People stress me, not technology.

And people who sit and play with these things at meetings, or interrupt a face-to-face conversation to take a call or whatever, are just plain rude and ill-mannered.

Bang on Ron!

Well aren't they idealistic replies!!!!

Whilst I agree that taking messages and calls in meetings etc is just plain rude, those that work remotely are bound by their technology.

I (usually) work from home. Contracted to do whatever hours are necessary to do the job (sometimes more than 35 hours, sometimes less). A client calls and I have to answer. It's called client care. If I don't respond as soon as practicable we could lose the client in the long run. If they've just had an accident if I don't respond it puts them in a more stressful positon. Same with emails. That can mean out of hours.

Even more so is my husband who works in computer software, working from home. He is the only techie in the world for the company, with some very large clients. That means picking up calls at all hours as clients are based around the world on different time zones. If there system isn't working he can't ignore their calls as it could be costing them large amounts of money. Even on holiday he has to take calls if it's important. And he's salaried so no bonuses for doing so.

We don't let this stress us, although it quite easily could, as we have set boundries to it. But we are both bound by technology to some extent. We manage it but I can see how others aren't able to do so. It should be considered to be a 'stressor' in my opinion.

When information technology became popular, it was widely anticipated that its development would reduce stress for managers. However, workers today believe that their work life is more stressful because of noise from office equipment (telephones, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, etc). Technology has also ensured that messages can be conveyed to vacationing employees through email, and the office can be taken to even the remotest of places through laptops/Blackberries etc.
It is very difficult to "switch off" even when you are on vacation. It could be that your manager expects it because he does it as well.

Not sure what the answer is but it certainly is not just switch it off, sadly. This I believe is a culture thing and needs addressing by the organisation you work for.

Hope this makes sense!

Les

Blaming these devices or the people behind the calls for consequent stress is camouflaging poor time management. The implication of this is that the colleagues suffering stress from this issue probably suffer stress from others too, and all arise from time management failures. Dealing with this would be treating a symtpom. I'm not trying to blame the victim, they're not victims.

Jeez, I hope you're not someones boss.

Clairel, the articles referred to in the initial post are about misuse and abuse of gadgetry, and my response on the "stress" side of things was in the context of those particular individuals who find it necessary to promote their perceived self-importance by attempting to 'multi-task' with technology.
What you described was your job, and one that many, if not most of us in this profession do. I certainly wasn't knocking that. I'm sure you wouldn't sit at a presentation working on e-mails on your Blackberry though, and I'm sure you've got a very friendly message on your answering machine and voicemail.

Technology should support is in doing the job and providing a service, it shouldn't dictate or take over. That's not idealistic is it?

I didn't mean 'not idealistic' - I meant it was idealistic.

But that is my point Thundercliffe.

People seem to be saying that technology is despensible and just due to inflated egos. I'm saying it's not.

I was also saying that although myself and particuarly my husband don't stress about technology I think that some people will stress about it.

To say people should just turn off their phones is a nonsense IMO.

My boss e-mailed me the other week on his Blackberry on a trivial matter ………..whilst on honeymoon!................with his very fit young wife!! …………….from Hawaii!!!!

I told himto go away & rethink his priorities (although not quite that politely).

OK, OK I concede, I'm an idealist! I could quite happily live in a world free of mobile comms. technology and hand-held gadgetry.

After all, we all used to..........? I worked without a PC up until 1999!

The only thing worse than technology is technology that doesn't work. That really winds me up. And - have you ever noticed that it always stops working when you need it the most or when you are up against a deadline?

Well I'm firmly in the camp which when not at work, am not working.

Absolutely the last thing I'd do for an employer that doesn't value its staff, cuts pay, terms and conditions and pretends to have a safety culture, lies and hides incidents etc, would be to sit on my holiday answering emails.

Yes I am job hunting.

TGIF

Agree with Clairel to a point, being a sole trader I need to respond to emails as and when I can.

I rather enjoy my work and my iphone is with me all the time, except swimming of course, and I can turn off the sound if I want to.

I occasionally travel long distances to sites and stay in hotels, I have the laptop with me and do the reports in the evening, that gives me more free time when I get back home.

Final comment - "if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen"!

Totally agree on the stress factor. Having a mobile phone for work means that some individuals feel that they have to constantly keep the phone switched on for fear of missing that call from the "boss". !!