I can't seem to get away from work. Between my laptop and CrackBerry (aka Blackberry) I'm reachable 24/7. People call. People email. And people call and email some more.
Businesses hit the big time with the advent of the laptop because people could work at home. Things got even better when wireless was invented and then, oh my -- cell phones that receive email. PAYDIRT.
Hmmmm....not so much. These technologies are becoming the worst things to happen to America (and me). We already work too much and now we work even more. We're expected to be available all the time. Studies have actually shown that we are losing productivity with these technologies, not gaining productivity.
Last week I left for a business trip to California and forgot my CrackBerry. For the first few hours, I couldn't seem to function. I felt lost. Then, as the weekend progressed, I actually felt relieved to not have to continually answer the phone for nonemergencies and respond to emails that could wait until Monday. I even became annoyed with the passengers on the plane who couldn't turn off their phones and we're calling people as soon as the wheels hit the ground. Enough already!
Which segues me into my point. We as employees, need to curb our own work schedules -- set our own limits. If you're just starting in your career, set some limitations with your boss. After 5:00 PM, you're off duty -- unless there is an emergency.
So what constitutes and emergency? Your clients own a manufacturing facility where the employees go on strike. Your CEO is arrested for tax fraud. A senior level CEO is killed in a plane crash. These are emergencies. Your boss having a GREAT idea at 10:30 PM -on a Saturday night- this is not an emergency. Ask her to call your work phone and leave you a message and then you can capture the idea when you get into work in the morning.
Working less, will actually help us work better. To support my theory, I ran across an article in this month's Fast Company addressing this very issue. The article was called "An E-Tool Bill of Rights" and detailed how we could save ourselves from ourself. It is an expert from Joe Robinson who wrote, "Work to Live: The Guide to Getting A Life." To read more about the book, (or buy the book) visit http://www.worktolive.info.
"The line between work and home has become so blurred that the only way you can tell them apart is that one has a bed."
--Joe Robinson
For all you work addicts, this should be a must read. And after you do, share your comments with us. Now go relax.....
I was checking out some other PR blogs today and found a good blog entry on Work Life Balance at the PR Divas blog. You can check it out at: http://blabbermouth.typepad.com/prdivas/2006/11/work_life_where.html
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