04-21-2004, 11:00 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Work Follows Workers Home
CNN has spotted that workers can be tethered wirelessly to work wherever they wander: "PDAs, 3G mobile phones, broadband connections at home, wireless access in hotels and airport lounges -- there is no reason not to be in touch with the office 24/7. New technology now enables flexible working hours around the clock, but some are beginning to feel the strain from vague expectations about how available they should be. It does not help either if a company has employees in different time zones working on the same projects, in real time. It has got to the stage where Microsoft has even issued guidance to its UK employees on when they should disconnect from the Internet at home or turn off their mobile phones."
I know all about working with different time zones. :morning: Interesting that Microsoft feels it has to help it's workers stop working though.
"The guidelines were issued after a six-month trial, when 443 Microsoft employees were given smart phones, tablet PCs and broadband Internet access in their homes. Although work productivity went up, there were calls from staff for "clarity of expectations" and an "agreed etiquette" from management as to when work ended and when home life began. "There is a problem with (work) encroaching on home life, if the individual does not manage it and set the boundaries," said Harvey. "You may never get quiet time for reflection away from emails and the phone, if you do not take positive steps to be in control of both your time and the technology.""
So, are you guys in control of the technology, or is it in control of you? How are you coping with the electonic leash from work?
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04-22-2004, 12:07 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 54
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Well, I've been there and back again. Last year I had VPN access to my workplace. I would check email evenings, on weekends, and on days off. Part of my job was support for field workers sturggling with a new, buggy application, and I felt obligated to help as much as possible. On Jan 1, a new VPN was initiated, and I no longer have access. My time is now my own again. I was never pressured to access work stuff from home before, and management did not care (note that I no longer have access), but the field users appreciated it. I can definitely see the benefit, but you have to remember that they really will survive without you.
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04-22-2004, 12:11 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 92
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vague expectations?
Nothing vague about them at all. 24X7 it couldn't be too much simpler than that.
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04-22-2004, 12:21 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 241
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not me...
All my technology is used for gaming and reading the latest thoughts website :mrgreen: I use my gsm phone to get usenet postings and cheat at pub trivia games :devilboy: (thank you google, for loading quickly on an ipaq)
I get to work at exactly starting time, and leave on the nose. no overtime, nothing goes home with me. if they tripled my salary, i might consider >40 hrs a week, but until then, no thanks.
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04-22-2004, 12:29 AM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,186
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For the most part, my work stays at work. I work overtime occasionally, but not a lot, as I don't get paid for it. I have VPN access to work via my laptop, but I rarely need to use it unless I'm horribly behind. Which I'm not. Usually. :mrgreen:
This site is a different story. I recently purchased a T610 and got a plan w/unlimited GPRS so I could be here EVEN MORE. 8)
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04-22-2004, 12:32 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 545
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No problems here.....
I do have to carry a cell phone 24/7, but I rarely get called. The rule is, try to figure it out yourself. Then you call. If you can't, the you call the primary. If the primary doesn't want to be called alot, he makes sure he has VERY good documentation. Still, if my servers are about to be bathed in water, I want to know regardless otherwise I am in for ALOT more work! 
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04-22-2004, 01:29 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,202
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I work out of my house, whenever I'm not traveling to visit my clients. I decided when I started in this position that work was work and home was home. I have a spare bedroom that is my work office. I'm sure to be there everyday at 8:00 AM, but also when I leave at night, I'm done. I don't answer the work line after I'm done for the night - but sometimes thats 6-7 in the evening.
I think if I worked from the same PC, or in the same area as I relax in it would be far too easy for me to mix the two, and it seems I hardly have enough family and me time as it is. I'm probably lucky that most of my customers are 9-5ers too.
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04-22-2004, 02:22 AM
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Executive Editor, Android Thoughts
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,233
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As a faculty member at a university, I am always (in a sense) on call to my students. They aren't as big an issue as the webhosting company that I do support work for. Being the only tech within the US means the owner can call me whenever he likes. I've had midnight 'emergency' calls before. Mostly, I believe I"m too plugged in for my own good. I never feel awkward away from my email / internet, only when I connect to it later do I feel the sting.
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Dr. Jon Westfall, MCSE, MS-MVP
Executive Editor - Android Thoughts
News Editor - Windows Phone Thoughts
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04-22-2004, 03:52 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,055
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I work at a small biomedical engineering lab in my university. I'm the only system administrator there, so I'm the only one to turn to when something happens. The fact that I have a cell phone and a PDA doesn't help at all..
Here's what happens when the printer stops working...
1) Call one...
2) 5 minutes later, call two...
3) 5 minutes later, call three...
..... and this continues until I arrive at the lab.
Sometimes, when I need to study and don't want to deal with lab problems, I end up shutting off my cell phone. It's the only way to get some peace.. 
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04-22-2004, 06:53 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Quote:
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Interesting that Microsoft feels it has to help it's workers stop working though.
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If I had to guess this is probably because of lower end management setting unrealistic and asinine expectations and most likely corp had to step in and say enough.
Management is an interesting breed. Dilbert isn't just a comic. This crap can be seen in a day to day work environment. And you DO have diminishing returns from a person expected to be available 24/7. At some point such a person burns out and actually starts costing a company money rather then making a company money.
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PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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Linear Mode
