thetikis (GREECE)
The Hellenic Association of Positive Psychology (HAPPSY) is a nonprofit scientific organization aiming at promoting Positive Psychology. It works towards developing new scientific knowledge, promoting research and creating awareness on positive psychology. Specifically, HAPPSY aims at advancing the scientific understanding of the basic mechanisms and principles of Positive Psychology, incorporating Positive Psychology principles into the on-going research for the promotion and understanding of human growth and well-being, as well as exploring, locating and developing traits, qualities and processes, which nurture the growth of people, groups and organizations. An important focus of HAPPSY is the creation and standardization of instruments for the measurement of personal traits, behaviors and, in general, phenomena that are relevant to Positive Psychology. HAPPSY researchers also try to systematically explore and test techniques for the successful application of Positive Psychology in the fields of physical and mental health, psychotherapy, education, organizational behavior and sports, on an individual, group or organizational level.
Psichologias Centre for Advancement of Research and Development in Educational Technology LTD-Cardet (CYPRUS)
CARDET is the leading research and development centre in the Mediterranean region with global expertise in VET, digital skills, and capacity building. As the largest independent non-profit centre based in Cyprus, CARDET is independently affiliated with universities and institutions from around the world, such as the Yale University, the University of Nicosia and the International Council of Educational Media. CARDET has completed more than 500 initiatives and projects relating to VET, health and wellbeing, digital transformation and digital skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship. CARDET brings together an international team of experts with decades of global expertise in education research and development. Members of our team, board of directors, and advisory board have served in high profile positions for organisations like UNESCO, Commonwealth of Learning, OECD, Google, and the American Educational Research Association.
Crea360 SL (SPAIN)
CREA 360 is a Spanish SME that was established in 2013 in Cocentaina (Valenican Community-Spain). The activities are focused on Local/Regional public authorities, NGO’s and public-private schools. CREA 360 works in several fields as European funds, local development, VET, entrepreneurship, social inclusion, non-formal education, environment, civic participation, territorial planning and innovation. Since its foundation in 2013 the organisation has participated in a considerable number of EU educational projects (Erasmus Plus) and other cooperation projects (INTERREG, URBACT and EUROPE FOR CITIZENS). Those projects were related about territorial planning, digital transformation, cultural and creative economies, sustainable development, entrepreneurship and innovation in the field of VET, youth and education. CREA360 also collaborates with the University of Alicante, participating in the organization of the Official Master Degree in
Local Development and Territorial Innovation, specialized training courses, organizing events and cooperating with it in European projects and with the Enterprise-University of Alicante Foundation. CREA 360 is also member of several association as Spanish Network of Rural Entrepreneurs or the Economic Research Institute of the Province of Alicante. Nowadays its members are presidents in the Federation of Young Entrepreneurs of the Province of Alicante and the Association of Geographers of the Comunitat Valenciana (Spain).