I Feel A Worker's Comp Claim Coming On

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://ur.rutgers.edu/medrel/viewArticle.html?ArticleID=5284">http://ur.rutgers.edu/medrel/viewArticle.html?ArticleID=5284</a><br /><br /><i>"Technology keeps workers connected 24/7. If that sounds like an employer’s dream come true, think again: according to a Rutgers University—Camden researcher, employers who encourage non-stop work connections via technology may wind up with liability for encouraging addiction among their staff. According to Gayle Porter, an associate professor of management at the Rutgers University School of Business at Camden, the fast and relentless pace of technology-enhanced work environments creates a source of stimulation that may become addictive. While addiction to work has been a widespread phenomenon for some time, the Rutgers-Camden scholar suggests that employers may face legal liability for these addictions."</i><br /><br />I am not sure addiction is the right word. I know that I don't go anywhere without my K-Jam, and I mean <i>anywhere</i>, but it is because it is such a useful device. Music, ooodles of reading material, from the bible to ebooks to those full RSS feeds given to us by truly blessed people instead of those infernal snippits, games, internet access, email, my to do lists, reference material, etc. What am I telling you for? You know what these things do.<br /><br />But that isn't an addiction is it? I mean, I <i>could</i> leave it on my desk when I go to get the mail, which is all of the way at the end of my 2 car length driveway, but why should I? I might need to send an SMS on the way, or CNN might fire off an alert that Osama has recorded another video. Clearly this is not addictive behavior. It isn't like I shake or even twitch much when my device is not handy. <br /><br />And yes, it <i>is</i> on my nightstand while I sleep, but it is muted. Someone that is addicted wouldn't be able to mute the volume. :helpme:

[yawanag]

Thar was an accurate discription of me. I mentioned before that I don't need magazines in the john anymore and my pajamas must have a pocket.

[Jon Westfall]

On no... I just realized I don't mute mine at night....

It is amusing that you posted this just hours after I had a conversation with my wife in which I admitted my addiction. Of course I don't plan on progressing past admitting it to any of the other steps on the road to recovery. I'm a functional PDA-holic, and happy that way. Besides, I don't blow my money on alcohol, cigarettes, or a mistress, so why not have a PPC vice?

[signothefish]

Legal liability for addictions? You have got to be kidding me! :lol: Suing someone for giving you something you like? What is this country coming to? I guess we need to include everything we derive pleasure from at work in that list, then, including bonuses and raises.

I remember getting introduced to sushi by our CEO. Ever since then, I look for any excuse I can to stop at the nearest sushi bar. Am I going to sue him for it? Don't think so!

That article has to be one of the most ridiculous things anyone has ever written up. No wonder so many lawyers are getting rich. :roll:

[Nurhisham Hussein]

I'm thinking of grafting my PDA under the skin of left arm -does that qualify as an addiction? I'm not addicted...I'm attached.

[netboy]

Legal liability for addictions? You have got to be kidding me! :lol: Suing someone for giving you something you like? What is this country coming to? I guess we need to include everything we derive pleasure from at work in that list, then, including bonuses and raises.

I remember getting introduced to sushi by our CEO. Ever since then, I look for any excuse I can to stop at the nearest sushi bar. Am I going to sue him for it? Don't think so!

That article has to be one of the most ridiculous things anyone has ever written up. No wonder so many lawyers are getting rich. :roll:


i heard about this story a few days ago on CNBC. employees can sue their employer for their addition to Blackberry! WTF! so is mean u can sue your EX gf or EX bf for addition to sex?

also, "Technology keeps workers connected 24/7. If that sounds like an employer’s dream come true, think again: according to a Rutgers University—Camden researcher, employers who encourage non-stop work connections via technology may wind up with liability for encouraging addiction among their staff"

PLEASE some1 take away those cracks those fools is smoking!

[capo]

Okay, I realize you're being tongue-in-cheek here, but I think this is a serious issue, at least it's serious for me. I work in IT and am obligated to wear a cell phone/leash 24x7x365, have broadband access at home and "frequently" check email. I obviously don't appreciate the calls that come through at 3am on a Sunday morning, but I've gotten into the habit of being 'always on'. Email, blogging, surfing, and just generally wasting time with my laptop and PDA - it's often the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing I do before going to sleep. Pretty sad. Though I don't suffer any physical ailments from this (other than an occasional sleep debt) I've come to realize that my life suffers because of this ubiquitous connection. It's like TV is for a lot of people - it just sucks away massive amounts of time that could be otherwise invested in much more meaningful activities - family, friends, creative pursuits, what have you. Everybody makes their own decisions about this kind of thing - I work with a couple of guys who literally have no life outside of work and they seem to like it that way. All I'm suggesting is to consider the price this technology may be exacting from you. It's not always obvious.

