Your executive just texted you. It’s Sunday afternoon. What do you do?

I know the answer because I’ve been there myself. You pick up your phone, respond right away, and then spend the next hour sorting out whatever “urgent” matter that somehow couldn’t wait until Monday morning.

For many of us supporting senior leaders, truly disconnecting from work feels almost like a fairy tale. It’s something we’ve heard about but never actually experienced ourselves.

A new Tech.co study claims that 72% of senior leaders support a “right to disconnect” policy. Rubbish. These are the same people who expect immediate answers at 9 pm on a Friday or during the holiday you booked six months ago.

We’re the invisible backbone that keeps businesses running, even when we’re supposedly off-duty. The same executives who talk about work-life boundaries in meetings are sending emails at midnight and expecting responses before breakfast.

The hard truth about our role

Our position makes us especially vulnerable when it comes to disconnecting. We stand at the crossroads of everyone’s demands, the critical link between our executives and the entire organisation. When our principals decide something can’t wait, we’re expected to drop everything – dinner plans, family time, sleep.

After my promotion to senior EA, my mobile phone became impossible to ignore. First came emails, then texts, then phone calls in the early hours. I told myself this was simply part of success. What nonsense. No salary makes up for missing your child’s birthday party because you’re hunched over a laptop handling something that could have waited.

This pattern repeats itself throughout our profession. So many talented EAs believe that accepting these boundary crossings proves their dedication or justifies their compensation. It’s harmful, and it’s taking a toll on our wellbeing.

The contradiction is obvious: the very leaders nodding along to right to disconnect policies in board meetings are often the worst offenders. Their actions speak much louder than their supportive words.

Corporate culture certainly plays a part. The system rewards constant availability. Our profession has historically defined excellence as accessibility. But the personal cost is enormous – damaged relationships, constant worry, physical health problems that no amount of money can fix.

What’s at stake

Through International Management Assistants (the association for executive support professionals started in 1974), I’ve connected with EAs across Europe who tell very different stories depending on their location.

A French colleague described her transformation after France implemented their right to disconnect law in 2017: “For the first time in years, I watched my daughter’s entire school play without checking my phone once. Nothing went wrong at work. Nothing terrible happened because my boss had to wait until morning for an answer.”

Now picture your reality: that countryside holiday you’ve planned for months. Your phone buzzes with a “quick question” that takes an hour. You look up to realise you’ve missed the sunset you specifically came to see. This isn’t a fair exchange for your expertise. It’s taking something valuable from you – your time, your peace, your life outside work.

According to Email Tool Tester, 74% of workers communicate less with loved ones because they’re worn out from professional communication. For us? That number must be higher. We’re not just managing our own communications but often handling our executives’ as well.

The worst part is how gradually it happens. One weekend email becomes twice-weekly evening calls becomes middle-of-the-night emergencies. Each time you respond, you reinforce the behaviour. Each boundary crossed makes the next one easier. By the time most of us spot the pattern, we’ve already missed countless family dinners, friendships have cooled, and stress-related health problems have started.

This won’t fix itself

The tech explosion has made everything worse. When collaboration tools boast about enabling work “anytime, anywhere,” they’re selling a vision of life without boundaries. Pair that with corporate cultures that secretly look down on those who prioritise personal time, and we’re facing quite a challenge.

Most worrying, Tech.co’s report shows Gen Z managers are actually more likely to contact staff after hours than their older colleagues. This problem won’t fade with generational change – it’s getting worse as digital natives take leadership positions.

If you’re supporting these executives, you’re caught in a difficult spot. You’re expected to model the boundaries they claim to respect while accommodating the constant interruptions they actually create. A right to disconnect policy means absolutely nothing if the people at the top ignore it.

Taking back control

You have more power than you think. Start with honest conversations about expectations. When your executive says, “I don’t expect you to respond immediately,” hold them to it. Question the unspoken assumption that you’re always on call.

Create systems that protect you without sacrificing genuine emergencies. Work with other support professionals to create coverage rotas. Develop detailed out-of-office protocols that direct different queries to appropriate resources. Make sure everyone knows what counts as a true emergency versus what can wait until Monday.

Use that 72% statistic as leverage. If nearly three-quarters of senior leaders claim to support disconnection rights, make them prove it. Propose practical policies defining urgent versus non-urgent communications with clear expectations for response times.

Most importantly, start setting your own boundaries now. It will feel uncomfortable. You’ll worry about letting people down. Do it anyway. Every time you respect your own time, you show that personal boundaries improve rather than harm professional effectiveness.

You need recovery time. Your judgment, creativity and resilience all suffer without proper rest. That’s not being selfish – it’s ensuring you can perform at your best when you are working.

The power to change the culture

The right to disconnect isn’t just policy; it’s a fundamental shift in how we value human beings at work. Cultures don’t transform overnight, but they do change when enough people refuse to accept the way things are.

If you’re a support professional, you know you’re the one who keeps everything moving. You set the tone for communication across the entire organisation. When you respect your own boundaries, you create space for others to respect theirs too.

The pandemic forced many organisations to rethink basic assumptions about work. With senior leaders at least talking about disconnection rights, we have a chance to turn theory into practice.

Our profession has always changed with the times, from typing pools to board level partnerships. This next change might be our most important. It’s not just about our own wellbeing, though that matters enormously. It’s about creating workplaces that recognise humans aren’t machines.

Your right to disconnect isn’t just about you. It’s about showing the next generation of EAs that talent and dedication don’t require sacrificing your personal life. Set that boundary now. Your future self will thank you.