Survey: Employees torn about getting tech tools as perks
Filed under: Employee computer use, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Security and law
A recent survey shows employees appreciate being offered BlackBerries, iPhones and other tech devices from their employers — but they worry what it means for their work-life balance.
Half of employees say getting those tech tools makes them feel important within the company, according to a recent WorldatWork survey. And 33% view the use of the tools as a key part of their total compensation package.
But they also see it as a double-edged sword — 42% of the respondents believe that being given a device means they’re expected to be available 24/7. Three out of four said they never turn the equipment off, and the majority admitted to using the devices between one and five hours a day during what they consider personal time.
So how can companies continue offering a benefit employees appreciate without the downsides that go along with it?
A lot of that depends on individual managers. If a boss makes a habit of e-mailing staff after hours, then employees will think they’re expected to check and respond to messages after hours.
It’s up to managers to set reasonable expectations.
Comments
2 Comments on Survey: Employees torn about getting tech tools as perks
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Mindy on
Tue, 28th Apr 2009 2:14 pm
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JParr on
Tue, 28th Apr 2009 6:21 pm
This can also get you into some sticky situations with wage and hour laws, if your non-exempt employees are checking work email or other things on their portable devices and the time spent is not added to their timecards.
I agree with Mindy that you would not want to issue an e-mail enabled device to a non-exempt employee.
As for the exempt employees, as a manager, I make it pretty clear that the purpose of the device is so that I can get ahold of the employee, and that e-mail access is a convenience. If there is an expectation about extending working hours, that expectation will be explicitly stated — e.g. during a project or for a specific maintenance window.
The two additional exceptions for IT positions:
- On call: You will be expected to respond to calls during assigned “on call” periods, which includes answering URGENT e-mails (regular e-mails can wait)
- Network monitoring: For a particular function, you may be expected to any and all events detected by the network monitoring system. Sometimes this is incorporated in to the “on call” rotation, but for specialized functions, there may be only 2 people who know the system, and both are expected to respond (or work out an on-call schedule amongst themselves)
Having that conversation up front makes it much easier for the technology to be viewed as a perq and not a leash.
