With a Blackberry, Are You a 7/24 Employee?
Awhile ago, I had a discussion while playing golf with a high-tech executive, who checked his Blackberry throughout the round.
When I suggested that having a Blackberry tethered him to work all the time, he countered that having a Blackberry gave him the freedom to do things like attend his child’s school concerts because he wasn’t “away” from the office. It’s nice to think having a Blackberry gives you the freedom to do that but let’s not kid ourselves, even when you’re intently listening to a 10-year-old squawk out a tune on a trumpet, the Blackberry has the power to draw you away at any time.
In many ways, having a Blackberry has made a growing number of us 7/24 employees. People may not be at work all the time but they are working all the time given they’re connected to work. Unless you’re disciplined enough to shut off the Blackberry or put it in a drawer, it’s difficult to escape the red blinking light that indicates you’ve got mail.
The issue of the 7/24 Blackberry Employee came to the fore recently (although it attracted a fraction of the attention give to RIM introducing a flip phone Blackberry) when the Public Service Alliance, a union representing civil servants, said it plans to make Blackberrys part of its contract negotiations. Ed Cashman, an executive VP with the PSA, told the Globe and Mail:
“For some people, having a BlackBerry is like: We own you. You are our person, 24 hours, 7 days a week. Our members are running into situations where they’re not compensated properly for having to do work at home.”
Translation: People are using their Blackberrys to work during non-work hours so they should be compensated for it.
Putting aside unions have defined “working hours”, what does having a Blackberry mean for non-union employees? Does it means you’re expected to check your Blackberry on a regular basis throughout the day, night and weekends? Does it mean you have to respond to an e-mail? If you’re boss, who knows you have a Blackberry, sends you an e-mail on a Saturday morning, do you have to reply during the weekend or can you wait until you get back to work on Monday?
For an increasing number of people, work is no longer a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. proposition. With the Internet allowing you to be connected to work away from the office, being in the office isn’t as crucial as it used to be. Maybe this is why employers tolerate people surfing the Web, using Facebook, Twitter, eBay, booking trips, blogging, etc. when they’re at work because they know many employees work during “off-hours” at home by checking e-mail, reading and creating documents, spreadsheets, etc.
We’re living in a world where the lines between our work and personal lives are blurring with the Blackberry (and the iPhone) making this more of a reality.
Technorati Tags: 24, Blackberry
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:21 am
I’m not convinced that there is an appreciably higher time spent on work post blackberry than pre blackberry. The blackberry may have replaced a heavier briefcase that was previously filled with papers that would be worked on while home.
As to the father doing his email while attending his child’s concert etc, that is bad parenting. I know I may receive a backlash for that comment but face it, it is. Children know when parents are engaged with them and when parents are there physically but elsewhere emotionally. It is similar to business types in a meeting and doing their email on their PDA. Either engage with your audience (family or business colleagues) or not. Don’t try and suck and blow at the same time.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 am
As a co-founder of a start-up, a blackberry is a lifeline and sure it is 7/24 but that comes with the territory of being a founder and work/life does blur. Though when providing a blackberry/iPhone to an employee, it is the employers responsibility to set out clear expectations on availability and use. If the role entails being in constant contact via a device, then it needs to be outlined AND compensated for. It’s all about setting appropriate expectations. You touch on a couple good points that comes down to balance - these devices should provide individuals with flexibility though not become obsessive.
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 am
E Guy: I agree that people are probably working the same; it’s just being spread out over 24 hours as opposed to nine.
Paul: Good points about setting expectations and the rules of engagement.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 am
The worst thing is when company gives you laptop and bb together. I remember that when I just started working I really wanted both, because it was a sign of status. When I finally received bothI realized that now my management expects me to know everything 24/7.
Now I have bunch of unopened emails both on my blackberry . I just cant answer or see it all, so I check it every hour or so to quickly scan if there any emails that are life threatening. Usually there are none.
At the end of the week I just delete most of these emails.
Ever tried to have bb for work and Iphone for personal use? Can make your life crazy!
May 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Nice article, very relevant, but isn’t the expression “24/7″?