Workers tethered by the e-leash in some strange places
By Special Contributor on Mar 10, 2010 in Featured, Social media, Surveys, Video, Work/Life
They do it while walking — oh so slowly — down the sidewalk. They do it at the gym. They do it at the movies. They even do it in the bathroom.
They are using their smart phones. While some people are checking out Facebook, getting directions, reading the news or just plain addicted, many are still on the clock.
While smart phones have made it easier for workers to stay connected to the office, they have also made it more difficult to disconnect during personal time.
CareerBuilder conducted a survey on this topic, and workers with smart phones said they are checking in with the office on their smart phones from virtually anywhere and everywhere, including:
- During a meal – 62 percent
- On vacation – 60 percent
- While in the bathroom – 57 percent
- Lying in bed at night – 50 percent
- At a movie, play, musical, etc. – 25 percent
- On a date – 18 percent
- Working out at the gym – 17 percent
- At a child’s event or function – 17 percent
- At church – 11 percent
Here are some other interesting things workers admitted to:
- 14 percent of workers said they feel obligated to constantly stay in touch with work because of the current tough economy.
- 21 percent of workers say they check their mobile device every time it vibrates or beeps.
- 18 percent report they are required by their company to be accessible beyond office hours via mobile device.
- 23 percent of workers who are required to be accessible beyond office hours report that being too connected to their jobs via technology has caused issues or arguments with their friends and family.
“The lines between work and life can be very blurry these days; 17 percent of workers said they feel like their workday never ends because of technology connecting them to the office,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “To reduce burnout and avoid potentially risky behavior, workers should allot technology-free time when away from work.”
In related news, watch the clip below of Jerry Seinfeld doing stand-up in his recent appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” At the 2:45 mark, he starts his bit about smart phones. Can you relate?
[...] desire to find personal time away from their busy professional lives. Just last week we mentioned the e-leash and how it’s restraining workers on a daily basis. As the article points out, the younger generation of workers is comfortable with [...]
[...] desire to find personal time away from their busy professional lives. Just last week we mentioned the e-leash and how it’s restraining workers on a daily basis. As the article points out, the younger generation of workers is comfortable with [...]
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