By Gianluca Mezzofiore
London — Sir Richard Branson (click here) probably isn't your boss. But if he was, he'd tell you to unplug for a moment, maybe even two.
Virgin, the British multinational company founded by Branson, recently instituted a new requirement that some of its employees turn off email for two hours a week in a bid to improve their wellbeing and creativity.
The policy comes as companies are coming under fire for creating environments in which workers are expected to be plugged in almost all the time.
The policy, which has been running since June, sees around 200 employees at Virgin Management in the U.S. and the UK getting away from their desks each Wednesday morning — from 10 a.m. to noon — to take part in brainstorming sessions, walking meetings and even running clubs.
With the email system turned off, the employees can use their time slot to go to the Virgin Active gym as a team or chat one-to-one with their bosses rather than via email or Slack.
"We want people to live a good work-life balance and our mission is to create a happy workforce," Lisa Thomas, Virgin's global head of brand, told Mashable ahead of the Virgin Disruptors panel in London....Some of the imaginations reflecting how people feel have become rather dramatic. Perhaps the appreciation of being human might tame this in a way we can maintain the love of our own species.
