Is Job Technology Causing More Stress ?
Then email became a mainstream method of business communication.
Marvelous - now telephones wouldn't ring off the hook, messages
would not have to be stored and retrieved as verbal
communications, which took time. Instead, information would be
clear and concise and could be retrieved and answered any time,
any where - again the promise of more freedom.
With email, internet and cellphones, was it really necessary for
workers to be restrained to the office? Maybe shorter work days
would ensue. Perhaps parents could collect their children from
school and be contacted at home via either of these methods.
The work world was changing.
This truth came about as more workers were able to take their
jobs with them. The travel from home to work and back again was
no longer a barrier for actually DOING the work.
Telecommunication was making itself an integral part of
conducting business. With cellphones and email, distance, time
and travel were no longer barriers to conducting business
effectively.
For some, this meant that coming to the office every day was an
option - not a requirement.
Mothers and fathers found new freedom to take care of their
children while still collecting the paycheck they needed to
support them. Work could be done at home, at the park, at the
grocery store, at night...
Unfortunately, this ability to work anywhere has become a
nuisance instead of a luxury for some individuals. The fact that
they are ABLE to do business any time, any where, means that
they actually ARE doing business all the time.
Rather than free them, they found that they cannot get far
enough away from work to really put it away for the day. Illness
and emergencies do not stop the phone from ringing or the email
from piling up - and because you can access it, there is no
excuse for not dealing with it.
So for some, the convenience has become a ball and chain -
creating longer work hours and constant stress. For these
individuals it is necessary to commit themselves and their work
mates to guidelines such as turning the phone off. Not accessing
email regularly. Sticking to these rules and telling other work
mates your new practices should help.
Remember that you were supposed to be ASSISTED by these devices.
It is in the best interest of your health and the well-being of
your family if these tools keep their proper place.
About the author:
Jay is the web owner of http://www.jobs-in.com Jobs | Job Search Resources,
a website that provides information and resources on searching
for jobs nationwide. You can visit his website at: Job Search