When it's time to work, then it's time to work. But after office hours, it's essential for people to kick back, relax, and unwind with their families and let go of the worries of work.

A new joint study conducted by Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, Virginia Tech and Colorado State University reveals that workers who constantly check on their emails after work are more stressed out than those who officially clock out, according to The Daily Mail.

Workers who are required by their bosses to check on their emails after office hours are reportedly facing a diminished work-family balance. Employers are blamed for "stealing resources" from people by draining their energy outside the office.

The study, which was conducted on 297 working adults, found out that workers who are expected to conduct "off" hour emailing are facing burnouts because they are unable to disconnect from the stress of the office.

This means that workers are forced to be "switched on" even during hours when they are supposed to be resting, therefore resulting to exhaustion and damaged family life.

This study came after France passed a labour reform law earlier this year, which bans people from checking emails on weekends and during holidays.

"All the studies show there is far more work-related stress today than there used to be, and that the stress is constant," Benoit Hamon of the French National Assembly tells the BBC. "Employees physically leave the office, but they do not leave their work. They remain attached by a kind of electronic leash—like a dog. The texts, the messages, the emails - they colonise the life of the individual to the point where he or she eventually breaks down."

The new law hopes to protect the health of employees and help them maintain a happier balance in their lives.