Does Constant Access Shatter the Home/Work Boundary?

StonyandCher has passed us a link to PCWorld.au, once again raising the tough topic of work/life separation. A department of the Australian government went ahead with a purchase of dozens of Blackberry communication devices, but is now delaying their deployment. The reason: "Staff expressed fears about BlackBerries contributing to a longer working day and felt it was going a step too far because mobile phones are adequate for out-of-office contact. Not everyone agreed, however, with some senior executives claiming a BlackBerry can contribute to work/life balance by facilitating telecommuting and more flexible schedules. " For the time being this issue is on hold for those staffers, but how does this issue fall for you? Is constant accessibility freeing or just another chain around your neck?

Comments

Yes, it's a problem

[s.d.]

Aside from the fact that my manager sometimes asks me to take my BlackBerry with me when I go on vacation (which I refuse to do), it's really easy to just look at it in the evenings or on weekends to see if there's any mail and check on things. I have taken to setting the automatic power down/power on setting, so I am not tempted to sneak a peak when I walk past it when I'm at home. I never check work mail on the computer in my free time, but the BlackBerry makes it so easy, it doesn't feel like I'm working until I've sunk 2 hours into something that could have waited until the morning.

Union, Yes!

[Animats]

Here's how it's done in a union shop. This is an Animation Guild contract.

Time worked on the employee's sixth (6th) workday of the workweek shall be paid at one and one-half (1 1/2) times the hourly rate provided herein for such employee's classification. Time worked on the employee's seventh (7th) workday of the workweek shall be paid at two (2) times the hourly rate provided herein for such employee's classification.

Minimum call for the sixth (6th) and seventh (7th) days shall be four (4) hours. In the event the actual time worked by such employee exceeds the four (4) hour minimum, s/he shall be paid for all time actually worked in 1/10th -hour increments.

All time worked in excess of fourteen (14) consecutive hours (including meal periods) from the time of reporting to work shall be Golden Hours and shall be paid at two (2) times the applicable hourly rate provided herein for such employee's classification.

Now that's the way it's supposed to work. There may be crunches when hours are long, but pay goes up, which discourages employers from overdoing it.

Note the "minimum call" provision. Calling someone at home to do work outside of normal hours triggers that, and costs the employer at least 4 hours pay. Again, emergencies are provided for, but they're billable, so employers don't overdo it.

Re:this is incumbent upon the employee

[cayenne8]

"But I have a lot of sympathy for your views. The only reason I haven't already gone the contractor/consultant route is hesitation about getting the first few safe jobs on the books. Everyone who's been there seems to advise doing this before giving up the day job, but it seems quite difficult to know where to start until you've got the time from giving up the day job to invest in client-hunting. :-("

You can start half way. 1st thing...look into incorporating yourself, it doesn't cost much. A friend of mine did it mostly himself for a few $$, I paid a lawyer about $250 or so, gave him a company name, and in 2 weeks I was a company. I went the "S" corp route, many will advise the LLC, but, do some research see which fits best for you. I like the S since I only have to pay SE taxes (SS and medicare) on the portion of my money that I make that I pay myself as a 'reasonable' W2 salary. Saves money that way.

But, in the meantime...look at job shops...you can start at some that will employ you as a contract employee...they get a big cut, but, it will easy you into the mkt....they find the jobs for you, etc. You can even start with places like this as a W2 employee of them, with full benefits...but, I'd not go that far, too close to being an employee.

Anyway, save up some $$....do a little research, and then, look for a contract employment co...and let them find your work for you till you get comfy with doing it yourself.

If you're a US citizen, look into places that do govt. work....those can be long term and you might can get on as a sub on a project.

Take a look here for good info LINK . Click the link for the 'original site', and read that if the main stuff is still under construction....

Good luck...the only thing scary about it is...that it is different, and you do take on a bit more responsibility for yourself...but,think of it, most people in the early days of the US did much the same thing, just in a more primitive time.

Weasel words: 'can contribute'

[darkonc]

This is fine for a sysadmin who is coming in and negotiating a new contract.

It's different for salaried staff who are on an existing contract. They can get the worst of both worlds:

On one hand, they get handed the crackberry and expected to respond to it on lunch, breaks and after hours.

on the other hand, it can be 2-4 years before the next round of contract talks which would deal with this change -- and, even then, the crackberry issue (if it's only one, small department affected) could just fall off the negotiating table due to time constraints, or whatever.

I'd say that it's fine for senior management who are expected to work overtime, handle issues when home or even on vacation and then factor that in to things like the time that they take off.

On the other hand, it really does need to be properly negotiated, beforehand, for middle and lower tiers who don't have the kinds of freedom that upper management have.

As the exec said: it can lead to things like telecomuting, etc. etc. etc. ... but it can also lead to extended hours with no payback. I have no access to the department in question, but I'm going to assume that, if the workers raised enough of a fuss about it to have the project shelved, they probably have some fear that they were going to end up in something more akin to the latter situation.