[netboy]

Okay, I realize you're being tongue-in-cheek here, but I think this is a serious issue, at least it's serious for me. I work in IT and am obligated to wear a cell phone/leash 24x7x365, have broadband access at home and "frequently" check email.

no, you not "obligated" to anything! this job requires wearing cellphone/leash 24/7. if u dont like it, quit! and get another job.
but dont blames others for your problems!

[Jon Westfall]

Okay, I realize you're being tongue-in-cheek here, but I think this is a serious issue, at least it's serious for me. I work in IT and am obligated to wear a cell phone/leash 24x7x365, have broadband access at home and "frequently" check email.

no, you not "obligated" to anything! this job requires wearing cellphone/leash 24/7. if u dont like it, quit! and get another job.
but dont blames others for your problems!

Of course this assumes that Capo is capable of taking potentially months off of work to secure a new position, and that the new position pays as much as the old position did or has other benefits. Assuming that Capo is in a place in IT that requires him to be "On" all the time, then I highly doubt that the next place he'd work wouldn't require him to be always On (Or if they did, it would most likely be in a lower position). Typically the higher you are in IT the more availability you must give, so he probably only has 2 options: Take a lower paying position or switch careers. One will most likely hurt in many different ways and the other will require a ton of cash to get off the ground (i.e. schooling, training, etc..).

The short of it: Yes, he could get another job, however I think the way in which you wrote your post implies that it would be a simple thing for him to do, which I do not believe is accurate ;)

[Jon Westfall]

I'm thinking of grafting my PDA under the skin of left arm -does that qualify as an addiction? I'm not addicted...I'm attached.

Hmm... might make metal detectors a bit more bothersome than they already are. And I'd hate to think of what a shattered screen could feel like if you served a volleyball the wrong way.... :)

[signothefish]

It comes with the territory, most often with foreknowledge that you will be tethered 24/7 in your IT (or whatever) career. Hey, doctors have to be on call. You accept the risks involved with whatever career path you choose. The more important you are, the more you need to accept that you will be needed at inappropriate times. I don't see a case here.

[netboy]

The short of it: Yes, he could get another job, however I think the way in which you wrote your post implies that it would be a simple thing for him to do, which I do not believe is accurate ;)

but i'm not the 1 that is complaing about wearing blackberry 24/7! if u dont like it, that your problems, not the employer! i just hate it when people try to blame others for their problems!

[capo]

Maybe I wasn't clear. Granted, there was a complaint about being leashed, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. I was trying to point out that there are options and costs (other than financial) associated with being 'always on' and it's worth carefully considering them. In any event, I don't mean to hijack the thread, so I won't take this any further.

[KTamas]

Muted? Geee, how would I get up with alarmclock.exe if I'd mute my PPC, DUH? :roll:

:)

[jgrnt1]

It's not just my PDA that never leaves my side. Since it's so large to begin with (iPAQ 4700), I carry it in a small Franklin Covey binder whenever I leave the house. The binder goes wherever I go. Stop at the grocery to pick up milk -- carry the binder. Get a haircut -- carry the binder. In the car, I have a hardwired Proclip mount. I recently picked up a Cingular 3G phone, so now I can connect anywhere, just like my convergent device brethren, without giving up the VGA screen.

It's a five minute process to get in the car:

1. Get in car.
2. Take phone out of belt holster and attach to hardwired power.
3. Take PPC out of binder and put in cradle.
4. Plug in cassette adapter (no auxilliary input in car).
5. Turn on Bluetooth -- check for connection to GPS.
6. Start iGuidance -- input destination (even though I'm only going to the supermarket).
7. Turn on WiFi -- check for connection to wireless hard drive in trunk (my entire music collection is on the hard drive).
8. Open MortPlayer and load a playlist or pick songs.

The phone is normally paired with the Parrot Bluetooth unit in the car. If I want to pair the PPC, I have to disconnect from the Parrot, disconnect the PPC from the GPS and pair the phone with the PPC.

The magazine/book rack in the bathroom only has my wife's reading on it. Everything I read there is on my PPC. I've even fallen asleep surfing. :oops: I've also not come to bed until 2:00 a.m. because I was playing Sudoku on the iPAQ.

