The never-ending workday: the new dilemma of digital work

Everything indicates that the more technological tools workers adopt to be more productive, the more their workload increases. The new dynamics of work seem endless. A recent Microsoft study, based on its 2025 Work Trends Index, reveals a disturbing reality: the modern workday has lost its boundaries.

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It's striking that both workers and leaders describe their days as fragmented and exhausting, with no clear boundaries between personal and professional lives. But all is not lost: artificial intelligence offers a path to regaining control and redesigning work with efficiency and purpose.

A workday that never ends

Microsoft 365 telemetry , based on trillions of anonymous signals, shows that the workday starts well before 9 a.m. and extends into the evening and weekend. Among the findings presented, it stands out that 40% of users check their email at 6 a.m. In addition, the average worker receives 117 emails a day, most of which are read in less than a minute. But the mechanics of checking email aren't the only thing that's striking, as 29% of workers say they check their email after 10 p.m., and meetings after 8 p.m. also grew by 16% in one year.

Among those who work on weekends, 20% check their email before noon on Sunday and more than 5% respond to messages after 6 pm

Furthermore, half of all meetings are held during peak productivity hours (9–11 a.m. and then 1–3 p.m.), interrupting deep work just when performance should be at its peak. It's worth noting that interruptions occur every two minutes, caused by messages, constant app switching, and quick checks, which disperses attention and increases mental workload.

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Fragmentation and information overload

According to an Edelman survey of 31,000 people, more than 50% of employees and leaders describe their days as "chaotic and fragmented." Meetings are no longer planned: 57% are spontaneous, and 10% are scheduled at the last minute . Furthermore, there is a notable increase in mass meetings with more than 65 participants and with time zone crossings. This constant exhaustion, coupled with an unsustainable work pace over the past five years, has led one in three workers to declare they cannot keep up.

How to respond to “digital burnout”?

Faced with this collapse of useful time, Microsoft proposes a 'Frontier Firm' model: agile organizations , built around artificial intelligence and hybrid teams, humans + AI. This model foresees an evolution in three stages:

AI Assistant : AI frees workers from low-value tasks.

Human team + digital agent: AI agents work alongside the team as digital colleagues for specific tasks. Agent management: Humans direct entire processes executed by AI agents, monitoring and managing exceptions.

AI as a tool to enhance focus: AI can help free up time for deep, analytical work. Microsoft proposes a clear, three-pronged strategy:

The 80/20 Rule: Focus efforts on what generates real value. Build teams based on objectives, not rigid roles, promoting agility and focus. Develop "agent managers," roles that lead and coordinate digital agents to amplify results.

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SMEs can start first

Although AI adoption has been slower in SMEs, the report shows that many have advantages: flatter and more agile structures allow them to adapt quickly. Twenty-four percent have already implemented AI agents, and 79% plan to do so in the next 12-18 months. AI democratizes capabilities: a small business can operate with the efficiency and reach of a large corporation by adopting intelligent agents available on demand. A new role: chief agent. The adoption of AI creates a new responsibility: the “agent manager” or “chief agent.” This professional does not replace the team, but complements it, ensuring that digital agents act consistently and effectively in conjunction with the company's objectives.

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Reflection: AI is not a panacea

Microsoft is clear: if AI only reproduces the current chaos, we will be accelerating a broken organization. True change involves rebuilding the rhythm of work, prioritizing with intention, and embracing AI as a strategic ally, not an accelerator of conflict. The "infinite workday" is a consequence of extended hours, constant interruptions, and a lack of clear boundaries between work and personal life. Faced with this challenge, Microsoft's response proposes a profound transformation: adopting AI not only to automate , but to rewrite the way we work from the ground up. Turning repetitive tasks into processes that can be delegated to digital agents allows us to rediscover the value of human labor and enhance what truly matters: decision-making, creativity, and well-being.

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