Burnout in the digital age: the hidden cost of 24/7 business connectivity

Purpose This study examines the impact of after-hours communication and connectivity expectations on burnout among full-time employees in China, with work–life balance as a mediating factor, aiming to provide insights for improving employee well-being in digitally intensive workplaces. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative correlational design was employed, collecting data from 300 full-time employees in China via a survey distributed through WeChat, QQ, Weibo and Douyin. Validated instruments included the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, the Work–Life Balance Scale, a custom scale for after-hours communication and an adapted scale for connectivity expectations. Findings Frequent after-hours communication and expectations of constant availability significantly increase burnout, both directly and indirectly by diminishing work–life balance. BMC Public Health study noting connectivity-driven stress in China’s telecommunications sector. Originality/value Rather than treating digital connectivity as a single construct, this study distinguishes enacted connectivity (after-hours communication) from normative connectivity (connectivity expectations) and tests work–life balance as the mechanism through which both demands translate into burnout. By doing so in China, where always-on platform communication is common and cultural norms may intensify responsiveness expectations, the study extends existing burnout and digital work research into a context that remains underrepresented in the literature and provides clearer targets for organizational policy.