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After years of seeing friends and family here in the States being stressed out because of being expected to work even at home or on the weekends despite not being at work, this piece of news from one of the most productive & richest countries in the world is really encouraging:
"What's the big deal - just turn off your phone if you don't want to deal with after-hours emails". Nope, won't work, not when your boss expects you to be reading them. A good way to get written up or at least the subject of a verbal/unofficial tongue-lashing.
After years of seeing friends and family here in the States being stressed out because of being expected to work even at home or on the weekends despite not being at work, this piece of news from one of the most productive & richest countries in the world is really encouraging:
"What's the big deal - just turn off your phone if you don't want to deal with after-hours emails". Nope, won't work, not when your boss expects you to be reading them. A good way to get written up or at least the subject of a verbal/unofficial tongue-lashing.
What exactly does this have to do with selecting a place to live in the Houston area?
Well I figured others in the working world would be interested in this article but it didn't fit in the technology forum, nor the political forum or the philosophy forum. Though looking through the rest of the "general" forum just now, I see there is a "Work and Employment" section, so......oops. I'll ask a moderator to move it there. EDIT: O.K. I just entered my request to have this moved.
Last edited by Lije Baley; 12-25-2011 at 01:14 PM..
I can understand the issue for those that are on specific shifts or schedules. In those cases, I definitely think there needs to be some line drawn so that when they are off, they're off. That said, many also work in environments where your job is more of performing tasks/projects and its not really strictly tied to "work hours". It is a double edge sword though - I can be answering emails at 10pm... but at the same time, I can decide to jet for the day at 2pm and take my kids to the movies.
I do have to wonder though - simply cutting off the BES seems more like dealing with the results or symptoms rather than the real issue.... Kinda like blaming the tool because its being misused?
Back in the day before ubiquitous email, I had to put my ass in a car and drive to my office to check to see even IF I had emails that needed attention, and then it was internal only. No way to send or receive from outside the company.
Now, I know immediately if I have a crisis that requires my immediate attention, or if I can put it off until I'm in the office anyway. Adds freedom and flexibility to my life.
^ a crisis is a good reason for off-hours emailing, but who determines what constitutes a "crisis"? And which employee(s) is needed to attend to said crisis? To use two extreme examples: for a small business, the building being on fire is definitely a crisis for everyone, but IMO running out of sugar for the break room coffee maker is just a minor inconvenience....but I've had bosses who acted like the lack of sugar was going to bring the sky crashing down.
^ a crisis is a good reason for off-hours emailing, but who determines what constitutes a "crisis"? And which employee(s) is needed to attend to said crisis? To use two extreme examples: for a small business, the building being on fire is definitely a crisis for everyone, but IMO running out of sugar for the break room coffee maker is just a minor inconvenience....but I've had bosses who acted like the lack of sugar was going to bring the sky crashing down.
Ha, just last weekend my boss called me up on a Saturday and demanded I come full up the vending machines at work because they 'looked low'... I'm the parts manager, and that's definitely not part of my regular job... But I had to come in and do it anyway.
That's the way it should be! Americans are married to their work! W/o work they loose all their self-esteem and importance!
And yes, you can be the most productive, export-oriented society/ country/ car manufacturer in the world! And still not require your employees to be available 24/7.
Good products will sell themselves! A Ford, GM, Chrysler never will!
We work to live!!!!! Not the other, American, way around.
P.S.: Advances in technology should be enabling. Not enslaving us even more!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lije Baley
After years of seeing friends and family here in the States being stressed out because of being expected to work even at home or on the weekends despite not being at work, this piece of news from one of the most productive & richest countries in the world is really encouraging:
"What's the big deal - just turn off your phone if you don't want to deal with after-hours emails". Nope, won't work, not when your boss expects you to be reading them. A good way to get written up or at least the subject of a verbal/unofficial tongue-lashing.
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