Has anyone forced me to be attached to my PPC 24/7? No. I don't even have to have it for work. Our IT group supports Blackberries, but they, or any other always connected devices are not required. They do not require or support PPC's. Am I addicted to my PPC? Yes. W?BIC

[Damion Chaplin]

I mean, I could leave it on my desk when I go to get the mail, which is all of the way at the end of my 2 car length driveway, but why should I? I might need to send an SMS on the way, or CNN might fire off an alert that Osama has recorded another video. Clearly this is not addictive behavior. It isn't like I shake or even twitch much when my device is not handy.

No, no, of course I'm not addicted. It's just a PDA for Bob's sake! I can quit any time. No, really! ....... No, I won't let you hold it!

:roll:

[ctmagnus]

I could give it up, but I might as well give myself a lobotomy for all the good that'd do.

[lapchinj]

...And yes, it is on my nightstand while I sleep, but it is muted...
Are you sure??? Sounds to me like it's just on snooze 8O .

Jeff-

[PDANEWBIE]

if u dont like it, quit! and get another job. but dont blames others for your problems!

The problem is alot of these things are industry wide requirements and finding another job will probably ential similar requirements.

I left a job that had strict infringements on my life but decient pay just go get to an 8-5 job. Within 1 year being employeed here I am back to carrying a pager, having to stay close to home in the case of emergency, and being teathered to a phone.

In all it comes down to WHERE is the line between the companies being able to require everything under the sun including personal sacrifices on personal time and the employees right to have a life outside their work?

I for one am a FORCED workaholic meaning I bring home, or stay late doing, work unwillingly and I DON'T like it. I know that if I don't I'll lose my job and my family welfare comes before my own personal happiness.

At what point can businesses be made accountable for infringing upon others time (be it electronically or forcing someone to take home a huge stack of papers)?

Even if I found the dream job (which I had though I had when I moved here) whats ot say a company can't just put more onto you at that point?

IMHO there has to be hard line laws as to how far a company can infringe upon your personal time or else there will be those who take advantage of this.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

It's a five minute process to get in the car:


God, I thought I was bad - the only real difference between what you just described and what I do is the GPS.

[lilawguy]

As a Worker's Comp attorney i can tell you that no insurance company or judge is going to allow a claim for "addiction" to tech (God knows I'd be first in line - just ask my wife! :lol:).

However, carpal tunnel and deQuervain claims from constant use of keyboard and such is compensable and we see quite a bit of claims stemming from that. Still, haven't seen a "blackberry killed my wrist" claim yet, but probably not too far away. :wink:

[signothefish]

if u dont like it, quit! and get another job. but dont blames others for your problems!

The problem is alot of these things are industry wide requirements and finding another job will probably ential similar requirements.

I left a job that had strict infringements on my life but decient pay just go get to an 8-5 job. Within 1 year being employeed here I am back to carrying a pager, having to stay close to home in the case of emergency, and being teathered to a phone.

In all it comes down to WHERE is the line between the companies being able to require everything under the sun including personal sacrifices on personal time and the employees right to have a life outside their work?

I for one am a FORCED workaholic meaning I bring home, or stay late doing, work unwillingly and I DON'T like it. I know that if I don't I'll lose my job and my family welfare comes before my own personal happiness.

At what point can businesses be made accountable for infringing upon others time (be it electronically or forcing someone to take home a huge stack of papers)?

Even if I found the dream job (which I had though I had when I moved here) whats ot say a company can't just put more onto you at that point?

IMHO there has to be hard line laws as to how far a company can infringe upon your personal time or else there will be those who take advantage of this.

I 100% agree. The whole problem is, there are a whole heck of a lot of people out there that would like your job, especially in China and India. And if you don't go above and beyond, you are in jeopardy of losing your job to outsourcing. Therefore we are increasingly having to bend over backwards to please our employers to convince them we are worth their investment. It's stressful, and it means we have to continue to make sacrifices. What hurts is our family and personal lives. I am fortunate to be in the Raleigh, NC area, where the philosophy here is more "work to live". Out there in the Valley of the Silicon, their philosophy is "live to work". I wouldn't have any part of it. :idontthinkso:

[Jon Westfall]

The whole problem is, there are a whole heck of a lot of people out there that would like your job, especially in China and India. And if you don't go above and beyond, you are in jeopardy of losing your job to outsourcing.

I'm convinced it's not so much how much you do, it's how much you know. Companies can pick up cheap specialized labor in China &amp; India, however all of the password-resetters and server-babysitters in the world can't replace a solid employee with diverse skills. The advice I give to my students who are afraid of outsourcing is this: LEARN. If you're in charge of windows machines, bone up on your unix skills. If you're the guy who fixes the computer's hardware, learn as much as you can about the software and networking. The more skills you have = the more valuable and marketable you are. The nice thing is that since we're all geeks here, learning about other areas of computing is usually enjoyable!