“Hello, my name is [fill name here], and I check work emails when out of the office.”

Let’s admit it, the majority of us are guilty of the above statement. Whether it’s having a sneaky look while on holiday, logging in on a Sunday afternoon or using it as an excuse to be “otherwise occupied” at a boring family event, it’s hard to switch off from work when life outside of it is happening.

And although it may seem pretty harmless (you’re just checking in, right?), teaching union EIS has warned that work emails can do serious damage to mental health. The union published new advice on accessing work emails during non-working hours amid concern that rising pressure to respond during personal time is contributing to an “excessive long-hours culture for teaching staff”.

General secretary Larry Flanagan said: “Advances in technology, such as the boom in the use of smartphones and other mobile devices, have increased the pressure on employees to be constantly “on call” and ready to respond to communications at extremely short notice.

“This is an added stressor on top of already high workloads, with serious implications for employees’ mental health and wellbeing.”

The union stated that “dipping in” to work emails means that you’re emotionally and mentally at work, which over time may affect your mental health or relationships.

It also warned against checking emails before bed, and suggested either uninstalling the work email account from your phone or leaving your device outside the bedroom. It pointed out that responses don’t always need to be sent within a day, and that reading emails is defined as working time. If checking emails worms its way into your personal time, EIS recommends you discuss your workload with your employer.

And the union said that it’s important not to feel obliged to respond via email, if it’s something that you think you need to talk about in person. Sometimes email isn’t always an appropriate medium.