The addictive powers of smart phone at work

The worst case of “work addiction” I have encountered was described to me by an ex-management consultant. A member of his team – let’s call him Gary – was forced by his employer to take a holiday. The firm saw yet another potential burnout victim on its hands, in what has become a costly epidemic in today’s economy. So Gary bid farewell and set off for sunny Crete for two weeks with his girlfriend...

 

See Why you shouldn’t let your smartphone be the boss of you (Peter Fleming, The Guardian) for more details.

Would a 'no email day' work?

At the end of last week Jane Wakefield, a technology reporter for BBC News (Technology), opened an article on email by making the following statement:

With inboxes bulging with messages and many workers dreading the daily deluge of e-mail, some companies are taking drastic action.

She went on to make reference to some American companies that have experimented with "shutting down their inboxes for one day of the week".

Email, as appears to be case, is a factor in stressing employees and stretching already limited resources.

The article reports on one company that introduced a "no e-mail Friday" - after four months came reports that the company felt that the trial was a resounding success, with better teamwork, happier customers and quicker problem solving.

It's a bit of a cliche for a researcher to come out with, but it's more than reasonable to suggest that more research is needed on a wider variety of organizations, etc. to confirm whether or not email, typically viewed by many as indispensable, can be switched off in such a manner.

See more by visiting Turn off e-mail and do some work.