Managing technology
Keeping the BlackBerry under control
As technology blurs the division between work life and home life, it’s essential that employers encourage sustainable practices.
“There are all sorts of policies you can put into place,” says Stan Murray, director, Healthy Workplaces at the National Quality Institute. “But culture comes from the leadership down.”
A number of organizations have implemented a ‘seven to seven’ policy, he says, mandating that no e-mails be sent between the hours of seven p.m. and seven a.m. “That can work well, but there may be times when you have a brainstorm in the middle of the night and want to share it. Some people keep a pad of paper by their bed, and now they’ve got a BlackBerry. That’s okay – there are times it is going to happen.”
What is most important is that employees be aware of the expectations of company leaders, says Mr. Murray. “What’s been communicated, formally or informally, about your use of technologies such as BlackBerry devices, mobile phones and laptops? If you’re at your son’s Little League game and you get a call from the office, are you supposed to answer it? Personally, I’d say no, but some organizations would say, ‘yes, the only reason we’re calling on your cell phone is because it’s important.’ Each organization has to determine and communicate its own rules.”
The concept of work-life balance really describes a quest for harmony between life and work, says Mr. Murray. “There are many people out there who love to work. It is their life, and if they spend 14 or 15 hours a day working, their life and their work are in harmony. But then there are parents – one of the top pediatric oncologists in Canada is currently on parental leave, because he knows it’s important for his family for him to be around those first six months.
“You’ve got to understand where you are personally – and the organization has to be in agreement that you can keep life and work in harmony. Technology may help you and your productivity, but if it starts to impinge, then you’ve got to be willing to exert some personal power and say, ‘I won’t answer that during family or personal time.’”
HOME PAGE
